Members of the Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance were told Wednesday that it will cost too much to develop a temporary access road to county-owned wetlands near the Wal-Mart Distribution Center.

County Commissioner Tim Armstrong, who is chairman of the Alliance, told the group at its regular monthly meeting that the cost for crushed stone for the temporary road would be about $3,000.

“At our last meeting, we thought the wetlands road was a ‘go,’” Armstrong noted. When the cost of the temporary road was learned, however, “There was no way we could authorize spending that kind of money” for a road that would not be deeded to the county.

“We have to have a deed of permanent access,” he said.

The Alliance is a loose confederation of agencies, clubs and individuals interested in protecting and enhancing water quality and the natural environment in Greene County. It has been working with the Greene County Fishing & Hunting Club to enhance and maintain the wetlands.

The club had agreed to take over maintenance of the wetlands soon after it was created, but found last year that the cost of maintenance probably exceed its resources.

In order to meet state environmental requirements, Greene County agreed in 1995 to create the 40-acre wetlands to compensate for about 10 acres of naturally-occurring wetlands that were destroyed when the huge distribution center was built on Pottertown Road near Mosheim.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources officer James McAfee said that he and others initially involved in discussing the access road thought that only a few truckloads of rock would be needed, but, as it turned out, about 30 loads would be required.

“We’ve got to have permanent access,” Armstrong said, echoing a concern that McAfee has repeated for about a year, since the Alliance first became involved.

The group heard from Steve Robbins, an engineer with Vaughn & Melton, who told them he believes that either an easement or a right of way can be negotiated with adjoining property owners. He recommended contacting the owners of nearby property, to see if a permanent right of way or a change in the existing easement can be worked out. The group agreed to have him do this.

Vaughn & Melton designed the wetlands for the Greene County government, and oversaw its construction, while the distribution center was being built. Since then, some of the structures intended to dam and divert creek water out and cause it to spread across the site have failed, and much of the creek is again in its original channel, McAfee said.

McAfee said that Terry Horne, an environmental engineer with the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicated after a visit to the site that some requirements for the wetlands “apparently weren’t met” originally.

Horne has agreed to write a formal recommendation for improving the site, at the Alliance’s request.

Robbins said the county now has legal access to the wetlands through an easement. He showed it to the group on a map. But as a practical matter, he noted, this 800-foot easement is all but unusable, because it crosses a creek and most of the land involved is extremely wet and marshy.

Armstrong said the ultimate goal for the wetlands site, as far as the Alliance is concerned, is preparing it for use as an outdoor environmental classroom. Because of this, he said, good road access is a must, as is at least enough space for a school bus to park and to turn around.

Roy Settle, who represents the Appalachian Resource & Development Council, and others said that any grant money that the Alliance might seek would require that the site have usable, permanent, legal access.

Treasurer Fred Kauffman told the Alliance that it now has $3,390.95 on hand.
He said he and Candy Adams, who represents Keep Greene Beautiful, have come up with some designs for stationery, but believe the group needs a post office box. The group authorized Kaufmann to obtain one. Kaufmann said the Alliance also needs a physical address and a lawyer, but Jones said that other such groups have so far done without the services of a retained attorney.

John B. Jones, who represents TVA on the Alliance, said the physical address for legal purposes of a similar Alliance in Erwin is the Unicoi County Chamber of Commerce. Adams said she would look into the possibility of the Greene County Partnership’s serving as the physical address.

Creek Bank Cleanup Planned

The group also agreed to hold another creek bank cleanup this spring. After discussion, they set April 6, a Saturday, as the date for the cleanup, which will probably be either along Middle Creek or along the Nolichucky River itself. the cleanup will deal primarily with trash, rather than trees or other natural flood debris.
The group also authorized spending $100 to sponsor an information booth at a regional environmental conference to be held at the Adelphia Center in Johnson City on March 7-8.

Adams said that part of the conference will focus on watersheds. Next year, she said, the conference will be held in Greeneville at the General Morgan Inn.