Hymenocallis coronaria is occasional on the Locust Fork. The port also has direct… Siltation disrupts many levels of a healthy river or creek ecosystem. local river or creek. 3) can offer on-site technical advice. The river's winding course caused the early white settlers to build many bridges, some of which survive from the past: Swann Covered Bridge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swann_Covered_Bridge Horton Mill Covered Bridge, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horton_Mill_Covered_Bridge and Easily Covered Bridge. Highway 31 bridge, Drive north from Birmingham, AL on Interstate 65 and exit 275. Plants, in addition to being beautiful, play a vital role in a healthy river, filtering the water and providing habitat and food for many creatures. The abandoned underground coal mine is located on the banks of the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River near Praco, Alabama. The Locust Fork River ranks in the top 2% of the nation's free flowing rivers with “outstandingly remarkable values” in all seven categories of the Nationwide Rivers Inventory of the National Park Service, (https://www.nps.gov/subjects/rivers/alabama.htm). The port connects to the Gulf Coast ports for export (or import). We couldn't go trout fishing so we decided to try fishing the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River. The National Park Service places the Locust Fork River in the top 2% of all United States' rivers with "outstandingly remarkable" values. 2019 Art and Photo Contest Traveling Exhibit. Buddy Vines Camp, located off the Locust Fork in Jefferson County, is a beloved Bessemer resource. Plans for the dam were finally suspended. The Project Management Office is responsible for all Civil Works activities along the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway including the Locust Fork, Mulberry Branch, and the Alabama-Coosa Waterways. Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River : Format: PDF 188kb JPEG 237kb : Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River. Drummond Company has been found to be violating the Clean Water Act by continuously discharging acid amid mine drainage into the Black Warrior River’s Locust Fork from the Maxine Mine site. The Locust Fork River is the major tributary of the Black Warrior River. “It’s a beautiful section of the river. As rivers and streams become shallower due to siltation, they become more flood-prone. “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has wisely closed this dangerous mining loophole… But I’m targeting the specific part of the river If you have some whitewater kayaking experience and you’re seeking a challenge that’s less daunting than Little River Canyon, head to the Locust Fork section of the Black Warrior. Today in Blount County 115 bridges longer than 20 feet currently in operation cross the Locust Fork River. We have water sports. The port is served via short line railroad with access to CSX, Norfolk Southern and BNSF railways. Glynn Wilson The Black Warrior River in fall Pollution caused by coal mining near the Black Warrior River has landed the river on the annual list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers, according to a report issued by the conservation group American Rivers. Based upon cultural heritage, fisheries, scenic beauty, geological interest, historical significance, recreational value and wildlife, ninety miles of the Locust Fork River qualifies for recognition in all categories. (Source: Nelson Brooke, Black Warrior Riverkeeper) People who live on the Locust Fork near the Maxine mine say runoff from that long-closed site has ruined their boating and fishing, endangered their livelihoods and damaged their enjoyment of their homes. After the incubation period, 7 E. coli colonies were found in the three samples taken which translates to 233 E. coli in 100mL of water, the YELLOW for CAUTION Zone for water contact. Coordinates: 33°57′4.42″N 86°23′37.15″W / 33.9512278°N 86.3936528°W / 33.9512278; -86.3936528, The sandstone shelf riverscour has rare plant species, https://www.nps.gov/subjects/rivers/alabama.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swann_Covered_Bridge, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horton_Mill_Covered_Bridge, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Locust_Fork_of_the_Black_Warrior_River&oldid=988774385, Wikipedia articles with style issues from December 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 15 November 2020, at 04:35. Without crevices to catch the seeds of plants such as the Spider Lily (aka Cahaba Lily) on the Locust Fork, seeds will be washed to deeper water and lost. Judge Abdul Kallon rejected Drummond’s arguments that the Clean Water Act does not prohibit ongoing pollution originating from a substantial coal mine waste pile […] FLFR's mission is to preserve the free-flowing and natural wonder of the Locust Fork River and its tributaries by educating the community, promoting recreation, Alabama Department of Environmental Management, a multitude of aquatic life, including 74 species of fish, abundent migratory and stationary birds & wildlife, the flattened musk turtle (endangered species), mussels & snails (several endangered species), a possible home to the Red-cockaded woodpecker. Our splendid Grand Staircase, built by Blount County Commissioners, is inspiring more beauty as Friends of the Locust Fork River and volunteers continue to grace the site with native plants. The threat of a 1,773-acre coal mine that would discharge polluted wastewater only 800 feet from a major drinking water intake on the river’s primary tributary, the Mulberry Fork, put it on the America’s Most Endangered Rivers®list in 2011 and 2013. Together, they flow out of the lake to the southwest as the Black Warrior River, through Tuscaloosa to the Tombigbee River and south to Mobile. The Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River stretches more than 150 miles through three Alabama counties near Birmingham. When our land erodes into our rivers and streams, the resulting siltation damages our river and destroys precious habitat. Refer them to our local Soil and Water Conservation District (Oneonta: 205-625-3544). Nationally known for its premiere whitewater abundance, the Locust Fork was included in the American Rivers OUTSTANDING RIVERS LIST for 1991. Look for the source of the problem. For many families, these waterways were a pri-mary source of work and play—fishing, washing, swimming, and learning about nature. I used my Necky sky kayak as it fits easily in the back of my Toyota truck. A partial summary judgment was issued Tuesday in a federal lawsuit filed by the Black Warrior Riverkeeper over coal mine waste discharge into Locust Fork.Judge Abdul Kallon ruled Drummond Company's discharging of acid mine drainage from its abandoned Maxine Mine site into Locust Fork violates the Clean Water Act. Settlers also built water-powered grain mills in almost every valley. The Mulberry Fork is a tributary of the Black Warrior River in the state of Alabama. The Locust Fork Band will play a charity concert for Black Warrior Riverkeeper at the Bottletree Café on the Southside of Birmingham from 3-6 p.m. on Saturday, April 4. Runoff from the abandoned Maxine mine flows into the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River. For many years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has allowed the majority of the Black Warrior River watershed’s approximately 95 active coal mines to opera… The Black Warrior River and it’s many tributaries, the northern sister system to the treasured Cahaba River, embraces the north portion of Alabama’s largest city, Birmingham, including the Mulberry Fork and magnificent Locust Fork, then stretches north and west to include the Sipsey River and finally flows down past Tuscaloosa and on to Demopolis. The NRCS office may also offer grant monies. The Black Warrior River is the largest watershed entirely in the state of Alabama. Its 158-mile-long (254 km) course (1) drains a watershed of 1,209 square miles (3,130 km2) and comprises challenging whitewater rapids popular with canoers and kayakers, as well as smooth water sections for tubing, and spots for sport fishing. In the late 1980s, the Birmingham Water Works proposed damming the river as a source of drinking water. Most farmers and timber companies are familiar with Best Management Practices (BMPs) and know how to keep our waters clear. Siltation fills in the rock crevices. Enlarge View 16 images in sequence. (Black Warrior River, Mile 217-385.5) Chart 44, Mile 345 Chart 45, Mile 353 : Chart 46, Mile 359 : Bankhead Pool All Charts, Miles 365.5-385.5 (Black Warrior River, Mile 217-385.5) Chart 47, Mile 365 Chart 48, Mile 372 Br. These rock crevices also serve as homes to bugs that are an important part of the food chain for many other animals. It's composed of the Locust Fork or Little River and the Mulbery Fork which flows out of Smith Lake. It also hinders growth of other aquatic life: for example, insects and vegetation that contribute to the food chain. Put in. The bugs are smothered, and their homes for future generations lost. The Mulberry Fork and the Locust Fork merge west of Birmingham to form the Black Warrior River, which flows southwest through the tail end of the Appalachian Mountains. It is a strikingly beautiful stream, flowing through rural Blount County The goal was to try and catch fish big enough to relocate to the pond. Shallow water ways are warmer than deeper waterways. The Mulberry Fork drains part of the southernmost end of the Appalachian Mountains north and west of Birmingham. Together the river and ridges have created an array of habitats for a distinctively rich diversity of life. That geology demonstrates that across the millennia as the Appalachians and other uplifts of the land slowly took place, the river cut through. The river provided Native Americans ample food and shelter, resulting in abundant artifacts in the watershed. 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October 14, 2020
