TEXT FROM THE PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

On behalf of the Dog River Clearwater Revival (DRCR) Board of Directors and our contracted staff, we thank everyone who, for the past twenty-five years, shared their time and resources with DRCR. Celebrating a quarter-century of promoting, protecting and improving the water quality of and access to Dog River and its urban tributary creeks was a significant milestone in the organization’s history.

Most notable in our 2019 anniversary year was the award of a $328K EPA/ Program grant for implantation of the Comprehensive Trash Abatement Program for the Dog River Watershed. Identified as a priority project in the Dog River Watershed Management Plan (WMP) released in 2018, the problem of litter in our waterways brought us together in partnership with the National Estuary Program, Mobile Baykeeper and Partners for Environmental Progress in a plan to reduce litter in the river by fifty percent by the end of 2021. We’d also like to thank the City of Mobile, Council and Administration, for supporting the goals of the WMP and our EPA grant. Further, this project allowed DRCR to expand our part-time paid team to two with the addition of an assistant project director.

As we enter 2020, we look forward to an exciting year. We’ll hosts more cleanups and other fun events like the spring Mudbottom Music Festival and the Great Drift Paddle along the Dog River Scenic Blueway, celebrating its tenth year. The fall will see another of our popular events celebrating its 10th anniversary – the Dog River Fishing Tournament and of course don’t miss the one time a year opportunity to run/walk across the iconic Dog River Bridge during our annual Ghost Chase 5K & 1-mile Goblin Gallop. All these events are primarily volunteer run so feel free to join in the fun! Make this the year you come be part of one of our committees. No matter the size of your contribution, all help is appreciated.

Thank you again for your involvement and support of Dog River Clearwater Revival’s work to create clean water, healthy habitats, pollution control and family fun on Dog River and its urban tributary creeks and streams. Remember, It’s Our River.

Frank Terrell, Debi Foster Board President 2019-2020 Executive Director

1 BOARDS

2019 Board of Directors 2019 Advisory Board We give special thanks to those whose , President Frank Terrell guidance helped further the mission of Dog Richard Carpenter, Vice President River Clearwater Revival. Heather Schultz, Treasurer Dr. Miriam (Mimi) Fearn Karen May, Secretary Retired Associate Professor of Geography and an adjunct professor of Marine Sciences Carollynne Thomas, Parliamentarian John T. Bender Claire Wilson Past DRCR President Duggan Ellis Roberta Swann Angela Hayes Director, Mobile Bay National Estuary Program Ali Jones Casi Callaway Larry Mouton Director, Mobile Baykeeper Dalton Nix Mark Berte Glenn Porter Executive Director, Coastal Foundation

Kathy Sanders Nick Matranga Mobile County License Commissioner David Strain Hugh O’Neill Rick Courtney Attorney

Debi Foster, Executive Director Emily Sommer Roberts Brothers, Inc.

Bruce Coldsmith Past DRCR President

2 TEXT 2019 COMMITTEES

Our sincere appreciation goes to the many who serve on the DRCR committees.

ACCESS Fishing Tournament Beverley Hayes, Chair Larry Mouton, Chair Bruce Coldsmith John Howard, Weigh-In Elise Labbe-Coldsmith Alex Beebe Aven Warner Hugh O’Neill Bob Andrews Chae Saucier Tim Williams Eric Saucier Angie Rangel Anna Mouton Carollynne Thomas John Burke Lee Echols Kim Anez Nick Matranga Lynn Kushner Abby Green Karen May Kathy Sanders Glenn Porter Kathy Degnan Michele Heim Nancy Gardner Trevor Vallet Ghost Chase Bruce Coldsmith, Chair WATER QUALITY Victor Birch Cindy McMillan Litter Cosmo Comisky Frank Terrell, Chair Lee Echols John T. Bender, WMP Implementation Task Force Elise Coldsmith Claire Wilson Rick Leonard Will Bridges Nick Matranga Wythe Whiting Alvin Bernstein Joy Gardner Michael Levy Duggan Ellis Glenn Porter Teresa Horton Alabama Coastal Cleanup Michele Heim Stephanie Booth, Zone Captain Kellye Blankenship Angela Hayes, Co-Captain James Lee Colvice Parker Peggy Olive Debi Foster Don Bates & Osprey Staff Hugh O’Neill EDUCATION & OUTREACH Helen and Bob Whiting Chae Saucier, Graphic Designer David & Brenda Strain Margaret Jordon, Bold Layout Alvin Bernstein Ali Jones Carollynne Thomas Claire Wilson Water Quality Monitors Membership Mimi Fearn, Chair Sue Cato Winter Sherry Anderson Jill Bockenstette FUNDRAISING Dan Coleman Clay Danielson Mudbottom Festival Lauren Danielson Marbury Buckhaults, Sponsors Julie Day Tucker Deaton, Performers Ross Frazer Lavada Raouf, Promotional Tim Gilbert Ali Jones Angela Hayes Pam Denham Eric Holladay Dave Buckhaults, Parking Tom Lyon James Foster Chris Marr Wael Raouf Karen May Jerad Williams Betty McArthur Lisa Drew Robert McArthur Sherry McGowan Heather Schultz Chandler Ogburn Hugh O’Neill James Pelham Nathan Jones David Strain Debi Foster Frank Vogtner Doug Williams 3 PROJECTS VS. OUTCOMES

All DRCR resources, whether financial or volunteer and staff hours, are dedicated to projects in keeping with the mission of clean water, healthy habitats, pollution control, and family fun on Dog River and its urban tributary creeks. Our projects are guided by our Watershed Management Plan and follow the six common values identified in the current Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan for Alabama’s Estuaries & Coast as most important to those living in Coastal Alabama.

Goals of Dog River’s Watershed Committee Projects Management Plan contained in the Mobile Bay Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan Beaches / Heritage / Water Access Shorelines Fish Culture Outreach Resilience Quality

Dog River Scenic Blueway X X X X X X X -Great Drift X X X X X Access Schwarz Park Improvements X X X X X X X Perch Creek Nature Trail Preserve X X X X X X X Dog River Loop/Crepe Myrtle Trail X X X X X X Presentations X X X X X X X Membership X X X X X X X Newsletter X X X X X X X Education Social Media X X X X X X X & Outreach Signage X X X X X X X Events (ie., Ghost Chase) X X X X X X X Volunteerism X X X X X X X MudBottom Revival Music Fest X X X X X X X Fishing Tournament X X X X X X X Fundraising Anniversary Calendar X X X X Grants (EPA-Gulf of Mexico) X X X X X X Litter -Coastal Cleanup X X X X X X

-MLK Day of Service Cleanup X X X X X X Eslava Creek

Water -Prevention - Established X X X X X X Quality City-County Green Team

Wetland Preservation X X X X X X X Water Quality Testing X X X X X X Land Use X X X X X X X

4 TEXT PROJECTS VS. FINANCES

2%

11% REVENUES

Trash Abatement Grant 43% Donations Fundraising 37% Membership Dues Other

7%

10%

EXPENSES 19% 43% Trash Abatement Grant Administrative Fundraising/Events 28% Cleanup/Litter Projects

5 TEXTACCESS

Blue & Green With increased popularity of paddling, DRCR was honored to join others Trails Bring to aid Mobile County in its receipt of a $773K BP Disaster funded grant to combine all the County’s blueways into one Coastal Alabama recreational Awareness to opportunity. The Dog River Scenic Blueway opened in 2011 and is part of Area Waters the National Parks Service River Trail System.

For the ninth year, the spring Great Drift Paddle brought people to our river’s shoreline, this time from Halls Mill Landing (Schwarz Park located on Riviere du Chien Road). The annual event rotates among the five Dog River Scenic Blueway launch sites located throughout the watershed.

Schwarz Park Restoration

DRCR has entered into a 3-year agreement with the Student Conservation’s Gulf Corps crew and the City’s Parks Department to restore native habitat, create a safe and appealing public use area that emphasizes non-motorized water recreation; and highlights the unique upland- wetland vegetative complex created by unusual geologic features (artesian wells) of the public property on Halls Mill Creek. (Pictured: Property elevation map)

6 ACCESSTEXT

Perch Creek Nature Trail and Preserve

The Perch Creek Nature Trail and Preserve is the result of another partnership, this time with the Nature Conservancy, the Peninsula of Mobile and the City of Mobile Parks Department, to preserve over 100 acres of wetlands within the Lower Dog River Watershed. Now referred to as “Perch Creek Parks District”, the plan will create public access to the creek from properties being preserved using funding from the BP Oil Disaster.

The Dog River Loop Crepe Myrtle Trail

The Dog River Loop of the popular Crepe Myrtle Trail (CMT) is now signed to outline the path that follows the river’s eastern shoreline beginning near where it empties into Mobile Bay. The new river trail connects to the CMT along the City of Mobile’s western bay shore. The project is the result of a 2015 partnership between DRCR, the Peninsula of Mobile and the City of Mobile.

To assist in safer passage for cyclists and pedestrians crossing from the Bay side Crepe Myrtle Trail to the River side Dog River Loop, ALDOT, in cooperation with the City of Mobile, DRCR and the Peninsula of Mobile, completed the Dauphin Island Parkway resurfacing project that included re-striping the roadway to incorporate designated outside bike lanes.

7 TEXTEDUCATION & OUTREACH

EDUCATION Membership continues to grow thanks in part to the development of both an annual renewal card and a brochure with a detachable membership form. Designed to be placed inside a standard business envelope, the renewal cards are mailed in January while the brochures are available at all our events.

Both the renewal card and the brochure direct people to our website (www.dogriver.org) where on-line contributions are easily made in addition to mail-in opportunities. Currently we have nearly 300 paid A special anniversary members. logo was developed for use to promote the idea that the river and all its tributaries belong Youth to all of us, therefore it’s everyone’s responsibility to help keep it clean. Again in 2019, the story of the Dog River Watershed was presented to over 300 science students in 6-8th grade at Clark-Shaw Magnet School. The kids participate in a hands-on “Enviroscape” presentation on how watersheds work. It’s always lots of fun to watch the students spread pretend sediment, oils and other chemicals and the dreaded wastewater (vinegar) then make it rain and watch it all Additionally, buttons go downstream! containing this message were printed for use in DRCR’s efforts helped result in an opportunity for area teachers to areas where a statement must be made. Use be trained in the EPA program Master Environmental Education of this logo will be (MEE). The program, in partnership with the Alabama Cooperative widespread. Extension System, DRCR and others, sends volunteers throughout Mobile County to public and private schools to present environmental lessons to students. Dog River is a 2020 area of concentration.

8 EDUCATION & OUTREACHTEXT

Adult

The news about the plight of the Dog River Watershed was shared with members of Kingswood United Methodist’s Women’s group and some of their youth. Teaching Best Management Practices (BMPs) at locations like this, off the water but sandwiched between two key tributaries - Spencer Branch and Spring Creek - are key to the health of Dog River. Presentations were also given to Leadership Mobile/Baldwin, the Retired Nurses Association and the Alabama Coastal Fisherman’s Association.

General Public

DRCR teamed with the DISL’s Mammal West Indian Manatee in our waters. Signs were erected at each of the Dog River Scenic Blueway launch sites and the boat ramps at Dog River Park.

Nearly 100 people got to hear about invasive aquatic plants during the Annual Summer General Members & Guests meeting. Auburn Marine Extension & Research Center’s Interim Director P.J. Waters was the featured speaker who shared his expert knowledge of aquatic plants, some samples of which were brought in by members.

In July, thousands of people received news of what DRCR has done in recent years to combat litter and other pollutants from entering our waterways. The special focus-on-litter newsletter was sent out electronically to all members, was posted on the website and on Facebook.

For most of the summer, DRCR let people know how to determine if it’s safe to swim in Dog River. Using data collected from our own dedicated Alabama Water Watch Certified Water Quality Monitors, graphs and maps were developed for easy understanding of a very complex issue. Mobile Baykeeper joined our advertising effort by providing information on their Swim Guide application. (Pictured is the display at The Grand Mariner Restaurant.) 9 EDUCATIONTEXT & OUTREACH

Through a partnership with the Mobile Bay National Estuary This year marked the Program, the Peninsula of 10th Anniversary Ghost Mobile and the City of Mobile , Interpretive signage is now Chase & Goblin Gallop located at McNally Park an awareness event that saw located at the dividing line nearly 200 runners/walkers between two of the City’s make their way across the largest watersheds – Dog Dog River Bridge and back. River and Garrows Bend.

Our Wastewater Footprint was unveiled in 2019 - a collaboration between DRCR and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL). Lessons learned from Dog River, is a Dog River Watershed specific edutainment packet and factsheet that can be used in eco-tour business, the classroom, or other uses.

The laminated factsheet is double- sided and is used by the audience to identify and note potential sources of wastewater to our local waters. The results can be uploaded to a DISL webpage where results are tracked.

“Watch Parties”, a Facebook live stream video tool, allowed DRCR’s message of combating litter in our watershed to reach thousands. For example, the video pictured shows volunteers cleaning a ditch inlet into Eslava Creek behind Walmart at I-65 and Dauphin Street during the 2019 Martin Luther King Day of Service – a partnership project with Mobile’s United’s Natural Resource Committee. The video was viewed by 1,500 people.

10 FUNDRAISINGTEXT

25th Anniversary Calendar

The ceaseless beauty of our river appears in special anniversary edition 2020 Dog River wall calendars featuring photos selected from member submissions. Five different calendars were developed each showing various aspects of life in and around the river. The project helped raise nearly $1,000 for the organization.

Mudbottom Music Festival

Dog River’s own music festival - Mudbottom - celebrated its 5th year in 2019 hosting from a new venue - the beautiful Bender Point - and by grossing over $30,000 for DRCR projects. Mark your 2020 Dog River Wall Calendar NOW as we’ll do it again at Bender Point, Sunday, April 26th. (Photo: Ali Jones)

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Fishing Tournament

The new location at the Grand Mariner Marina was perfect, as was the weather for the 9th annual Fall fundraiser. Anglers young and old enjoyed the October event that is preceded by a fun Captain’s Meeting that features live music and a cash-prize drawdown. (Photo: Chae Saucier) 11 WATER QUALITY TEXT

Litter Collection

Working with lead partner Mobile Bay National Estuary Program to identify litter hotspots and teaming with Osprey Initiative in cooperation with the City of Mobile, there are now a minimum of 3 litter containment devices located and being maintained inside the Dog River Watershed. Permit applications are pending for Moore and Halls Mill Creeks. Current sites include: the existing Bandalong trap at Eslava @ McVay Drive, Bolton Branch at Navco Road (pictured), Eslava at Emogene Street and Eslava at Sage Avenue. The smaller and larger trash capture devices will remain deployed for 18 months, over which time, costs will be documented to inform future decisions. For the first time, Dog River joined with partners of Mobile United’s Natural Resources Committee to offer an Eslava Creek cleanup site to the annual Martin Luther King Day of Service. The site was a drainage area to the Creek that runs between Walmart and Cracker Barrel at I-65 & Dauphin Street. The rescheduled event brought in 41 mostly new volunteers, including some Walmart management and staff as well as District 5 City Councilman, Joel Daves.

DRCR again hosted two (2) zones as part of the Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup. Approximately 200 volunteers came to either Dog River Park or Lipscomb Landing to be deployed by boat, vehicle or foot to remove and catalog litter in and along the water’s edge. Plastic (cigarette butts, straws and drink bottles) along with foam (food related containers) continue to be the most collected items. (Photo: bottom right)

And, thanks in part to groundwork laid by DRCR, 2019 saw additional trash removal for the Dog River Watershed in the form of boat crews provided by an agreement between Osprey Initiative and the City of Mobile. The vessels are out usually two days per week. (Photo: bottom left)

12 TEXT WATER QUALITY

Source Data Collection ETAP has come to the Dog River Watershed! U.S. EPA’s Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol (ETAP), recently adopted for use in the adjacent Three Mile Creek Watershed, is now being performed on trash recovered from each of our new devices and at many of our cleanups.

The information collected is supplying ground-truthed documentation of what items make up “litter” leading to the development of reduction strategies. Pictured is a still shot taken from a DRCR video of EPA Administrator Mary Wilson’s August visit where Osprey Initiative staff are explaining and performing the ETAP process being conducted in keeping with the grant.

Eslava Cr + Emogene St Behind Walmart Litter-Gitter Volunteers Collected 214.41 Total lbs. 1,650 Total lbs.

Eslava Cr + Sage Ave Litter-Gitter 180.58 Total lbs. 2019 Dog River Related Litter Collection

Eslava Cr + McVay St. Bandalong 5,566 Total lbs. UPPER DOG RIVER

Bolton Br + Navco Rd This list does not contain all efforts to remove litter from the Dog River Litternator HALLS MILL CREEK 1,155,48 Total lbs.

Various Waterways Watershed. Numbers presented below, are provided to DRCR by our Via City Streets and ROWs City of Mobile Funded Community Service and Contractors 31,294 Total lbs. partners in this effort; both Osprey Initiative and the City of Mobile. The events were hosted all or in part by DRCR.

Various Waterways Volunteer Cleanup LOWER DOG RIVER AL Coastal Cleanup 2,146 Total lbs. Mobile Bay *Numbers are shown in pounds except where ease of disposal requires measures in cubic yards. For consistency, we used an approximated bag weight of 22 pounds to convert cubic yards and give an approximate weight total.

Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, USGS, Intermap, INCREMENT P, NRCan, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), Esri Korea, Esri (Thailand), NGCC, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community Dog River Watershed 2019 Litter Collection Legend TOTAL AMOUNT = 42,206.47 lbs. Litter_Collection Sites Dog_River_Watershed Miles . 0 0.5 1 2 3 4

13 WATER QUALITY

Prevention

Stopping litter at the source remains the goal. The MLK Day of Service event sparked the City of Mobile’s two branches of government to take a hard look at the widespread use of single-use plastics (particularly plastic shopping bags) and polystyrene (Styrofoam). Among other initiatives, a City/County Green Team has been established to develop and oversee a plan to reduce use of the items listed as well as other waste within the boundaries of all City/County government owned and operated facilities.

Continuing our efforts to reduce waste on the front-end, DRCR facilitated the beginning efforts by local restaurants, the Grand Mariner and Bama Bob’s Barbeque, to reduce their use of single-use plastics.

Pictured are restaurant owners Jean Carlson – Grand Mariner & Bobby Lankford – “Bama Bob” meeting with Plastics Free Gulf Coast’s Elizabeth Englebretson, Jason Kudulis – MBNEP and Debi Foster – DRCR.

Mid-year saw the official start to our EPA/GOMP grant titled “Dog River Watershed Trash Abatement Program”, which brought Assistant Project Director, Eric Saucier, onboard. Eric joins the team of two part-time contractors working to further DRCR’s mission. Eric jumped right in helping discuss the Dog River Watershed with two dozen Murphy High School science students participating in Mobile Baykeeper’s Strategic Watershed Awareness and Monitoring Program (SWAMP), an education component of our grant. The students are monitoring five sites.

Expanding Our Reach

14 TEXT WATER QUALITY

Water Quality Monitoring

Again in 2019, DRCR’s Alabama Water Watch (AWW) monitors lead the State in continued quality monitoring of an average of 20 different sites throughout the 95 square mile watershed. New monitors are always needed. Sewage spills and leaf material entering our waterways continues to be a major source of low water quality. When the organic matter decomposes it lowers oxygen levels in the water causing things like fish kills.

DRCR led efforts to preserve key wetland tracts in the Halls Mill and Lower Dog River Sub Watersheds. Working with partners, BP Disaster related funding has been secured to preserve nearly 300 acres of priority habitat identified in the Dog River Watershed Management Plan. 2020 should see the completion of the project.

Land Use

DRCR teamed with other grassroots organizations to lead an unprecedented public response to the City of Mobile’s draft Uniform Development Code (UDC) that will guide zoning and land-use practices inside the City limits for the next quarter century.

DRCR has a seat on the Mobile Airport Community Advisory Committee. Since much of the Brookley parcel drains to the Dog River Watershed, we are included in the planning process. Both the updated UDC and the Brookley Master Plan are expected to be released in 2020. 15 THANK YOU

None of this would be possible without your support! (Listings are in alphabetical order.) Partners Sponsors Alabama Coastal Foundation 9th Annual Dog River Fishing Tournament Alabama Coastal Heritage Trust A&M Yacht Sales Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources Buccaneer Yacht Club Alabama Department of Transportation Dog River Marina City of Mobile James B. Donaghey, Inc. Eslava Creek Yak Club Hackbarth Delivery JB’s Ice Mariner Restaurant Little Red Hen Productions Middleton Marine Mobile Bay National Estuary Program Mobile Yacht Club Mobile Baykeeper Wigman’s Ace Hardware Mobile County Commission Mobile United 10th Annual Ghost Chase & Goblin Gallop Osprey Initiative, Inc. AL Dept of Transportation Partners for Environmental Progress Armbrecht Jackson Student Conservation Association’s GulfCorps BC Rain Color Guard The Grand Mariner Restaurant George Bass The Nature Conservancy Binki’s Ice Cream Boat The Peninsula of Mobile Cammie’s Old Dutch City Councilman CJ Small District 3 Coldsmith, Ryder and Associates Sponsors James B. Donaghey, Inc. 5th Annual Mudbottom Music Festival Dockside Marina Allied Mortgage Corp Experimax Bender Family Fleet Feet Buckhaults Family Greer’s Cammie’s Old Dutch Hiller Companies Cassity Bros JB Oliver’s Ice Cross Fit Saraland Mellow Mushroom Dakinstreet Architects Miss Sally’s Seafood Mike and Heather Daniels Mobile County Sheriff’s Deaton Family Run N Tri Dr. Bradford Liles, DMD PC The Peninsula of Mobile Dr. and Mrs. Glenn Gallaspy, III Training for Warriors Drew Family Go Run Russell and Billie Goodloe Green, Henwood and Hough Investment Hancock Whitney Bank Hargrove Engineers & Constructors Leavell Investments Leonardi, Dan and Linda Marine and Industrial Supply Mobile Import Salvage And to those who are Palmer’s Toyota Superstore Pam Denham and Associates the bedrock of this Port City Rental Pulmonary Associates Regional Steel Products, Inc. organization, Saunders Yachtworks Shipboard Electrical & Air, Inc. our volunteers Show Biz Theatrical – Shropshire Family Thank you! Sophiella Gallery The Legends Thompson Engineering Andrew & Liz Terry Willow Bridge 16