Baldwin County Wetland Conservation Plan - Alabama Department ...

Baldwin County Wetland Conservation Plan Final Summary Document
3.4.2 Gulf Shores Wetlands Park
Destroyed brush fences following Tropical Storm Hannah
The County was approached by the City of Gulf Shores about the possibility of partnering,
utilizing the BCWCP grant, to restore a degraded wetland area adjacent to the City’s new sportsplex.
The site was inspected on several occasions and a preliminary determination was made that it would
be suitable for restoration efforts. The site is adjacent to a small creek called Bright’s creek, and it is
comprised of riverine wetlands that, over time, were used as borrow areas for highway construction
projects. These borrow areas have evolved into small ponds which currently support a variety of
aquatic life. Connecting these ponds with transitional wetland areas and removing soil berms could
restore the hydrology on certain portions of the property.
BCWCP staff received a formal request from the City of Gulf shores to conduct wetland
restoration activities at the Gulf Shores Wetlands Park. The Baldwin County Commission allocated
60% of the cost of the wetland restoration activities at this site based on the preliminary cost
estimate. Through this negotiation, the BCC encouraged the City of Gulf Shores to place the
existing jurisdictional wetlands into a conservation easement. The conservation easement is between
the City of Gulf Shores and the Baldwin County Commission, and it legally requires the City of Gulf
Shores to protect the existing wetlands in perpetuity. Baldwin County staff will monitor this site
periodically to ensure that no impacts occur. In addition, a comprehensive restoration plan was
requested from the City of Gulf Shores prior to commencement of restoration activities at the site.
The conceptual site plan of the project is included in Appendix 9.6 of this report.
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