Baker Creek

Baker Creek is a tributary of the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River.

The creek winds for about seven miles through Walker County, arising from a spring on Boren Explosives property just west of Aldridge and continuing generally south by southeast, parallel to Alabama State Highway 269. It is joined by Japanese Creek just north of Goodsprings and by another unnamed creek just above High Level.

The creek curves around Alabama Power Company's Plant Gorgas just before spilling into the Mulberry Fork.

In June 2016 a fish kill was observed at the Bankhead Lake downstream from Baker Creek. Black Warrior Riverkeeper found very low oxygen content in the water below Baker Creek and reported the incident to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), which conducted its own investigation, without ever identifying a cause. Alabama Power stated that none of its operations could have caused the deaths.

On March 23, 2019 Plant Gorgas released 650-700 gallons of a chemical fire suppressant into the creek. Alabama Power reported the spill to ADEM and are assisting in investigating and planning for remediation.

References

• Pillion, Dennis (April 4, 2019) "Alabama Power spills fire retardant chemical days before fish kill on Black Warrior." The Birmingham News