Five Mile Creek
Five Mile Creek (sometimes Fivemile Creek or 5-Mile Creek) drains a large portion of the Warrior Coal Fields in central Jefferson County, north of Birmingham. It arises from a spring near Chalkville (map) and, joined by several other tributary springs, proceeds along a winding course westward, emptying into the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River near the Flat Top Mine (map).
The origin of the name is unknown, given that the creek traverses a total course of about 43 miles. One story has it that it was named for a crossing at Center Point that was five miles north of the Ruhama Academy.1.
Because it adjoined numerous mines and other industrial operations during the growth of industry in the Birmingham District, Five Mile Creek became highly polluted from mine tailings and coke processing, earning nicknames like "Chocolate Creek" or "Creosote Creek".
As commercial and residential development spread into Birmingham's northern suburbs, it often ignored the floodways and flood plains. Flooding from Five Mile Creek caused more and more damage, including a devastating flood in Tarrant in 2000 that destroyed a mobile home park. Tarrant's Fire Chief Billy Hewitt began campaigning to convert the former trailer park into a city park. In 2002 he met with the Wendy Jackson of the Freshwater Land Trust and founded the Five Mile Creek Greenways Partnership.
In recent years a movement to clean up the creek and restore its scenic qualities and recreational opportunities has gained momentum, with Birmingham, Center Point, Tarrant, Fultondale, Brookside and Graysville all pledging to cooperate with the partnership toward the development of a series of parks and greenways along the course of Five Mile Creek.
Sites along Shades Creek
Starting upstream (from the east):
- Chalkville
- Barber Springs & Killough Springs, Center Point
- Ketona Lakes/Tarrant
- Lewisburg/Fultondale
- Coalburg/Upper Coalburg
- Five Mile Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Republic
- Brookside/Brookside Park
- Cardiff
- Black Warrior River near Flat Top
Streets running alongside Shades Creek
- Old Springville Road
- Marlin Springs Road in Center Point
- Wilkinson Road
- Cherry Avenue/Graysville Road
- Mississippi Street
- Brookside Cardiff Road
Major roads crossing Five Mile Creek
Starting upstream (from the east):
- Center Point Parkway
- Lawson Road near Robinwood
- Pinson Valley Parkway
- Springdale Road
- Seaboard Road near the New Boyles Yards
- U.S. Highway 31 in Fultondale
- I-65 in Fultondale
- Coalburg Road
- Republic Road
- Bivens Brookside Road
- U.S. Highway 78 near Linn Crossing
References
- United States Board on Geographic Names. (February 6, 2006) Quarterly Review List 391 - accessed August 3, 2007
External links
- Five Mile Creek Greenway Partnership website
- Five Mile Creek History Project website
- Five Mile Creek Canoe & Company website