Water, Weather, and Wildlife

Coal Creek Farm derives its name from its most scenic and well-preserved stream. Coal, Whites and Alloway Creeks all have their origin on the farm. The high points of the farm are Brown Mountain (2510 feet) and Bear Den Mountain (2930 feet).

The farm’s location makes the weather much cooler and rainier during the summer and contributes to blustery winter winds. Summers are quite pleasant with nighttime temperature, usually in the mid 60’s and a constant wind to cool the mid-80s days. These factors, along with the farm’s average elevation of around 2300 feet, shorten the growing season to around 200 days a year.

Because the Cumberland Plateau has abundant biodiversity in water and on land, management is committed to not just preserving what exists but enhancing habitat with controlled burns to bring back native grasses, which will bring back a wild variety of insects, which will bring back birds and so on. Other than rainforest, the plateau freshwater ecosystem is arguably the most diverse in the world.

People who grew up in Tennessee in the 50’s and 60’s remember the call, Bob…White, Bob…White, as Bobwhite, and Quail were abundant. But, like other wildlife on the plateau and elsewhere, the population began to dwindle—because native grasses which provided habitat disappeared.

The plateau also boasts 20 mussel and 40 crayfish species that evolved here and are found nowhere else. Even more diverse are the 231 fish species, of which 67 are endemic: 16 minnows, five suckers, two cave Springfish, one killifish, one pygmy sunfish, one sculpin, and an incredible 41 darters.

Through management, water quality is monitored to ensure that aquatic life is protected as well. Tennessee has 77 amphibians, including 21 species of frogs and 56 species of salamanders, making it the third most diverse state in amphibians.