The state of Alabama is hope to one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the Country.
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Locally, the Cahaba River has a fish population greater than any other temperate river of its size. However, many of the fish and mussel species are rare and endangered.
The Alabama Department of Labor’s Abandoned Mine Lands Program is in place to protect endangered species living in and around the Cahaba River.
In Bibb County, their Piper Mine Reclamation project will continue to do that while also attracting more wildlife.
The Abandon Mine Lands Program works to eliminate mine-related safety hazards to improve the environment, much of the money of the program is spent on reclamation work.
The Cahaba River keeper says phase 1 of this reclamation project took roughly 15 years and comes with a price-tag of $8.5 million dollars.
“You used to not even be able to access this part of the refuge at all, what you see now is not what this will look like in the future. This will all be reforested. It just takes time. We’ve got the big part done, and now will come the replanting, and really, returning this to what it was before the mine,” said Cahaba River keeper David Butler.
According to the Cahaba River Keeper, Alabama is the only state in the Southeast with no comprehensive water plan to manage and monitor various different processes, which means Alabamians have no protection for their water resources.
This reclamation project has already greatly improved the quality of the water in the Cahaba River.
“All of the water on this property used to drain through an old coal mine, it picked up heavy metals, and changed the pH of the water. So, all that water that discharged to the river impacted water quality, and not just the aquatic species but the aquatic plants,” said Butler.
“It helps with water quality downstream, downriver. It helps with watershed work, so it helps prevent flooding…And then by functioning well, it also provides better habitats,” said Director of the U.S. department of Fish and Wildlife Service, Martha Williams.
This improvement to water quality and vegetation is already having a positive impact on Wildlife.
“We had Canada geese fly over, we heard tree frogs, there are Cahaba lilies starting to bloom, there are migratory birds coming through. It’s a very special place that we now have access to,” said Williams.
While a clean and safe how for wildlife is a top priority, directors are also hopeful this will drive tourism in the area.
The Piper Mine Trail at the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge is now open and available to the public.
River keeper Butler says now that phase one has been completed, the next step can begin.
The work of the Abandoned Mines Program is not contained to Bibb County, the Alabama DOL has similar projects underway across the state.
Read More: Making a local river safe for wildlife and tourism