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38 Water Quality Status Report: Perdido River and Bay was created as a partnership of local and state governments and agencies in both Florida and Alabama, and federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations interested in the protection and restoration of the Perdido River and Bay Basin. Updated and shortened summaries of management issues originally identified as part of the Perdido Bay Cooperative Management Project and Perdido Ecosystem Management Strategies plan are summarized in Table 2.3. Through a grant awarded to the Department’s Northwest District Regulatory Office from the Coastal Zone Management Program, a volunteer water quality monitoring initiative was undertaken in Perdido Bay from August 1999 to September 2000 (Department and Alabama Coastal Foundation, 2000). The effort engaged local volunteer watershed organizations and was coordinated with the Alabama Coastal Foundation. Table 2.3: Summary of Management Issues in the Perdido River and Bay Basin Issue Category Water Quality Nonpoint Source Runoff Watershed Management Problem Nutrient inputs to Perdido Bay leading to eutrophication Impact of International Paper discharge on Elevenmile Creek and Perdido Bay Dirt road erosion and subsequent deposition of dirt in streams. Result is loss of benthic habitat and declines in water quality. Loss of seagrass acreage Stormwater runoff causes erosion of streambeds and water quality impacts Poor implementation of agriculture and forestry best management practices (BMP) to control runoff Lack of stormwater management plans Lack of interstate coordination between Florida and Alabama Watershed Partners A number of government agencies and watershed organizations are active in the basin. Much of the progress in the Perdido River and Bay Basin for developing water quality restoration plans and implementing watershed and water quality improvements is attributable to coordinated local, state, and regional efforts. Many plans share common goals, and their implementation is based on various groups playing critical roles in planning, funding, managing, and executing projects. The Department continues to coordinate its efforts with these entities to obtain data, strengthen monitoring activities, and exchange information through periodic meetings. The implementation of TMDLs and continued improvement of water quality will depend on the collaborative efforts of the Department’s local partners. The local agencies and organizations and their role in the basin are summarized in Table 2.4. The activities of nongovernmental organizations located in both Florida and Alabama are described in more detail in the following sections.
Water Quality Status Report: Perdido River and Bay 39 Table 2.4: Summary of Organizations in the Perdido River and Bay Basin and Their Role in Total Maximum Daily Load Development and Implementation Organization Government Organizations Department Northwest Florida Water Management District (NWFWMD) Escambia County Florida Division of Forestry Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Alabama Department of Environmental Management U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Role Total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), land conservation, water quality improvement, monitoring, wetland permitting, park and recreation area management, and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting NWFWMD assists Department with water quality data collection; land conservation Engineering Department—road paving and stormwater management Neighborhoods and Environmental Services Department—water quality monitoring support, land conservation Implementation of BMPs for silviculture Implementation of BMPs for agriculture TMDL development, NPDES permitting within Alabama Environmental testing, fish assessment, listing of endangered species Listing of endangered species, fish assessments, water quality testing Perdido River and Bay Basin Organizations Bream Fisherman’s Association Water quality monitoring support Friends of Perdido Bay Environmental advocacy group with focus on International Paper Company permit allowing discharge into Elevenmile Creek Coastal Alabama Clean Water Partnership Wolf Bay Watershed Watch/Wolf Bay Watershed Project Group that implements watershed management solutions for TMDLs developed within Alabama Water quality monitoring; prepared watershed management plan for Wolf Bay Basin Coastal Alabama Clean Water Partnership The Coastal Alabama Clean Water Partnership is a coalition of Alabama government agencies, private organizations and citizens, and businesses created to provide solutions for the protection and preservation of aquatic resources in Alabama. The Coastal Alabama Clean Water Partnership specifically works with the Perdido River and Bay Basin, Mobile Bay Basin, and Escatawpa River Basin within Alabama. The partnership is a project of the Mobile and Baldwin County Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Districts and the ADEM. Project facilitation is provided by Auburn University Marine Extension and Research Center. A Steering Committee composed of environmental interests, government, and business interests directs the activities of the partnership by setting policy and providing oversight. Wolf Bay Watershed Watch Wolf Bay Watershed Watch is a community advocacy group whose mission is to promote the protection and preservation of the natural resources of the Wolf Bay Watershed (Alabama Water Watch, 2002). Wolf Bay is connected to the western end of Perdido Bay in Alabama. This
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