A Cultural Shift from a “Throw Away” Lifestyle

A biannual newsletter of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, State Lands Division, Coastal Section and the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program

WINTER 2017-2018 • Vol. XI, Issue 2 A Cultural Shift From a “Throw Away” Lifestyle

General Manager Sara Kavanaugh (center) and Fisher’s Dockside staff promote Create a Clean Water Future as they “ReThink Disposables.” SeeSee storystory onon pagepage 4.4.

Estuary Reflections: A Cultural Shift From The Alabama Coastal Bird de a “Throw Away” Lifestyle tly Insi 1 10 Stewardship Program Established in Curren Coastal Corner: Alabama Coastal Cleanup: Mobile and Baldwin Counties 2 30 Years and Going Strong 11 Small Projects Can Have Big Impacts “Save Our Seagrass” Education Environmental Stewardship: Orange Beach’s 14 Campaign Launched 6 Department of Coastal Resources 12 What Goes Down Sometimes Comes Up Chris Blankenship Appointed

8 The Peninsula: The City of Mobile’s Coastal 13 Plan Lower Alabama Now (P.L.A.N.) 16 Commissioner of Conservation and Community Natural Resources Alabama current connection 3 Coastal Corner By Angela Underwood, Coordinator Alabama Coastal Cleanup, ADCNR State Lands Division, Coastal Section Alabama Coastal Cleanup: 30 Years and Going Strong

Rudy Sanfilippo with TerraCycle, Yael Girard with Weeks Bay Foundation, Angela Underwood with ADCNR, and Don Bates with Thompson Engineering in front of the TerraCycle Supersacks.

The Alabama Coastal Cleanup “The Alabama Coastal Cleanup is an It has been a long standing goal of has been going strong for thirty incredible opportunity for volunteers to coastal cleanup to be able to incorporate years, and this year marked one of give back to their community by cleaning recycling into the event. This year Alabama harmful litter from our beautiful waterways Coastal Cleanup partnered with Thompson the best years yet. On September 16, while also learning that litter can have Engineering, Weeks Bay Foundation, the over 5,200 volunteers came out to devastating impacts to wildlife,” said Kara Alabama Coastal Foundation, and help “Get the Trash Out of the Lankford, zone captain at the Mobile Bay TerraCycle to collect and recycle plastics. Splash.” The event, which boasts Causeway cleanup site. “It’s one of the best The first-year effort was a success with close over 30 zones, appeals to volunteers educational opportunities in our community.” to 2,000 lbs. of plastics recycled. These of all ages and reinforces the strong Organizers of this long running event are plastics will be made into new products, such always looking for ways to increase the as shampoo bottles or toothpaste tubes. connection that many coastal positive impact of the cleanup on both the “We’re really pleased with the first-year residents have to our abundant environment as well as the participants, effort, but expect even more success in the water resources. and this year that meant the addition of years to follow,” said Don Bates, VP of plastics recycling. Operations for Thompson Engineering. 2 Alabama current connection While helping to clean up the coast Each year, coastal cleanup doesn’t occur is reward enough for most participants, without one or two surprises. “We always some are drawn back year after year find weird items while cleaning and this Alabama Coastal Cleanup is made by the prospect of finding unusual and year was no exception”, stated Lankford. unexpected items along the shoreline. “Two young men from Spanish Fort possible by the generous support of high school found a very large sum of 2017 Presenting Sponsor Poarch Band of Creek Indians Alabama Coastal Cleanup money while cleaning up trash. The boys immediately turned the money in to me. and many other sponsors including: By the Numbers I was so impressed by their honesty and integrity!” Bebo’s, LogoBranders, ExxonMobil, Yael Girard, Weeks Bay Foundation Alabama Power Company, LuLu’s, 5,200 Executive Director, hopes through these Ike’s Beach Service, City of Gulf Shores, volunteers events and volunteer opportunities, “our City of Orange Beach, Riviera Utilities, communities see the amazing coastal Utilities Board of Gulf Shores, Baldwin environment that we live in as something EMC, The Home Depot, Flora-Bama, to protect, enhance, and promote. We are MAWWS, Republic Services, Evonik, proud of everyone who comes together for Bluegill Restaurant, Compass Media, the Coastal Cleanup and all the initiatives Coast 360, ALFA, ALDOT, Honda 2,000 lbs. 30 in this area. Together, we are so much Manufacturing of Alabama, Vulcan plastics recycled zones stronger, so much smarter, and so much Materials Company, Alabama Farmers into new products more resilient.” The Alabama Coastal Cooperative, NOAA, The Ocean Cleanup would like to thank all of the Conservancy, ADCNR State Lands, sponsors and volunteers who made the Coastal Section and Alabama PALS event possible. Make sure to mark your (People Against A Littered State). calendars for next year’s event!

Clean up crew at the Causeway Zone.

Alabama current connection 3 Estuary eflections R By Tom Herder, Watershed Protection Coordinator, Mobile Bay National Estuary Program

A Cultural Shift From a “Throw Away”Lifestyle The body of alarming data is growing. to work with local governments and food lementary school students In Science (February, 2015), the University establishments to develop cost-effective E of California Santa Barbara’s National models to reduce disposable packaging learn the alliterative Reduce, Reuse, Center for Ecological Analysis reported related to takeout food. Pre-project litter Recycle as three great ways to 8.82 million tons of plastic enter our oceans surveys in the Bay Area revealed that 67% help us, our communities, and the each year, with twice that projected by of trash in storm drains or catch basins environment save money, energy 2025. National Geographic reported there were related to take-out food and beverages. and our precious natural resources. are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris ReThink Disposable is a free technical Partners in the San Francisco Bay area, in the ocean, with 269,000 tons floating assistance program that helps food facing regulatory pressures, needing to on the surface and four billion plastic businesses implement best practices to quantify results, and also planning on microfibers per square kilometer littering reduce use of disposable food serviceware, a sustainable planet to leave to future the deep sea floor. Recognition of this reducing waste and cutting costs by generations, are charting a course with growing problem adds urgency to the minimizing disposable product usages. local business partners to reduce use of need for a cultural shift from single-use, One such business, the Sacred Wheel disposable products (e.g., single-use bags, “throw-away” lifestyles by earth’s human Cheese Shop, a popular lunch destination cups, bottles, straws, utensils, and other occupants. in North Oakland, originally opted for food-related items), reduce waste, and In San Francisco, with $257,293 from using compostable disposable packaging to save money. the EPA, the Clean Water Fund created help the environment. Owners determined a pilot project called ReThink Disposable the compostable plastics they used could not

4 Alabama current connection be composted in Oakland and were instead sent to the landfill. Owners switched to reusable mismatched silverware and ceramic ramekins and purchased inexpensive stainless steel water cups. Instead of bearing the expense of an additional salary to wash dishes, they rented a dishwasher that actually reduced water use, and current wait staff easily kept up with the demand for clean dishes. All waste material is either recycled or composted, saving costs of waste disposal. Annually, the Shop reduced waste by 602 lbs. and realized a cost savings of $3,768. Overall, with 109 business participants onboard, ReThink Disposable annually has realized a disposable packing reduction of 10.3 million items, waste reduction Simple choices that consumers tumbler to the next meeting instead of of 121,162 lbs., and cost savings of practice in their day-to-day lives can have using styrofoam, plastic, or paper cups; $394,033. The website, with videos of huge collective impacts on conserving remember to put your reusable totes back business champions and tips to engage resources, reducing greenhouse gases, in the car to avoid single-use plastic bags and educate the community to take preventing waste and litter, and reducing next time you shop; and avoid using straws action, is www.rethinkdisposable.org. plastics pollution choking our oceans. and plastic utensils when possible, being so Without a well-developed program Events like Coastal Cleanup draw bold as to keep metal utensils as an option. like ReThink Disposable, Fisher’s at the attention to the litter problem and its Anytime possible, opt for less packaging Orange Beach Marina has demonstrated relationship to stormwater runoff, but when making retail purchases, and buy the same stewardship ethos and forward “moving further upstream” and taking in bulk instead. Support businesses thinking. General Manager Sara Kavanaugh actions to reduce the raw materials of trash that embrace reduction strategies and reports the Dockside restaurant has fully and litter is a strategy we should embrace solutions. Do what’s necessary to Create transitioned to eliminating paper napkins, and employ. Bring a mug or reusable a Clean Water Future. plastic straws, and paper share plates. They joined the Create a Clean Water Future campaign, and included the CCWF logo and this statement on their menu: Fisher’s and Clean Water Future are partnering in efforts to keep the Gulf of Mexico beautiful. Help by limiting our use of plastic straws and paper products, as we are taking the first step in keeping our oceans and beaches clean. Please join us in our endeavor and visit CleanWater Future.com to get involved. Conforming to municipal regulations, staff members are restricted to using cups with lids, so Fisher’s will supply employees with non-disposable cups with the Fisher’s and CCWF logos to be used at work instead of styrofoam or plastic cups.

Alabama current connection 5 Environmental Stewardship: Orange Beach’s Department of Coastal Resources

Members of the Coastal Resources Team.

By Phillip West, Coastal Resources Manager AICP, City of Orange Beach

When asked, “What, exactly, interagency coordination. However, our However, three programs that highlight are coastal resources?” we on the expanded role has grown to include the efforts of Coastal Resources staff in staff of Orange Beach’s Department management of disaster recovery and protecting the environment that are also of Coastal Resources always begin FEMA coordination, solid waste contract relatively new to our department are the management, community garden stewardship, Beach Ambassador program, the Operation the answer with a chuckle. It’s not Wind and Water Sailing Center managers, Clean Sweep effort, and the Waterways and because we consider this a silly and of course, other duties as assigned. Shoreline Enhancement program. question, but because we recognize our own difficulty providing a streamlined, succinct, and believable response! Coastal Resource’s mission over the last few years has expanded significantly, and even though we’ve always been a “duties-as-assigned” type of team, our role lately has grown way beyond the typical beaches and waterways sort of assignments. Our coastal environment always has and will remain the center focus at Coastal Resources. This involves beach management, including beach renourishment and coastal construction permitting, as well as wetland protection, wildlife management and rehabilitation, public outreach and education, recreational project planning, construction and management, waterways and shoreline cleanup and marine debris removal, and

6 Alabama current connection The City of Orange Beach has adopted a multitude of rules to ensure the safety and cleanliness of our beaches, both for the enjoyment of the residents and visitors, as well as the protection of the beach as habitat for a variety of species that call it home. The Beach Ambassador program was established to communicate not only the rules to beachgoers, but the many reasons for these regulations as well. To give one a glimpse of the dynamic interaction beach ambassadors have with the beachgoing public, consider these numbers to date for 2017: Public Interactions: 80,327; Promo Items Distributed: 8,543; Glass warnings: 1,648; Tent warnings: 2,490; Hole warnings: 1,112; Holes filled: 695; Trash warnings: 137; Trash Bags distributed: 1,397; Injured wildlife incidents: 72; Marine debris removed: 167 items. Additionally, the ambassadors assist with lost children and families in distress. Clearly, the Beach Waterways and Shoreline Enhancement crew members enjoy their job. Ambassadors are a valuable and BUSY bunch of folks! including the towels and tent material floats, bowling balls, parachutes, fishing Following up the daily work of the (textiles) and plastic toys such as shovels corks and lures, kitty cats, and even kitchen Beach Ambassadors are our intrepid and and buckets. These items are shipped to appliances! Of course, they frequently able Operation Clean Sweep crews, whose New Jersey to TerraCycle at the cost to the respond to wildlife emergencies, report job is to remove all unattended beach items company Proctor and Gamble®, which manatees, communicate environmental after dark. A highlight of this program in turn makes shampoo bottles and other information to the boating public, and occurred during our first year of this effort. containers from the recycled products. yes, they collect literally TONS of marine Orange Beach hosted more than double It is with some measure of pause that debris and trash from area waters in a the sea turtle nests in history due largely I suggest our Waterways and Shoreline given season. From late March through to the removal of obstacles to nesting Enhancement crew enjoy their job more early September, Shoreline Cleanup crews sea turtles! To date in 2017, our Clean than any other crew in Coastal Resources. collected and participated in the following: Sweep crews have collected 423 tents/ These guys love being on the water and collected 881 bags of trash (averaging 30 canopies, 3,878 chairs, 793 umbrellas and removing marine debris! And this crew lbs. per bag); recovered 53,760 pounds of have recorded 40,960 public interactions. finds all sorts of goodies: Japanese glass net large debris (e.g., tires, lumber, appliances, Amazingly, almost all material removed etc.); participated in cleaning up 2 fish from the beach nightly is recycled, kills; assisted in three volunteer cleanup events on the islands and waterways; assisted with nesting shorebird monitoring Beach Ambassadors and protection on Bird and Robinson Items Collected Islands; and responded to 25+ wildlife emergencies and rescues. Clearly, the City of Orange Beach 3,873 takes the stewardship and protection of its Chairs coastal environment seriously, and with the help of community volunteers and the efforts of Coastal Resources, it shows! For more information on volunteer activities and opportunities, please contact Ms. Nicole 423 Woerner at 251-981-1063, or via email at Tents/ [email protected]. 793 Canopies Umbrellas

Alabama current connection 7 The Peninsula: The City of Mobile’s Coastal Community

By Debi Foster, Executive Director, The Peninsula of Mobile

The Peninsula is a picturesque, mostly residential community located between Interstate 10 and Dog River within the City of Mobile on the western shore of Mobile Bay. It is filled with wetland lined creeks and bayous that feed both Dog River and Mobile Bay estuaries. Located just Dauphin 15 minutes from Downtown and 25 minutes to Dauphin Island, there Island are six public parks and six public Parkway access points to area waters. The Peninsula contains several private yacht clubs, marinas and roadside fishing holes. It is also part of several trail systems including: The Great Loop http://www. greatloop.org/, the Crepe Myrtle Bike 33 Trail http://www.bicyclemobile.org/ crepe-myrtle-trail/, and the Dog River MILES Scenic Blueway http://dogriver.wpengine. com/what-we-do/water-land-trails/dogriver-scenic-blueway/ and is in the process of being added to the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail http://www.alabamacoastal birdingtrail.com. The Peninsula of Mobile is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community based organization whose mission is to: Support the flooding while bringing valuable passive Background development of a clean and vibrant recreation opportunities to citizens of Rich in economic, racial and age community that sustains the sensitive Mobile and visitors alike. diversity, the Peninsula portion of environment that IS…The Peninsula. The basis of the plan is to blend current Dauphin Island Parkway has over 90 It was founded in 2013 by a group of local bike and kayak trails into a large recreation businesses offering a wide array of community leaders who joined together preserve that will attract users and increase goods and services and an abundance of to identify strengths and weaknesses and economic opportunities throughout the available real estate fitting any budget. develop goals and objectives to redevelop length of the five-mile-long community, Life on the Peninsula feels a little quieter; the depressed area. They incorporated, breathing life into local businesses. The a little less hurried – some “plus” benefits secured funding, and oversaw the treasure will be advertised in an unmanned not found in town. development of a community Corridor Visitor Information Center located at I-10’s An economic downturn began in Master Plan. With a focus on Low Impact Exit 22 south. the late 1960’s when Brookley Air Field Development (LID), the plan outlines More information can be found by closed. The closing of ST163 bridge over redevelopment of the unique urban visiting www.thepeninsulaofmobile.org or Deer River in 1979 cut the Peninsula coastal area in ways that will help manage on Facebook. from Dauphin Island turning the state 8 Alabama current connection road into a virtual dead-end. Hurricane Clearwater Revival, the City of Mobile Katrina in 2005, the housing market and and others have joined together to help lot at to be used as template for other economic crash, followed by the BP Oil residents empower themselves to achieve small businesses throughout the City. Spill in 2010 has left the community of the goals for their community and Mobile’s • Created Peninsula Brochures; nearly 11,000 struggling. Residents judged shoreline. With guidance and the hard work Business Directory; Logo; Logo Stickers; they were forgotten; the City didn’t seem of many, much progress has been made. Updated Promotional Flyers; Maps; to recognize its waters or the area’s Web and Facebook Pages; E-Newsletter. importance as the City’s coastline. Then Highlights of the Work • Installed Phase I of Pocket Park came word of Airbus Americas coming • Developed a digital Mapbook of replacing 4500 sq. ft. of impermeable to Brookley and things began to change. the 163 corridor and adjacent wetlands service with installation of irrigation and For Sale signs began popping up all over, containing zoning and ownership greenspace. including inside wetlands. information for easy reference. • Hosted/Co-Hosted Events: Crepe The community wanted a say in its • Secured funding and developed the Myrtle Trail Bike Ride; Great Drift; future, thus the Mobile Peninsula Corridor Corridor Master Plan. Alabama Coastal Cleanup; Ghost Chase Master Plan was developed http://the • Coordinated partnerships for and Goblin Gallop. peninsula.wpengine.com/wp-content/ recreational signage along ST163. • Established Water Quality uploads/2017/01/Peninsula-of-Mobile- • Submitted a series of nature trail and Monitoring for Rabby Creek at Corridor-Plan_FINAL_Reduced.pdf , preserve proposals for potential funding community’s north gateway. and released earlier this year. through BP disaster funds. • Installed eight concrete table/bench • Created a partnership with the City sets at McNally Park on Mobile Bay A Collaborative Effort resulting in two Transportation Assistance and Perch Creek shorelines. Partnerships have been invaluable to Program (TAP) grants for sidewalk • Working toward the development the group’s efforts. MBNEP, Auburn construction along the corridor. of a Garrows Bend Watershed University, Alabama Coastal Foundation • Spearheaded pilot LID Management Plan. (ACF), Mobile Baykeeper, Dog River redevelopment of facade and parking

Alabama current connection 39 The Alabama Coastal Bird Stewardship Program Established in Mobile and Baldwin Counties

By Chris Oberholster, Partnership and Policy Director, Birmingham Audubon Society

The National Fish and Wildlife “We look forward to adding capacity to Baldwin Counties in varied coastal habitats Foundation (NFWF) has approved local bird conservation and promoting the with trained volunteers and staff. The $1.46 million through the Gulf value of Alabama’s natural treasures to Program will also focus on stewardship Environmental Benefit Fund for the residents and visitors.” of solitary and beach nesting colonies The Alabama Coastal Bird in a suite of focal species. Among the Alabama Coastal Bird Stewardship Stewardship program complements the locations of work to be completed through Program. The Alabama Department of work of similar Audubon initiatives in the Alabama Coastal Bird Stewardship Conservation and Natural Resources, in the Gulf including Florida, Mississippi, program is Dauphin Island, recognized in partnership with Birmingham Audubon, Louisiana and Texas. The Alabama 2015 as a globally significant Important has established a stewardship and program includes monitoring priority Bird Area by Birdlife International and its monitoring program focused on priority species along routes in Mobile and U.S. partner National Audubon Society. shorebird and coastal waterbird populations. Birmingham Audubon, a staffed chapter of National Audubon Society, currently partners with Mobile Bay Audubon and other volunteers to survey priority species along Mobile and Baldwin County shorelines through the Audubon Coastal Bird Survey established after the BP oil spill. “Mobile and Baldwin County shorelines provide critical nesting and foraging habitat for the focal species of this grant. We now have expanded opportunity, thanks to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, to monitor and steward more productive populations,” said Suzanne Langley, Birmingham Audubon Society Executive Director. Reddish Egret photo by John Borom 10 Alabama current connection Birmingham Audubon Coastal Programs is recruiting and training volunteers to assist with this critical conservation work, primarily through the collection of bird-population data at Alabama sites established by National Small Projects Can Audubon’s Coastal Bird Survey (ACBS). During the nesting season, trained volunteers will maintain the health and Have Big Impacts safety of nesting colonies through public outreach and the construction of fences By Eve Brantley, Associate Professor & Extension Specialist Crop, Soil, and signs at colony locations. Engaging and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University residents and other visitors is a critical volunteer role in helping the public become more aware of coastal wildlife and habitats. Looking for trivia? Polluted rain gardens and bioretention cells that Volunteers receive training by Coastal stormwater runoff is the only use soil and plants to treat pollutants. Grass swales may be designed to Programs staff and expert birders from source of pollution to our nation’s Mobile Bay Audubon Society. transport, filter, and infiltrate stormwater. waters that is actually getting Planning practices that minimize Planned training schedule worse. Let that soak in – when it impervious surfaces, such as parking for the ACBS Winter pulse: rains, the runoff carries bacteria, lots or roads, save development costs and trash, oil, metals, fertilizers, decrease negative impacts to waterways. • December 12, 2017 - 2:00 p.m. pesticides, sediment and other Incorporating and protecting green Gulf State Park Nature Center contaminants to our creeks, rivers, space and streamside forests in our • December 14, 2017 - 2:00 p.m. lakes, bays, and Gulf. These communities offers multiple benefits like recreation, habitat, and protection Dauphin Island Sea Lab pollutants travel to waters that are of stream and bay health. Interested in volunteering? Want to relied on for drinking, recreation, These working GI and LID learn more? Contact Coastal Programs habitat, and industry. Research landscapes are becoming more popular Coordinator Mozart Dedeaux at has shown that the first ‘flush’ of in Coastal Alabama as communities mozartdedeaux@birminghamaudubon. stormwater, usually the first inch, is look for ways to combine environmental org or call 251-410-8600 or Membership the most polluted. Research has also stewardship, quality of life, and a healthy and Volunteer Manager Chris Sykes at shown that we can slow down this first economy. Daphne and Fairhope along [email protected] flush and treat it with a new approach to Mobile Bay’s Eastern Shore and Foley or call 205-719-3678. stormwater management called Green in central Baldwin County are cities Infrastructure (GI) and Low Impact successfully promoting the use of Development (LID). innovative stormwater engineering. Traditional stormwater management As more communities implement GI collects and transports stormwater and LID, we will learn more about efficiently along a curb or gutter into a what works well for improving storm sewer that empties into a stream, stormwater quality and the maintenance river or bay. In urban and suburban requirements for long-term effectiveness. landscapes, there is limited opportunity Stormwater management is only for stormwater to soak into the soil as it one piece of the puzzle. A watershed moves quickly over impervious surfaces approach to understanding potential such as parking lots, roads, and roof tops. pollutants, soils, streams, and land use Imagine a pollutant superhighway that is required to identify how we can each connects parking lots to streams with no help with protecting coastal waters. For removal of harmful substances. more information on GI and LID, visit Green infrastructure and LID take www.aces.edu/lid or download the free a different approach to stormwater Alabama Extension iBook, “Planning management. Instead of moving for Stormwater.” Also, visit the stormwater off the landscape quickly, GI MBNEP website (www.mobilebaynep. and LID plan and design opportunities American com) to learn more about watershed Oystercatcher for this water to soak into the ground management planning and to view the photo by Bill Summerour close to where it falls. Examples include new LID video. attractive landscape practices such as

Alabama current connection 113 What Goes Down Sometimes Comes Up

By Mike Shelton, Watershed and Training Program Coordinator, Weeks Bay Reserve, Lands Division, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Individuals can Most people in coastal make a difference in Alabama do not think often about reducing SSOs. Sewer wastewater until a problem occurs. service is not free; Wastewater that spills from a backed customers need to up or failing manhole, pipe or lift take care of service for which they are paying. station onto streets and ditches is A few simple changes called a “sanitary sewer overflow,“ in behaviors have big or SSO. No matter what you call benefits. Cooking it, overflows contain untreated grease should never wastewater, including anything be poured down the that goes down the sink or toilet. kitchen sink. Paper Overflows are serious issues that threaten towels, disposable the quality of coastal surface waters. The diapers, feminine Heavy rains in Fairhope caused a sewer manhole to overflow products, or baby U. S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2013. Photo by the Fairhope Times, July 11, 2013 estimates up to 75,000 sewer overflows wipes should not be occur in the United States each year. In flushed down the toilet. April 2017, AL.com reported that nine these pathogens may result in gastrointestinal Customers who understand how a utility environmental groups, including Mobile illnesses and even more serious health issues. addresses SSOs, and maintains sewer Baykeeper, identified nearly 1,300 sewage Usually, the age and overall health of the lines, lift stations, and other infrastructure spills in Alabama. Sanitary Sewer individuals affects their vulnerability to the can positively influence operations. Overflows combine to release millions of impacts of sewage-borne pathogens. Serious Overflows and spills should be reported gallons of wastewater into creeks, rivers, illnesses caused by pathogens in waterways to the local utility or to the Department and bays, contaminating waterways and in the United States are not common but of Environmental Management via their impacting fish and other wildlife present. do occur. complaint website: http://app.adem. Humans can contact the sewage directly Many causes underlie SSOs, including alabama.gov/complaints/submission.aspx. when swimming or ingesting water or equipment failure and power outages at Customers and utilities working together indirectly by eating fish and shellfish from lift stations or treatment plants, which stop can reduce the causes of SSOs and improve contaminated waterways. Unfortunately, the normal flow of sewage through pipes. the quality of coastal waters. Damage to wastewater infrastructure can drinking water sources like lakes and 1 USEPA, https://www.epa.gov/npdes/ reservoirs can be contaminated also. result from digging, tree roots, or vandalism. sanitary-sewer-overflows-ssos. Exposure to sewage also threatens Grease, paper towels, disposable diapers, 2 Dennis Pillion, Alabama had at least 1,271 human health. Sewage and contaminated or other introduced solids block pipes sewage spills in 2016; See where they happened, AL.com, April 11, 2017. waters conceal a mixture of harmful and trigger overflows through manholes. 3 pathogens - bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and Aging sewer infrastructure is a big USEPA, Sanitary Sewer Overflows: problem. Rainwater floods old and leaky What are they and how can we reduce them? parasitic worms. Bacterial strains like EPA 832-K-96-001-1996. pipes and manholes, overwhelming the Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Escherichia 4 Centers for Disease Control, Outbreaks coli and viruses like noroviruses and systems and producing SSOs. Some of the Associated with Environmental and Undetermined rotaviruses may be present in untreated causes are easily avoidable, while others Water Exposures - United States, 2011–2012, sewage. The sewage may also contain are expensive to address and require a August 14, 2015 /64(31); 849-851. protozoa with fascinating names like concerted effort and funding by cities, Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Exposure to utilities, and their customers. 12 Alabama current connection By Miriam Boutwell,Community Development Director, City of Foley and Phillip Hinesley, ADCNR, Coastal Section Chief

Over the last two years, and county planners began to hold One of the first items discussed and the Mobile Bay National Estuary monthly informal meetings to share being implemented by the group is a GIS Program (MBNEP) has facilitated local and regional projects and to discuss map showing future land use projects. common issues and concerns related to These projects are site-specific and using an effort to identify problems and growth. The group has now expanded to a GIS format it is extremely helpful for recommend solutions for improving include homebuilders, elected officials, staff to visualize how these projects will water quality and promoting land environmental staff and agencies, GIS affect traffic, drainage, the environment use planning within the Weeks Bay staff, engineers, regional planners, school and other critical areas. Additional watershed. Funding for the Weeks board, utility providers, and others who are discussions will include overlapping Bay Watershed Management Plan interested in this topic. The group recently jurisdictions related to municipal and rebranded itself as Plan Lower Alabama county regulations. All the municipalities (WBWMP) was provided through Now (P.L.A.N.). have zoning and subdivision regulations the National Fish and Wildlife and some like Foley Foundation’s (NFWF) Gulf and Fairhope have low Environmental Benefit Fund. impact design and site The Baldwin County Soil and Water disturbance ordinances. Conservation District (BCSWCD) On the other hand, the provided management support for county has subdivision preparation of the WBWMP with regulations but zoning is technical support from the Weeks Bay limited in the watershed. National Estuarine Research Reserve. This presents a problem The Weeks Bay Watershed when it comes to encompasses approximately 203 square overlapping subdivision miles (approximately 130,000 acres) and regulations in the is managed by ten independent local planning jurisdiction. governmental entities. These include This points out for the Baldwin County and the municipalities of need for the interaction Daphne, Fairhope, Foley, Loxley, Magnolia of the group on these Springs, Robertsdale, Silverhill, Spanish important planning Fort, and Summerdale. The majority and matters. P.L.A.N. has central portion of the watershed (85%) is gotten off to a great start within the unincorporated jurisdiction of and will continue to Baldwin County while the periphery of work to reach the goal the watershed is managed within the of working together incorporated municipalities. As population for better growth and within the watershed has grown, the development in Baldwin municipalities have extended their County. incorporated boundaries into the heart of the watershed through annexations, a trend that is expected to continue. One of the key findings of the watershed planning process was the identification of the need for inter-governmental cooperation, particularly among the land use and environmental planners in the area. To answer this need, municipal Alabama current connection 13 “Save Our Seagrass” Education Campaign Launched

By Tracey Holiday, Islands of Perdido Foundation

Islands in the Perdido Bay - In Perdido Bay and Orange Beach there are approximately 340 acres of seagrass or 260 football fields.

In April 2017, the Islands of Seagrass beds are highly productive manatees, that travel through the area Perdido Foundation partnered with habitats. “They really are the nurseries of every year, and the green sea turtles that the sea where juvenile fish are increasing in the City of Orange Beach to launch and shellfish find refuge They really are the abundance in the region. the “Save Our Seagrass” (SOS) to thrive and grow to The beds protect education campaign. The campaign adulthood,” explained nurseries of the sea where shoreline and reduce centers on raising awareness about Phillip West the Coastal juvenile fish and shellfish coastal erosion by the value and needed protection of Resources Manager for find refuge to thrive and trapping and stabilizing the vital seagrass beds that surround the City of Orange Beach. grow to adulthood. the sediment, which also “Also, many commercially helps to keep the water the islands in the Perdido Pass area. and recreationally important Phillip West clear. Human activity The islands are prime recreational species like red drum, Coastal Resources Manager is the main threat to areas and use by boaters has speckled trout, and blue City of Orange Beach seagrass bed loss. And become increasingly intense from crabs call the seagrass although seagrass takes the beginning of spring through the beds their home.” These species are an years to recover from incidences such as end of summer. important food source for other animals prop scarring, they can rebound if new including megaherbivores, such as stewardship habits are formed. 142 Alabama current connection Alabama current connection

About the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program: The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program’s mission is to lead the wise stewardship of water quality and living resources of the Mobile Bay and Tensaw Delta. The MBNEP serves as a catalyst for activities of estuary stakeholders, helping to build community-based organizational capacity for sound resource management and leveraging commitment and investment to ensure the estuary’s sustainability. For more information, please contact the MBNEP office at 251-431-6409.

About ADCNR, State Lands Division, Coastal Underwater seagreass beds are a vital habitat for juvenile fish, shrimp, and crabs in Alabama. Section: In an effort to protect and enhance Photo by Dauphin Island Sea Lab coastal resources and reduce potential conflicts between environmental and economic interests, the Alabama Coastal Area Management Program (ACAMP) was approved by the National Oceanic This spring’s campaign was multi- knowledgeable, and committed young and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in faceted and included a proclamation from people, lesson plans were tailored for 5th 1979. The ACAMP is administered through the Alabama Department of Conservation and the City declaring April 7th as “Orange grade students. The campaign will continue Natural Resources, State Lands Division, Coastal Beach Seagrass Day.” The Alabama Coastal to expand this component of the plan, Section. For more information, please contact the Foundation helped structure the project believing that in order for the grassbeds and Coastal Section office at 251-621-1216. and created the materials. Educational species that depend on them to survive and Alabama Current Connection is produced signs were installed at the Boggy Point and prosper, it is vital that the next generation biannually by the Mobile Bay National Estuary Cotton Bayou boat launches in Orange become stakeholders. Program. Support is provided in part by the Beach. The signs inform boaters about the The “Save Our Seagrass” campaign will Alabama Department of Conservation and critical habitats, explain their value, how continue through social media, additional Natural Resources (ADCNR), State Lands vulnerable they are to boat propellers, and signage on Robinson and Bird Islands will Division, Coastal Section; the U. S. EPA; NOAA; and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab/Marine why it is important to protect them. The be put up, and outreach to visitors will be Environmental Science Consortium. signs also help to make the designated “No conducted this spring. “Our goal is to ensure Motor Zone” areas clear. Some of these the existing seagrass is protected and that Alabama Current Connection encourages zones have recently been added to protect these priceless beds thrive in the future,” reprinting of its articles in other publications. If you have recommendations for future articles or the seagrass beds and to prevent the erosion. said Bill Jeffries, President of the Islands of would like to subscribe, please contact the editor: Another key component of the program Perdido Foundation. “As more and more Rick Frederick was to engage local watercraft rental people visit our area it becomes even more Mobile Bay National Estuary Program companies. Because many people renting important that we all work together: our 118 North Royal Street, Suite 601 pontoon boats, jet skis, and other watercraft partners, local governments, the citizens, Mobile, AL 36602 are unfamiliar with the area, unaware of and our visitors. We all need to protect these Office: 251-431-6409 grass beds, and unacquainted with “No precious resources for future generations.” Fax: 251-431-6450 E-mail: [email protected] Motor Zones,” the group visited company Partners in the project included the www.mobilebaynep.com owners and provided them with education Islands of Perdido Foundation, Alabama We reserve the right to edit submissions. materials about the beds, waterproof maps Coastal Foundation, Alabama Cooperative of the area, and bright SOS stickers. By Extension System, City of Orange Beach, Funding for this newsletter is provided by Mobile working directly with the rental companies, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Gulf Shores Bay National Estuary Program and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Islands of Perdido Foundation and the Orange Beach Tourism, Mobile Bay State Lands Division, Coastal Section, in part, from Alabama Coastal Foundation felt they could National Estuary Program, National Fish a grant by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric tailor the message, reach more visitors, and and Wildlife Foundation, National Oceanic Administration, Office of Coastal Management build strong relationships. and Atmospheric Administration, State Award #NA17NOS4190149. Recognizing that the key to ensuring of Alabama State Lands Division-Coastal continued stewardship of these important Section, and The Nature Conservancy. habitats is to cultivate responsible, Alabama current connection 153 Alabama current connection Dauphin Island Sea Lab Non-Profit Org. Marine Environmental Science Consortium U.S. Postage 101 Bienville Boulevard PAID Dauphin Island, Alabama 36528 Permit No. 435 Mobile, AL 36601

Chris Blankenship Appointed Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources Governor Kay Ivey recently from 2011 to 2017. announced that she has elevated He has worked at Chris Blankenship from Acting the Department of Conservation and Commissioner of the Alabama Natural Resources Department of Conservation and since 1994 when he was Natural Resources (ADCNR) to the hired as a Conservation now permanent Commissioner of Enforcement Officer. Conservation and Natural Resources Governor Ivey announced and a member of the Governor’s Commissioner cabinet. Blankenship’s permanent “Since I appointed Chris Blankenship appointment at the as Acting Conservation Commissioner, he Governor’s Conservation has proven beyond any doubt his abilities to Achievement awards lead ADCNR, Governor Ivey said. “From in Montgomery on effectively working to extend the Red Friday, August 4, 2017. Snapper season, to protecting Alabama’s Blankenship was appointed as Acting Commissioner Blankenship is a native natural resources, Chris Blankenship has Conservation Commissioner on June 1, of Mobile County and a graduate of the made it clear he can lead the Department 2017. He most recently served as the University of South Alabama. of Conservation and Natural Resources Deputy Commissioner and as Director long-term,” Ivey continued. “I am proud to of DCNR Marine Resources Division have Chris as part of my team.”