Fivemile Creek

Fivemile Creek is another piece of the Birmingham urban whitewater puzzle. It is not as tight or steep as some, but it definitely has lots of chemical potential. Search closely and you may find a variety of hidden treasures including stormwater toxins, rebar, and PCBs...and it no doubt runs out fast.

JD ran Fivemile at about 100 cfs in summer 2004. His take on it: This stretch is punctuated by just about every imaginable item of urban trash...from mattresses to car bodies...even the high water mark is represented by the refuse line. A couple of decent bowsurfs & II+ish areas make it OK, and would be OK for a beginner creek if it wasn't such a junkyard.

Thankfully it seems that as of 2006-2008 or so, a variety of cleanup efforts are underway. A series of greenways are planned. See Five Mile Creek Greenway Partnership for info.