By Brandt Mannchen
It was mid-December, and I was headed east on U.S. Highway 190 to the Neches River and Upland Island Wilderness Area (UIWA) in Angelina National Forest. I was on my way to meet my longtime friend Adrian and we were going to look at an eroding seepage slope in UIWA that was caused by run-off from Forest Road 314.
I was about 25 miles east of Livingston headed to Woodville, about 9 am, and was anxious to get to UIWA and meet Adrian. I saw in the distance a bird circle the highway and then land in the middle of the road. This was a large bird and I thought I saw something that tipped me off to what it was. But I doubted myself, and as I approached the bird, I thought, “Probably an American Crow.”
As my car got closer the bird began to fly away. It had stopped for roadkill and was trying to take the carrion with it. My car got closer and closer and finally the bird dropped the carcass and soared up, long wings beating, and sailed over the road. My mouth fell open! White tail, white head, it was a “Bald Eagle”. I was stunned. I had never seen a Bald Eagle feeding on roadkill in the middle of a highway. Wow!!! This was already a great day. A keeper!
I journeyed on, got to Woodville, turned north, crossed the Neches River, and found Adrian waiting for me at the turn-off for UIWA. We said hello and then motored to a parking lot surrounded by wilderness.
I had a map from my friend Larry that showed where the eroded seepage slope was. Larry found the erosion earlier this year, told the U.S. Forest Service (FS) about the problem, and then I sent an email encouraging the FS to stop the erosion.
I had wanted to visit the area since Larry told me about it and hoped we could do this together. But near Christmas, things get very busy, and Larry could not meet me, so I decided to go with Adrian.
We walked about 150 yards through UIWA and saw some pink flagging tape. We also saw some coir bundles that the FS had staked out on the seepage slope in a short-term effort to slow the run-off and soil erosion down.
The water from intense and frequent rains (probably exacerbated by climate change) drains off the road into UIWA. Adrian and I took photos to document the problem. We found a second site where additional erosion was beginning to occur due to road run-off.
We saw ferns and other vegetation that exist on the seepage slope that are being eroded and destroyed by the excessive run-off downslope. The road and wing ditch directs the water downslope and we saw the erosion and damage near the bottom of the slope and then what the seepage creeks look like beyond this point when they resume natural flow.
The seepage slope has evidence of groundwater near the soil surface via the existence of Royal Fern, Sphagnum Moss, crawfish chimneys, Sweetbay Magnolia, Red Maple, American Holly, Red Bay, Southern Wax Myrtle, Wood Fern, and seepage creek flows. We found places where hogs had wallowed and rooted and destroyed bog vegetation and created fecal water contamination.
A long-term mitigation plan is needed to reduce or eliminate road run-off into UIWA. The Sierra Club has offered to work with the FS and the Texas Conservation Alliance to prepare such a plan.
After our visit to UIWA, Adrian and I drove back to Woodville and turned east on Highway 190 and went about 3-4 miles to visit the Hancock Forestry Dogwood Trail Preserve. We ate our lunch, solved all the World’s problems, and then walked some of the trails. I had not been to this Preserve in about 20 years. It was good to see my “old friend” again!
The woods were magnificent as Theuvins Creek wound through the forest. There were many large Loblolly Pines as well as White Oak, Swamp Chestnut Oak, Cherrybark Oak, Shagbark Hickory, Water Oak, American Beech, Sweetgum, American Holly, Sugar Maple, and Shumard Oak.
Closer to the ground, we found Canadian Black Snakeroot, Elephant-foot, Walter’s Violet, Crippled Cranefly Orchid, Christmas Fern, Strawberry Bush, Sabastian Bush, Witch Hazel, Partridge Berry, Inland Sea Oats, and Spring Cress. It was gratifying to see these smaller plants which indicate the absence of logging for many years.
Finally, it was time to go, and Adrian and I waved good-bye. I was very glad to find a Bald Eagle, a wilderness area, and a mature, old, hardwood-pine forest with a winding, clear, creek. What a great visit to the forests of East Texas!