When:  January 10, 2002

Where: Piccadilly Cafeteria, Johnson City Mall, on N. Roan Street

Program: Eddie Wyatt of Mahoney’s present’s new fly-fishing equipment for 2002

Program: 6pm-7pm Board Meeting (members and guests welcome) 7pm-8pm Program

NEW OFFICERS AND BOARD—OVERMOUNTAIN CHAPTER OF TROUT UNLIMITED

President & Chairman of Board-- Jim Davis  --423-378-3880

Secretary—Charles Gibson  --423-239-9655

Treasurer—James Chandler  --423-239-5065

Immediate Past President—Charles Martin—423-245-4966

Board

Oct. 1999-Sept. 2002 term                Tom Hensley

                                                Elaine Walker

                                                Foster Levey

                                                Bill Beazell

Oct. 2000—Sept. 2003 term James Chandler

Oct.2001—Sept. 2004 term Bob Sherrill

                                                   Charles Martin

Oct. 2001—Sept. 2002 term Danny Sells

Honorary Member—Marcia Carter

OVERMOUNTAIN CHAPTER SCHEDULE 2002

January 4 Deadline for home delivery of Jan. Newscaster

            10 Monthly chapter meeting (Reunion of charter members)

            26 TU/TVA meeting in Knoxville

            26 Deadline for submitting materials for Feb. Newscaster

February 8 Deadline for home delivery of Feb. Newscaster.

              14 Monthly chapter meeting (Honor chapter’s life members)

                22 Deadline for submitting materials for March newscaster

March 8 Deadline for home delivery of March Newscaster

          14 Monthly chapter meeting

          22 Deadline for submitting materials for April Newscaster

     *Mystery fishing outing

April 5 Deadline for home delivery of April Newscaster

        11 Monthly chapter meeting

        19 Deadline for submitting materials for May Newscaster

May 3 Deadline for home delivery of May Newscaster

        9 Board of directors meeting (members and guests welcome)

    *Watauga River cleanup

    * Annual chapter rendezvous at Wonderland Hotel (Great Smokey Mountains)

      24 Deadline for submitting materials for June Newscaster

June 7 Home delivery of June Newscaster

      13 Monthly chapter meeting with outdoor program

      21 Deadline for submitting materials for July Newscaster

July 5 Deadline for home delivery of July Newscaster

      11 Monthly chapter meeting with outdoor program

      19 Deadline for submitting materials for August Newscaster

August 2 Deadline for home delivery of August Newscaster

             8 Monthly chapters meeting with outdoor program

           14-18 TU National Convention Portland, Maine

           23 Deadline for submitting materials for September Newscaster

     *TU National Convention

September 6 Deadline for home delivery of September Newscaster

                12 Annual meeting for election of new officers

*Date to be announced later

If you have items, which need discussion by the Board of directors, call the chapter’s secretary, Charles Gibson (423-239-9655, a Kingsport
number) and request your item be added to the agenda for the meeting.

The Chapter’s Board of Directors meet from 6-7pm and the program portion of our monthly meeting is from 7-8pm.  You are welcome to attend
both portions of our monthly meeting or feel free to attend the program only if you prefer.  You could arrive at Piccadilly Cafeteria around 6:30
pm and bring your meal into the meeting room where you can finish your meal before the program starts.

THE HELP STOP POACHING TELEPHONE NUMBER IS 1-800-831-1174.  Call between 7am and midnight, 7 days a week.

Easy Money

Please renew your National TU membership through the Overmountain Chapter.  The chapter receives  $5.00 for each renewal and $ 10.00 for
each new membership.  We send it to National TU.  Make your checks payable to TROUT UNLIMITED and either give to James Chandler, our
treasurer, or mail to him at:

                                                   James Chandler

                                                   304 Countryshire Court

                                                   Kingsport, Tn. 37663

If you sign up a new member, instead of mailing their check to National TU, give it to James Chandler.  Also, we can use this easy money.

WEB SITE ADDRESS

For up to date information on Overmountain Chapter activities and events, check out our web site at: www.xtn.net/~chasekr.

GUIDE TO ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND REGULATION

Welcome to our next article in the series on Guide to Environmental Law and Regulation.  Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972 but it was 1986 before the Environmental Protection Agency began forcing the states to take the first step in meeting the requirements of this act: cataloging all waters within the state into “ waters that meet or exceed water quality standards versus impaired waters”.

 Next, the states were required to establish a “ Total Maximum Daily Load” (TMDL) for the pollutants that rendered certain waters impaired. The TMDL is essentially the daily volume of these pollutants which can be introduced into the water and still allow the water to recover its purity as defined in the water quality standards.

Then a list was compiled of all sources which contribute the pollutants into the impaired waters and the volumes introduced by each source.
The volume introduced per pollutant per source was calculated as a percentage of the total pollutant introduced by all sources and the TMDL was divided among the source on this percentage basis.  From this allowable volume of pollutant per source the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for that source is compiled and issued.
 

Now lets talk about how the TMDL is determined for the water.  The TMDL is based on the water quality standards that recognize “ designated users” for the water.  Thus some waters are designated as a public drinking source and must meet the highest standard.  Other waters are designated as cold water / warm water fish habitat, or individual wastewater disposal.  Both the S. Holston and Watauga tail waters are designated as public drinking water sources.  It was this designation that forces TVA to  pulse the Watauga River periodically and build the
weir on the S. Holston.  The pulse and the weir are required for these waters to meet the 7 ppm dissolved oxygen content required in the designation.
 

Next we will review the NPDES permitting system and especially the opportunity for the public to participate in the initial issue and reissue of an NPDES permit.

HAMPTON CREEK E.A.S. RECOGNITION & SIGN INSTALLATION

The Hampton Creek Barrier – Brook Trout restoration Project was part of a larger project of the Southern Appalachians Highlands
Conservancy.  Our chapter partnered with them, TWRA, USDA Forest Service, and the University of Tennessee.

The conservancy project includes the continued operation of the Birchfield farm, fenced grazing areas to reduce shrub and tree growth, while promoting grass growth suitable for several endangered bird species, fencing to keep livestock out of the creek, and a water trough system to make this possible.  Additionally, hiking trails will be constructed on parts of both sides of the creek to the top of the mountain.  There has been some renovation of property buildings.

On Saturday December 10, Marjorie Stratton, John McKee, Jon Krutak, and Bill Beazell for our chapter joined Marcia, Bart, and Noah Carter, Judy Murray and 5 other conservation people, plus Lisa Huff of the State Natural Area Program in placement of the creek descriptive sign at the barrier.  Photos were taken and should be available to us soon.

REUNION

A reunion of charter members of Overmountain Chapter is planned for the January 2002 meeting.  Unfortunately, neither records of the chapter nor the national archives include a list of charter members.  We are asking your help in compiling the best list of charter members for this reunion.  To date, we think the following are charter members:

Wally Bowery                       Rod Stipe                       Kirk Horner

Bill Taylor                              S. Caldwell                 Bob Estep

Tim Landis                            Gordon Malone                  Dr. Jerry Nagel

Bruce Wankel                       Bill Beazell                    Joe Bender

Sam Benedict                        Tom Carson                   George Grant

Ron Jones                             David Lawrence                               Jerry Bruce

Tyler Fleming                        Rolson Hendricks              Bob Justice

John McKee                         Larry McCracken            Dr. Clayton Vandiver

David Kalwinsky

If you or someone you know belongs on this list please contact Jim Davis (423-378-3880 or Davis@ chartertn.net) before the meeting, We want to make sure everyone who earned recognition is included.

 
CHAPTER MEETING ATTENDANCE

Our ability to reserve a meeting room depends on our attendance. In November, 19 were present, and in Dec. 14 attended.  The Picadilly Manager discussed this with us at the December meeting.  Our room seats 30, which is our attendance goal.

MEMBERSHIP

We emphasized the importance of introducing friends to TU and bringing them to meetings and outings.  Also emphasized was the importance of breaking down the perceived elitism of TU.  Our chapter encourages participation of people who fish by any legal means.

An appeal to renew membership through our chapter’s treasurer, James Chandler, has appeared in the last 2 issues of the NEWSCASTER.  At $5 a renewal of 160 members, we are talking about a large amount for our chapter.

We have many dropouts, and many do not know they have not paid their National dues. Others need our help in coming back to TU and the chapter. Don Kreh has agreed to lead us, and he will be glad to receive any ideas you may have.

NEWSCASTER

We have 163 members, and for the December issue we sent 68 e-mails and 14 postal mailings.  Those who want to receive the Newscaster must let Bill Beazell at 225 DeLee Drive, Kingsport, TN.37663 know.

DID YOU MISS IT?

On Saturday Dec. 15, Jim Davis took us on the third great outing in two months. Jim, Mike O’Neal, Charles Gibson, Don Kreh, Danny Sells, Marjorie Stratton, John McKee, Bill Beazell, and Brown Osborne (V.P. of North Carolina Stone Mountain Chapter and the person responsible for the 120 cfs valving of the weir dam) met at the weir dam at 9 am.  We were led on a tour of about 10 good fishing areas from the South Holston Dam to Bluff City.  We had a look at rental accommodations at Rivers Way.  We lunched at Webb’s Grocery and then several went
fishing.

CHRISTMAS PARTY

Friday Dec. 7, several chapter members, their spouses, and friends met at The Tavern in Abingdon, Va. for dinner and then went to The Barter Theater to see the WMKS 1942 Christmas Show.  A great evening for all that attended.

BOONE WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP-BUFFALO CREEK

This partnership was formed in 1995, and is now chaired by Ken Chase.  It meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month.  Jim Davis asked Gary Barrigar if our chapter could help his ecology group.  He responded that we could help on Buffalo Creek.

On Wednesday, Dec. 12, the public, the Ecology Group, and our chapter were invited to a meeting concerning the Boone Watershed, with focus on Buffalo Creek.  Attending from our chapter were Jim Davis, Marjorie Stratton, John McKee, and Bill Beazell. Gary Barrigar brought 10 people from his ecology group, and Russell Kinser and Allen Morrow attended from USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Ken informed us about needs in the watershed and on Buffalo Creek.  After the meeting, Jim Davis and Gary Barrigar talked about how our chapter might help.

FISH KILL NETS $100,000 PAYMENT

North American Corporation will pay $100,000 because of the fish kill on Feb 25, 2000 when their manufacturing plant burned.

 The state Dept. of Environment and conservation and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency entered into the settlement agreement with NAC on Friday at the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission meeting here.

 Investigators were never able to conclusively give a cause of the fire or name the chemicals that killed the fish.
 The fish kill happened along about 10 miles of the Watauga River.  Based on figures provided by the American Fisheries Society, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency had determined that the value of the damaged fishery was $3.1 million, which made it the most expensive fish kill in the state’s history.

 TWRA will use $85,000 of the money to finance the Lower Watauga River Watershed Project.  The project will be used to improve water quality and wildlife habitat in the river and along the riverbanks.  The projects will all be partnership efforts with the state and federal governments, and nongovernmental conservation groups.

Another $7,000 will be used for the damage investigation and the remaining $8,000 was unaccounted for in the agreement

The settlement agreement asks NAC to support Watauga River related projects for 5 years starting in 2002. Tennessee DEC Assistant Commissioner John Leonard said the states highest priority after the fire was to insure the industrial site no longer posed a threat to the Watauga River.

 It is our understanding that there will be public meeting at Sycamore Shoals in February concerning this matter.  We will communicate when we have more information.

MINUTES OF TU MEETING ON DECEMBER 13, 2001

Jim Davis announced that Danny Sells had agreed to serve as Public Relations Committee Chairman.  Danny requested that anyone who could provide info for a fishing report in the local newspapers get it to him.

Jim Davis reported that the preparation for logging work in the Rocky Fork watershed was being done under what the state considered good logging practices and was not a strong concern at the present time.

The need for someone to maintain the chapter computer info such as the mailing lists was discussed and Jim Davis asked that anyone who would be willing to serve as the chapters “Webmaster” please contact him.

Jim Davis announced that money was available from National TU to fund projects or activities that would strengthen local chapters.  Two ideas were discussed—one to develop a display and another to prepare a video about the local chapter and TU.  These could be used at various activities, service club meetings, Appalachian Fair, etc. to promote TU and the chapter.  Jim Davis and Danny Sells will develop a grant request.

Jim Davis discussed a request that he had received from the “ Save our Cumberland Mountain” coalition asking that our chapter support their petition concerning the adverse ecological impact that logging was having on the streams in Middle Tennessee.  It was agreed that if the Tennessee TU Council were supportive of this petition, we would also be.  Jim will follow up on this manner.
 
Jim Davis announced that the Boy Scouts of America had approved a merit badge on fly fishing.  Jim plans to talk with Bob Cheers about what the chapter might want to do to support scout leaders in this area to help scouts achieve this badge.