Image shows entrance to phase I of the mining operation, located off U.S. 231 about halfway between Rosa and Cleveland. U.S. 231 is just below the bottom of the photo. The triangle-shaped cleared area is thought to be the first of some 62 sediment ponds. The background shows construction of a road that will circle much of Cornelius Mountain at the base of the highwall providing access to the highwall for auger mining and for trucks to remove coal from the mined area. photo courtesy: Nelson Brooke Landowner Donna Matthews and Black Warrior Riverkeeper Nelson Brooke, members of the Rosamine watchdog committee of the Friends of the Locust Fork River, recently flew over the Rosa mine site being developed by MCoal Corp. Piloting the flight was Bob Kuehithau of Southwings out of Huntsville. Southwings is a conservation organization that uses volunteer pilots and small aircraft to monitor and protect resources and ecosystems of the Southeast. The groups will team up periodically to follow developments at the mine. The aerial photos below are a tiny selection of the more than 600 images taken on the first flyover.

Volunteers from the Rosamine watchdog committee have been monitoring water quality on streams in the Rosamine area for several months. Here, volunteer Leigh Lynn processes a sample from a stream to test for silt and other impurities. The volunteers are part of a statewide network called Alabama Water Watch. The program is based at Auburn University. Its purpose is to promote watershed stewardship through ongoing water-quality monitoring by trained volunteers. Such monitoring will help protect the Locust Fork River and its tributaries from siltation and acid mine drainage from the Rosa mine. Rosamine Watchdogs are asking for volunteers from the area to take a water testing seminar conducted by Alabama Water Watch, to be held at Rosa Town Hall on Saturday, April 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Citizens will learn to sample and test water at particular assigned locations once a month and enter their findings into a statewide web-based system. They can then view analysis of their data and others through the web site. Those interested should call Leigh Lynn at 951-5194 for further information and to register.

Image shows the mine access road that has been built circling the southwestern promontory of Cornelius Mountain. Visible along the downhill margin of the road is the silt fence that is supposed to prevent silt from washing into nearby stream courses like Dry Creek and Andy Branch. Any breach in these fences is illegal and should be reported. photo courtesy: Nelson Brooke