Copper Basin Watershed Restoration and Redevelopment

The Challenge

The Copper Basin, located 45 miles east of Chattanooga and spanning nearly 50 square miles, has suffered from the adverse effects of nearly 150 years of mining. Various mining, refining, and manufacturing operations have led to significant environmental degradation in the landscape. Two watersheds draining into the Ocoee River contain orange, metal-laden creeks that are devoid of aquatic life. The denuded lands are so barren that the area is one of the few visible landmarks from space, alongside the Great Wall of China.

The Solution

Since the late 1990s, Barge Design Solutions has served as the prime environmental consultant for the long-term cleanup of one of the largest and most complicated Superfund Alternative Program Sites in the United States. Working cooperatively with our client, the State of Tennessee, and EPA Region 4, Barge has led the site investigations, immediate removal actions, long-term remedial and land use redevelopment actions, and performance monitoring within the North Potato Creek and Davis Mill Creek Watersheds. Remedial actions have included passive treatment, ecological restoration, active treatment, waste removals, engineered caps, and revegetation. A land use plan with interpretative elements highlighting historic mining sites and the restoration efforts is the next step in the redevelopment.

The Result

Barge's expertise in environmental remediation has been critical in addressing the severe environmental challenges posed by the Copper Basin Superfund site. The team's successful implementation of remedial actions and development of a land use plan have paved the way for the long-term restoration of this once-degraded landscape.