State of Alabama FINAL Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP ...

SPENDING ESTIMATE PER CALENDAR YEAR OF PROJECT DURATION:
BC-9
2008 $
-
2009 $ 250,000.00
2010 $
-
2011 $
-
GOAL: The goal of this project is to facilitate management research of Alabama’s coastal environment
through improved data collection systems, enhanced research infrastructure, and upgrades of
research tools.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this project is to contribute $250,000.00 of CIAP funding to purchase,
install, and support the operation of a real-time weather and water quality recording
station in Perdido Bay.
It is a priority of the State of Alabama CIAP to support coastal observing systems as these systems provide
much-needed data to understand and manage complex estuarine systems. The collection of continuous,
real-time observations in coastal Alabama began with support of the first CIAP program, administered by
NOAA in 2001. Since then, Dauphin Island Sea Lab and the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program have
partnered with the University of South Alabama, Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, the
Alabama Department of Conservation, State Land Division, Coastal Programs, EPA’s Gulf of Mexico
Program and the Alabama Lighthouse Association to provide real-time data at four sites in the Mobile Bay
area. Parameters being monitored at these sites include wind speed, wind direction, air temperature,
barometric pressure, photosynthetically active radiation, precipitation, water temperature, dissolved
oxygen, water height, and salinity. Real-time data are available in a user-friendly format at
www.mymobilebay.com. This informative website describes and graphs each parameter. Researchers may
download the data in a spreadsheet format any time for further analysis. Data from these stations can also
be accessed through the National Data Buoy Center at:
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/Alabama_inset.shtml.
Through a partnership, the State of Alabama, Baldwin County, and Mobile County will add monitoring
sites to complete an east-west transect in the coastal area of Alabama (AL-20, BC-9 and MC-9). This
project will construct data collection devises and support the implementation and operation of the
network for two years. The costs associated with the implementation of each monitor include salaries (data
manager, technician, and project manager), boat and vehicle expenses, and other expendables. The State of
Alabama will contribute CIAP funding to purchase, install and implement a monitor in Bon Secour Bay,
partnering with funding from NOAA. Baldwin County will fund the purchase, installation and
implementation of a monitor in Perdido Bay, and the Mobile County will purchase, install, and implement
a monitor in the Mississippi Sound/Portersville Area. The State of Alabama, Baldwin County, and Mobile
State of Alabama Final Coastal Impact Assistance Program Plan
Baldwin County Tier One Project Descriptions
- 146 -