Baldwin County Wetland Conservation Plan - Alabama Department ...

Table of Contents
a. Acknowledgments......................................................................................................................................iv
b. List of Acronyms.........................................................................................................................................v
c. List of Figures.............................................................................................................................................vi
d. Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................................vii
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................1
2. Background .................................................................................................................................................4
2.1. General Information about Baldwin County, Alabama ................................................................4
2.1.1. Geography and Demography ...............................................................................................4
2.1.2. Soils...........................................................................................................................................4
2.1.3. Waterways and Watersheds...................................................................................................5
2.1.4. Climate .....................................................................................................................................5
2.2. Summary of wetland resources in Baldwin County.......................................................................6
2.2.1. Wetland Classification ...........................................................................................................6
2.2.2. General Summary of wetland hydrogeomorphic (HGM) classes ...................................6
2.2.2.1. Flat ....................................................................................................................................6
2.2.2.2. Depressional .....................................................................................................................7
2.2.2.3. Riverine ............................................................................................................................8
2.2.2.4. Fringe.................................................................................................................................8
2.2.2.5. Slope .................................................................................................................................9
2.3. Summary of wetland protection efforts in Baldwin County.........................................................9
2.4. Existing wetland regulatory framework.........................................................................................10
2.4.1. Federal....................................................................................................................................10
2.4.2. State .......................................................................................................................................10
2.4.3. Local .......................................................................................................................................10
2.5. Regulatory limitations.......................................................................................................................11
3. Summary of Project Objectives/Goals..................................................................................................12
3.1. Further develop a Wetland Protection Overlay District (WPOD) and incorporate it into the
Baldwin County Zoning Regulations.............................................................................................12
3.1.1. Recommendations and Future Direction..........................................................................13
3.1.1.1. Interagency Relationship between BCC and USACE..............................................13
3.1.1.2. Suggested changes to Zoning and Subdivision Regulations....................................14
3.2. Develop a countywide GIS wetland data layer containing information on the location, type
and functional capacity of wetlands ...............................................................................................15
3.2.1. Creation of the Baldwin County Digital Wetland Layer (BCDWL) .............................15
3.2.2. Wetland Validation Project .................................................................................................15
3.2.2.1. Fieldwork ........................................................................................................................16
3.2.2.2. Statistical Analysis/Results...........................................................................................17
3.2.3. Remote Functional Wetland Assessment Model (RFWAM)........................................19
3.2.3.1. Conceptual Framework.................................................................................................19
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