ecological characterization atlas of coastal alabama - Data Center

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The Mobile/Baldwin County study area lies within the South Atlantic-Gulf Region and includes four subregions (Escatawpa River, Tombigbee River/Mobile River/Mobile Bay, Alabama River, and Perdido Bay drainages) which are subdivided into a total of eight cataloging units, listed below (U .S . Geological Survey 1974, 1981) . These hydrologic units are delineated on the Atlas sheets, along with the cataloging unit code . 03170008 03170009 Escatawpa River Basin Western Coastal Unit 03160203 03160204 Tombigbee River Basin Mobile River Basin 03160205 Mobile Bay Unit 03150204 Alabama River Basin 03140106 03140107 Perdido River Basin Eastern Coastal Unit STREAM AND RIVER DISCHARGE Factors that control streamflow are of two basic types : meteorological and terrestrial . Meteorologic factors include precipitation, temperature, and wind . Terrestrial factors include topographic and geologic features and the geographic distributions of cultural features and vegetative cover . Since coastal Alabama is not a self-contained hydrologic unit, streams which flow through the area may be influenced to a greater or lesser degree by factors outside the immediate geographic area . Runoff of precipitation is the source of all streamflow, and consists of two basic types ; surface runoff and subsurface runoff . Surface runoff occurs immediately after it rains when the amount of rainfall has exceeded the combined rates of evaporation and ground infiltration . This direct runoff is transported to stream basins by running over the land surface or by interflow, the movement of water through the soil without entering the groundwater table . Factors important in determining direct runoff rates include drainage-basin area, land-surface slope and permeability of the ground surface . Runoff also reaches streams by releases from ground water storage . Basin and bank storage are two components of this type of release . Bank storage 141
occurs when water rises above the water table and permeates the surrounding soil . Releases from bank storage occur when stream levels recede and is immediately available . Basin storage occurs in aquifers and the water is released more slowly . The type of runoff governs natural streamflow characteristics . Streams dependent on direct or surface runoff tend toward wide fluctuations of streamflow while those dependent on ground-water releases are more stable . Gaging stations and partial-record (not continuously monitored) stations operated by the USGS provide basic information on streamflow characteristics in coastal Alabama . Data collected include records of stage (water levels) and stream discharge (water volume passing a point within a given period of time) . Mathematical analysis of the data allows different types of streamflow characteristics to be developed, such as annual discharge, average discharge, etc . Gaging-station locations in Mobile and Baldwin Counties are presented on the atlas sheets . Table 36 lists the gaging stations by USGS station number and indicates where they are located by stream and atlas quad sheets . The table also indicates the average daily flow in million of gallons per day (mgd) and the median annual 7-day low flow in mgd . The median annual 7-day low flow of a stream is the lowest mean discharge for seven consecutive days during a year . By comparing this low flow to the average flow, a stream's ability to assimilate wastes and dilute them in dry weather can be evaluated . The monthly mean di scharge of a stream can be used to eval uate changes in stream flow on a seasonal basis . Factors affecting seasonal streamflow include precipitation rates, water use, and hydrologic modifications, such as channelization and dams . The monthly mean discharge of streams in cubic feet per second ( ft3/s ) i n the Mobi 1 e Ri ver bas i n and i n the Perd i do Bay area are presented in Tables 37 and 38 . Figure 15 illustrates the monthly mean discharge of the Alabama, Tombigbee, and Perdido Rivers . Average flows can also be expressed as unit runoff in cubic feet per second per square mile (ft3/s/mi2), which is the average number of cubic feet of water flowing per second from each square mile of the drainage area . This figure of unit runoff can be utilized in comparing basins of unequal size since they are reduced to a common base of one square mile . Table 39 presents the duration of daily flow and average discharge (ft3/s) at gaging stations in the study area . Average unit runoff in coastal Alabama varies from less than 2 .0 ft3/s/mi2 to less than 2 .5 ft3/s/mi2 (O'Neil and Mettee 1982) . Table 40 presents a summary of the watershed area of streams flowing through coastal Alabama and the mean annual discharge of these streams . The total mean annual discharge into Alabama estuaries is over 75,000 ft3/s from a watershed area greater than 45,000 mi2 . 142
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FWS/OBS-82/46 August 1984 MMS 84-00
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Library of Congress Card No . 85-60
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SUMMARY The southwest Alabama coast
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CONTENTS PREFACE . . . . . . . . .
Page 9 and 10:
Page CL IMATOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY . .
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Number Page 14 Frequency of destruc
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Number Page 13 Charter boats and he
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Number Pa e 49 Summary of geologic
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Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce Mob
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water . Plants and animals not phys
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and white ibis (Eudocimus aTbus) .
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Grant's Island (Biloxi quadrangle)
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Table 2 . Average annual waterfowl
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(widgeongrass) is the dominant seag
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(Benson 1982) . Brown and white shr
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Table 4 . Commercial landings of se
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Table 5 . Estimated recreational ca
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offshore waters from December throu
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Unless otherwise specified, the fol
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Table 7 . Recommended State of Alab
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Table 7 . (concluded) Recommended s
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(Mount 1975 ) . Thi s speci es i s
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REFERENCES Wetland Habitats Cowardi
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Stout, J . P ., and M . J . Lelong
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Guest, W . C ., and G . Gunter . 19
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SOURCES OF MAPPED INFORMATION Wetla
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In April and June 1978 the Gulf of
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distribution of the species are dis
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landed, the value of the seafood la
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Service publication Alabama Coastal
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year, over 2 million individual bir
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The Styx, Blackwater, and Perdido R
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It was estimated ( Table 9) that 2
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Table 10 . Average daily two-way tr
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while the majority in Mobile County
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mouth of Mobile Bay has tremendous
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SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS AND ONSHORE D
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Table 15 . Areas of Alabama estuari
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Cavellero House (1) 7 North Jackson
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Horst House ("Moongate") (1) 186 ;
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Spring Hill College Quadrangle (1)
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periods . Hallmarks of the Woodland
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Table 16 . Maintained navigable cha
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Mobil Oil discovered gas in a deep
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National Natural Landmarks Boschung
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May, E . B . 1976 . Holocene sedime
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U .S . Army Corps of Engineers . 19
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Intensively Used Recreation Beaches
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Man-Made Land Baxter J ., 15 Decemb
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SOILS AND LANDFORMS INTRODUCTION Th
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oad flood plains of the Mobile/Alab
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At elevations of about 30 m (100 ft
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The Troup-Benndale-Smithton soil as
Page 107 and 108: Table 19 . Potential uses and limit
Page 109 and 110: Somewhat the same situation exists
Page 111 and 112: due to limitations of Landsat cover
Page 113 and 114: decrease in sediment being transpor
Page 115 and 116: Changes in Perdido Pass are among t
Page 117 and 118: 60 m (100 to 200 ft), and some of t
Page 119 and 120: REFERENCES Alabama Coastal Area Boa
Page 121 and 122: SOURCES OF MAPPED INFORMATION Soil
Page 123 and 124: Active Dunes Alabama Coastal Area B
Page 125 and 126: : EXPLANATION ERATHEM SYSTEM SERIES
Page 127 and 128: carbon component of the production
Page 129 and 130: Table 20 . Oil facilities in coasta
Page 131 and 132: Oil and gas production statistics f
Page 133 and 134: CLAY Clay is a ubiquitous mineral r
Page 135 and 136: Table 24 . Production (net tons) of
Page 137 and 138: Table 27 . Geologic strata containi
Page 139 and 140: excavation (Smith and Gilbert 1975)
Page 141 and 142: REFERENCES OIL AND GAS Alabama Coas
Page 143 and 144: SAND AND GRAVEL Alabama Coastal Are
Page 145 and 146: SOURCES OF MAPPED INFORMATION OIL A
Page 147 and 148: CLIMATOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY INTRODUCT
Page 149 and 150: Table 32 . Rainfall in coastal Alab
Page 151 and 152: systems to extend into the gulf are
Page 153 and 154: These storms have the potential to
Page 155 and 156: average forward speed of hurricanes
Page 157: Table 35 . Hurricane surges in Alab
Page 161 and 162: Table 37 . Monthly mean discharges
Page 163 and 164: Alabama River C L u z O W L 0 u ~ Z
Page 165 and 166: Table 41 . Chemical analyses of wat
Page 167 and 168: ~ 0 umber (quad) tation name ate of
Page 169 and 170: Table 42 . (concluded) isso ve su s
Page 171 and 172: ~ -------- 00 ~ ~r I ~ . i I I ~ I
Page 173 and 174: Table 43 . Existing municipal sewag
Page 175 and 176: Regional Plan- Table 45 . Water qua
Page 177 and 178: Table 46 . Average and maximum-mini
Page 179 and 180: Table 46 . (concluded) -~Tater temp
Page 181 and 182: Table 47 . Water-quality trends in
Page 183 and 184: discharge from metropolitan Mobile
Page 185 and 186: Table 49 . Summary of geologic unit
Page 187 and 188: affected by the surface environment
Page 189 and 190: Longshore currents in the Gulf of M
Page 191 and 192: consisting of a wedge of salt water
Page 193 and 194: AI ARAMA ` FI (lRIf1A Figure 19 . E
Page 195 and 196: ~ ~ l ~ l i L j + l j* l + j* ~ + j
Page 197 and 198: REFERENCES CLIMATOLOGY AND HYDROLOG
Page 199 and 200: Brady, D . W . 1979 . Water resourc
Page 201 and 202: Schroeder, W . W . 1976 . Physical
Page 203 and 204: This 25-page document gives detaile
Page 205 and 206: Information on the location, thickn
Page 207: H TtiF I :r ~ . ~ .~ U _ . DEPARTME
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