On October 28, 2007, the Sierra Club hiked the Kirby Nature and Turkey Creek Trails in the Turkey Creek Unit of Big Thicket National Preserve (BTNP) as part of our Big Thicket Weekend. During the hike the Sierra Club was surprised to find five seismic lines (two on the Kirby Nature Trail and three on the Turkey Creek Trail) across the trails and associated geophone equipment, battery boxes and bags, and steel pipes next to these trails.

Seismic surveys use explosives to create sound waves that go through the underground sediments and are recorded by geophones. This sound wave record is then analyzed for possible oil/gas reservoirs that can be drilled.

On both the Kirby Nature and Turkey Creek Trails the geophone sets and cables and associated equipment could be seen 3-10 feet off the trail. The cut lines of vegetation and stakes with labeling and pink flagging were clearly visible from the trails; some were found within 5 feet of the two trails.

The Sierra Club Discussed this situation with National Park Service (NPS) personnel and found out that there is no case-by-case 500 foot buffer zone for geophones from trails. The Sierra Club sent a letter to the NPS expressing its concern. The letter stated:

1) The seismic equipment was left in plain sight of the hiking trails and in several instances was 3-5 feet from those trails. This reduced the natural, wild-like experience that people get when they hike these trails. The hiking experience is diminished as is aesthetic and visual appreciation for BTNP.

2) The Kirby Nature and Turkey Creek Trails are probably the most visited trails and areas in BTNP. The Sierra Club party consisted of five people and we saw three other parties while we hiked with 1 person, 3 persons, and 4 persons. High use, very visible, areas are not the place to have exposed seismic survey equipment.

3) The Sierra Club is concerned that children or adults, through curiosity, may either intentionally or not, dismantle or break the equipment (including vandalism).

4) The Sierra Club believes, from past experience, that seismic companies will be back in 3-5 years no matter what is allowed now. Our belief is based on the price of oil which is $80-90/barrel which gives incentives to look for smaller and smaller oil/gas reservoirs to drain. Our past experience is that the oil/gas industry is never satisfied and would like to drill anywhere and as often as it can. The NPS must not base mitigation plans on what the oil/gas industry wants or might do in the future because there is no assurance that allowing such actions now will prevent such actions in the future.

The Sierra Club recommended that the NPS modify its mitigation policy for geophones (seismic receivers), battery boxes, stakes, labels, and flagging, and associated equipment. These actions and equipment should not be placed closer than 20-50 feet from any hiking trail to mitigate the impacts on the hiking experience

The Sierra Club was also concerned about environmental impacts to streams, sloughs, and riparian habitat. One geophone set was located on the lip or bank of a slough of Village Creek. The Sierra Club recommended that there be a 20-50 foot buffer from the banks or lips of streams, sloughs, and riparian habitat to reduce possible environmental impacts.

December 2007

Last updated:  11/05/2007.   Content © 1999-2007 by the Sierra Club.