Milligan rocks

A portion of Buffalo Creek outside Milligan College has some new decorations because of problems cause by erosion and rock slides.. The famed romantic spot at the entrance to Milligan, with the waterfall and gazebo,  is now home to white rocks ranging from the size of a cantaloupe to a small watermelon

The erosion was noticed about a year ago by Leonard Beattie, the retiring director of the physical plant.

“I was at the front entrance to Hopwood and a large hunk of land had fallen into the creek, exposing the main high pressure water line,” said Beattie. “The whole road was going into the creek, along with everything else in the area.”

This water line contained 160 pounds of pressure on a pipe that is six inches in diameter. Beattie stated that this would freeze over in the winter, causing it to burst. Further erosion on the banks could have led to electrical and gas systems exposure as well. The combination of all three could have possibly resulted in a large explosion that would have damaged much of the front of Milligan’s campus.

The repairs to the water lines and erosion are now complete. The gas lines have been moved to the other side of Milligan highway and the waterlines have been moved higher up on the road, between the street and the guardrail.

After originally noticing the possible consequences of the erosion, Beattie contacted all the necessary parties including: Atmos Gas, the Environmental Protection Agency, the State of Tennessee Highway Department, the Elizabethton Water Department, the City of Johnson City Sewer System and the City of Elizabethton.

Beattie also stated that this problem would not have been limited to Milligan alone. The lines that run by the college also provide water, electricity and gas to almost every home located off the Milligan highway.

Beattie was highly complimentary of all parties involved saying, “everyone cooperated and got this done in a timely manner.”

Milligan’s new rocks may have take away from some of the natural beauty that was once held by the area around creek, but they are also protecting any more of it from washing away.