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Chapter 4 Natural Resources and Environmental Constraints

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Chapter 4 Natural Resources and Environmental Constraints Chapter 4 Natural Resources and Environmental Constraints PERSONAL VISION STATEMENTS “I want to live in a city that cares about air quality and the environment.” “Keep Birmingham beautiful, especially the water ways.” 4.1 CITY OF BIRMINGHAM COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PART II | CHAPTER 4 NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS GOALS POLICIES FOR DECISION MAKERS natural areas and conservation A comprehensive green infrastructure • Support the creation of an interconnected green infrastructure network that includes system provides access to and natural areas for passive recreation, stormwater management, and wildlife habitat. preserves natural areas and • Consider incentives for the conservation and enhancement of natural and urban environmentally sensitive areas. forests. Reinvestment in existing communities • Consider incentives for reinvestment in existing communities rather than conserves resources and sensitive “greenfields,” for new commercial, residential and institutional development. environments. • Consider incentives for development patterns and site design methods that help protect water quality, sensitive environmental features, and wildlife habitat. air and water quality The City makes every effort to • Support the development of cost-effective multimodal transportation systems that consistently meet clean air standards. reduce vehicle emissions. • Encourage use of clean fuels and emissions testing. • Emphasize recruitment of clean industry. • Consider incentives for industries to reduce emissions over time. • Promote the use of cost-effective energy efficient design, materials and equipment in existing and private development. The City makes every effort to • Encourage the Birmingham Water Works Board to protect water-supply sources consistently meet clean water located outside of the city to the extent possible. standards. • Consider incentives for development that protects the city’s water resources. • Consider incentives for the protection of natural drainage in stormwater management systems where feasible. • Consider incentives for the use of conservation and low-impact development techniques. • Support state water quality standards and enforcement. • Monitor drilling uses of water resources to avoid contamination or excessive use and use best management practices. Front image: www.aothemagazine.com/?p=38 4.2 CITY OF BIRMINGHAM COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PART II | CHAPTER 4 NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS findings challenges Red Mountain Park and Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve Reducing vehicle emissions through increased transit use are significant natural areas that provide access to nature will require regional partnerships/cooperation. and environmental services (such as reduction in urban heat island effects, air pollution, and nonpoint source pol- Increased walking and bicycling can help reduce vehicle lution of water) in an otherwise urban environment. emissions, but extensive improvements are needed in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to support these The city has had success in flood mitigation through alternative travel modes. flood buyouts along Village, Valley and Shades Creeks in conjunction with FEMA, Corps of Engineers and state Many sources of air pollution are not located in the city or agencies and continued flood mitigation planning. subject to City control. With the exception of engineering design standards for Threats to Birmingham’s water quality are not all located streets, the only regulations for steep slopes are those in the city or subject to City influence. that require geotechnical engineers’ affidavits for con- struction on parts of the north face of Red Mountain. The potential development of land in the Cahaba area poses risks to the Cahaba River, a drinking-water source. Segments of the Cahaba River, Valley Creek, Village Most of this land is outside the city limits. Creek, Shades Creek and Camp Branch Creek exceed Total Maximum Daily Load allowances for various pollutants. Water quality monitoring is performed by the City’s Stormwater Management Division. Birmingham does not consistently meet EPA ozone standards, which reflects impacts on public health due to air pollution, and constrains industrial expansion and recruitment and federal transportation funding. There are numerous local and regional private organiza- tions involved in parks development, open space preser- vation and environmental stewardship. Almost all of the land in the city limits that is adjacent to or near the Cahaba River, Little Cahaba River, and Lake Purdy is owned by the Birmingham Water Works Board to protect water supply resources. Quality of life, which includes environmental quality, is an increasingly important criterion in private sector economic investment decisions. 4.3 CITY OF BIRMINGHAM COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PART II | CHAPTER 4 NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS A. What the Community Said From the outset of this plan’s community involvement process, participants have held up the city’s natural environment and green infrastructure as vital parts of the city. Attendees at the various forums ranked Birmingham’s parks, landscape and topography as its best asset, receiving twice as many votes as any other category. Participants also indicated that pollution, clean air and other environmental issues were among the city’s top challenges. Among the “Top Five Priorities” from table discussions, walking/biking routes and parks, beautification and addressing pollution TCI Ensleyworks is the one of the largest brownfields in the were all noted. Birmingham area. During the Communities of Interest workshop on Green Systems and Sustainability, attendees identified issues B. Topography, that brought them to the meeting and table discussions provided a set of priorities. Several of those dealt with the Geology and environmental concerns addressed in this chapter. Issues Landscape Character • Water quality and stormwater management Since its early history Birmingham capitalized easily • Air quality on its natural assets but struggled with their long-term • Interconnected green infrastructure network stewardship. Birmingham’s geology offered tremendous • Green the city, more trees economic opportunity during the industrial boom of • Sprawl the late 1800s. The three main components of iron and • Using the city’s green amenities to attract investment steel production—coal, iron ore and limestone—were readily available from Jones Valley, which also provided a Priorities convenient landscape for settlement. Railroad, mining and • Improve air quality iron production facilities exploded across the landscape • Improve water quality and Birmingham grew rapidly and densely. • Protect biodiversity and wildlife habitat • Increase public awareness on green systems and Of its major topographic features, the city is most closely sustainability associated with Red Mountain, which rises to just over • Promote alternative, clean energy sources 1,000 feet above sea level—about 400 feet above downtown • Protect and increase citywide tree canopy Birmingham directly to the north. Shades Mountain, • Clean up and re-use brownfields further to the south, is the tallest formation in Birmingham, • Build greenways with destinations peaking at about 1,150 feet above sea level. 4.4 CITY OF BIRMINGHAM COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PART II | CHAPTER 4 NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS The city developed along the relatively flat Jones Valley HYDROLOGY between Red and Sand mountains. This provided a logical path for the railroads that were laid through the middle of The northern and western portions of the city lie within the the valley. As communities took shape along the railroad, Black Warrior-Tombigbee River Basin while the areas south the mountains limited development to the north and south. and east of Red Mountain are in the Alabama River Basin. Birmingham grew as a dense urban grid that diminished Through each basin numerous tributaries flow and form as it extended toward the neighboring ridges, particularly watersheds including: Village Creek, Valley Creek, Shades the steeper and more challenging Red Mountain. Urban Creek, Five Mile Creek, and the Cahaba River. villages developed further east and west along the valley including areas like Woodlawn and East Lake, Bessemer Streams and Ensley. The early communities of Birmingham were relatively far Today, mining and manufacturing remain but represent a from the Black Warrior and Cahaba Rivers, to the northwest much smaller part of Birmingham’s economy. Its readily and southeast respectively. But Jones Valley is traversed by harvestable geologic resources have been greatly depleted. the smaller Village Creek and Valley Creek. Like Red Moun- Vacant mines and foundries dot the landscape. But these tain to the south, Village Creek limited northern expansion remnants of the area’s industrial heritage are seeing a early on. It served as the city’s early water supply until it was second life as regional parks (Ruffner Mountain Nature too contaminated to provide clean water. Center, Red Mountain Park and Vulcan Park), greenways, and historic landmarks (Sloss Furnaces). However, there is After decades of development and industrial and other continued mining northwest and west of the city along the forms of pollution, efforts by the City, UAB, the grassroots Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River. Village Creek Society, area residents and others, including FIGURE 4.1: WATER AND WATERSHEDS 4.5 CITY OF BIRMINGHAM COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PART II | CHAPTER 4 NATURAL RESOURCES
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