Baldwin County Wetland Conservation Plan - Alabama Department ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Baldwin County Wetland Conservation Plan Final Summary Document 1. Introduction Baldwin County, Alabama is located is the southwestern corner of the State of Alabama (Figure 1). It is one of two coastal counties in the State of Alabama and is one of the largest counties east of the Mississippi River, encompassing an area of approximately 1,655 square miles. Except for a seventeen-mile stretch along its northeastern border, Baldwin County is entirely surrounded by water. It is bordered by Mobile Bay, the Tensaw River and the Mobile River to the west; Little River to the north; Perdido River and Perdido Bay to the east; and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. It also contains many miles of major inland waterways including Bay Minette Creek, Styx River, Blackwater River, Fish River, Magnolia River, Weeks Bay, Bon Secour River, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Oyster Bay, Wolf Bay, Soldier Creek, and Palmetto Creek, among many others (Figure 2). Numerous wetlands are associated with these creeks, rivers, streams and bays, as approximately onethird of the land area in Baldwin County is considered wetland. As a coastal county with many miles of coastal and inland waters coupled with a mild climate, Baldwin County offers an attractive lifestyle to its residents and is experiencing explosive population growth. There was a 42.9% increase in population from 1990 to 2000. This rate of increase is expected to rise significantly by 2010. It is estimated that greater than one million tourists visit Baldwin County every year, generating several million dollars of revenue annually. According to a study published by the Alabama Gulf Coast Visitors Bureau, travel-related expenditures in 2002 in Baldwin County were $1.7 billion (Economic Impact of the Alabama Travel Industry, 2003). As a result of population growth, there is an increased demand for commercial, residential, and infrastructure development, thus bringing growth management issues to the forefront for local elected officials. One of the more visible changes in the landscape of Baldwin County is the rapid transformation of agricultural and forested lands to residential development. These development pressures are threatening the natural resources which make Baldwin County a popular place to live and visit. As a result, land use planning has become necessary to direct growth to appropriate areas and to strike a balance between development and the protection of natural resources. Wetlands in Baldwin County are regulated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers – Mobile District Regulatory Branch as per the guidelines set forward in §404(b) of the Clean Water Act. Also, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management regulates wetlands below the 10 foot contour elevation (Figure 3). Land use changes and subdivision regulations are regulated via an ordinance in each municipality within their respective corporate limits. In unincorporated areas, subdivisions are regulated through the Baldwin County Subdivision Regulations and land use is regulated in areas that elect to come under the Planning and Zoning Authority of Baldwin County Commission. Subsequently, there are many areas of unincorporated Baldwin County that are not subject to land use review. With the lack of local regulations directly protecting wetland resources, direct and indirect impacts to wetlands can occur. For example, wetlands adjacent to developments can receive abnormal amounts of stormwater runoff, thus altering their beneficial functions. Also, wetlands in Baldwin County have been altered due to intensive agricultural and forestry practices for the past 200 years, creating wetland areas suitable for restoration and enhancement. There is a need for increased information about the location, types and functional capacity of wetland resources in Baldwin County. Wetlands perform many important functions in the landscape of Baldwin County, and these functions protect the high quality of life enjoyed by its residents and visitors. First, a lucrative commercial and recreational fishing industry thrives in Baldwin County. Fringe wetland habitats (e.g. 1
Baldwin County Wetland Conservation Plan Final Summary Document salt marshes) provide food and habitat for spawning fish, thus supporting the multi-million dollar commercial fishery in Baldwin County. The principal species are shrimp, oysters, and crab. A 1996 study reported that $835,615,325.00 was spent on sport fishing in Alabama (Economic Impact of Sport Fishing in Alabama, 1996). Second, wetlands store floodwater during large rainfall events. Baldwin County is extremely vulnerable to large tropical events originating in the Gulf of Mexico. The increase of impervious surfaces from development throughout a watershed increases the quantity and velocity of stormwater runoff during large rainfall events. Wetlands absorb the floodwaters and can decrease catastrophic flood damage. Third, the quality of water in the bays, rivers, streams, and Gulf of Mexico is directly related to the success of the tourist industry. Tourists and residents enjoy many water-dependent recreational activities such as boating, skiing, swimming, canoeing, and surfing. Wetlands can remove toxicants, excess sediment and nutrients from runoff and can maintain and improve water quality. Finally, some wetlands recharge groundwater via percolation. A majority of the water systems in the county obtain water from groundwater. In sum, wetland functions can be directly tied to the economy and high quality of life in Baldwin County. It is in the best interests of the public to protect, conserve, enhance and restore wetland resources to maintain Baldwin County’s appeal as a place to live and visit. In 1999, the Baldwin County Commission, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency completed the Baldwin County Advance Identification Project (ADID), which located, identified, and assessed wetland resources in an 89,000 acre area of southern Baldwin County. The resulting information provided federal, state and local regulators an opportunity to identify wetland areas as either suitable or unsuitable for disposal of fill or dredged material. This non-regulatory effort established a framework for future wetland protection efforts and provided more information to the public about wetland functions within the project boundary. Continuing in the efforts of the ADID project, in 1999 the Baldwin County Commission and the United States Environmental Protection Agency launched an effort to identify, assess, and restore wetland resources countywide. This effort has been named the Baldwin County Wetland Conservation Plan (BCWCP) and elaborates on objectives and findings of the ADID project. This project started in October 1999 and was completed in September of 2003. The objective of the Baldwin County Wetland Conservation Plan is to identify, assess and restore wetland resources throughout Baldwin County and to provide local decision makers with the best tools to make wise land use decisions regarding wetland resources. Although this effort is non-regulatory in nature, it has been successful in increasing the awareness of the importance of wetland functions throughout Baldwin County. There are four major project objectives for this study: protect wetland resources throughout Baldwin County, raise awareness of wetlands through education and outreach, restore degraded wetlands, and promote interagency coordination. This document describes the tasks and results of the Baldwin County Wetland Conservation Plan (BCWCP). This study accomplished the major objectives by developing the four major project tasks. Each of these project tasks will be discussed in detail throughout this document. The first major task was to develop a Wetland Protection Overlay District (WPOD) and incorporate it into the Baldwin County Zoning Regulations. The second task involved the development of a GIS wetland data layer containing information on the location, type and functional capacity of wetlands throughout Baldwin County. The third task enhanced a wetlands education/outreach program for area stakeholders. Last, wetland restoration/construction projects were researched, designed and implemented at selected sites throughout the County. 2
Page 1 and 2: The Baldwin County Wetland Conserva
Page 3 and 4: 3.2.3.2. Acquisition of GIS data la
Page 5 and 6: . List of Acronyms 1. ADCNR........
Page 7: d. Executive Summary The objective
Page 11 and 12: Baldwin County Wetland Conservation
Page 59 and 60:
Baldwin County Wetland Conservation
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76:
Page 77 and 78:
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81 and 82:
Page 83 and 84:
Page 85 and 86:
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98:
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101 and 102:
Page 103 and 104:
Page 105 and 106:
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
Page 111 and 112:
Page 113 and 114:
Page 115 and 116:
Page 117 and 118:
Page 119 and 120:
Page 121 and 122:
show all

Baldwin County Wetland Conservation Plan - Alabama Department ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?