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Hurricane Creek is On a Flood Plain


"A major concern is that the ponds are being constructed in a flood plain. Dr. Tom Nelson (Head of Biology North Georgia) conceded this point and stated, the "reward outweighs the risk".  If floods wash away the Vernal ponds and accompanying research, how could the reward outweigh the risk?

What would an informed person think of building ponds in a known floodplain within feet of natural vernal ponds and federally protected species? 

The wetland area where the holding ponds were constructed are 175 feet from a significant creek (Hurricane Creek) which has constant and very good water flow even during the worst drought periods on record.  This creek contains a federally endangered species (the Etowah darter) and a State endangered species (the Holiday darter).     

The area is also within 250 yards of the Etowah River in an area that was completely inundated by flood waters from the river about 15 years ago.  Given the amount of timber harvest on lands upstream it is very likely this magnitude of flooding will be more frequent than in the past.

Dr. Tom Nelson, North Georgia College, started construction without an erosion plan and that work was halted by the county for the violation.


"According to the Lumpkin County map, the wetland area is nearly in the middle of the flood plain area.  In fact about 65% of the 62 acres is within the flood plane of the Etowah River.  As far as the wetlands is concerned, the flood plain appears to extend at least 500 feet in all directions from the wetland and in some directions much, much farther."
-Dr. James Parker, original Curator, Hurricane Creek, ret. NGCSU Biology 


Dr. James Parker's Testimony regarding Flooding at Hurricane Creek:


  I think a 25-year flood of that magnitude would definitely wash away the vernal pools as [Mike Rund]envisioned.  In (January) 1996 Pine Valley (College land across Hwy 9 from Hurricane Creek) flooded, and all of the field of the historic farm (a few hundred yards south from the wetland area at Hurricane Creek) was under water to the extent that  only the tops of the fence posts were showing.  The Regan's lived in the old house above where the flood was at the time, and it was Mr. Regan who told me about the flood in his pasture, to the top of the fence posts.

  

 It would have been even deeper in the wetland area.  At that depth I estimate that the depth of the water in the wetland area would have been about 4 feet deep and about 5 feet at the shelter next to the creek.  If the shelter had been there, it would have been as deep as where the roof begins at the shelter.

 
      I know that some of the drainage to the wetland area comes from up the creek.  There are some springs and underground flow (which
 can be seen throught peep holes) that extends all the way to the wetland
 areas underground and likely extends to the river as well.  The water table
 does fluctuate a lot...when the water table was up, it would hold water for weeks.
 

There was likely was an article in "The Nugget" about the flood also.  That was the same time a flood washed out the bridge on Nimblewill Road in the County and it took a number of months to get it repaired.
 


Hurricane Creek wetlands was flooded as recently as 3 years ago:


Testimony from Anne Converse, who walks her dogs at Hurricane Creek, and who was there right after the last flooding: 


" I remember a September a couple (maybe 3?) years ago when the river was so high that it
 reached the path that's along the river, across from that abandoned yellow
 house, near where the river and creek meet. This was the same September that
 Austell (near Atlanta) had such bad floods. You can still see debris in the
 trees there, so the river was at least a foot above the path, (and normally
 there's about a 9 - 10 foot drop from the path to the river below!). There
 used to be a huge tree that had fallen across the river from below the
 yellow house to the path; it had debris on top of it; tree has since been
 cut down. That storm also washed away the 2 foot bridges on the creek trail,
 one was retrieved. It completely covered the beach area further upstream;
 debris was all the way to the path, there, and the beach covered with
 debris.  2 days after that (it was
 impassable until then) and I couldnt walk at all along the wetlands area
 (between creek and pasture) as it was completely underwater."



More Logging Means More Flooding at Hurricane Creek 

  With more and more timbering and development upstream near the Etowah I would expect these floods to become more frequent.  Since that great flood of 15 years ago, I have seen the Etowah out of its banks on two additional occasions since then which backed up in the creek and washed away some bridges we constructed along the trail.
       Since the soil has now been disrupted in the wetland area I believe any flooding of the area will lead to a greater extent of erosion than would normally occur.
      
              -Dr. James Parker, ret. Biology, NGCSU, original curator at Hurricane Creek