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/Gulf of Mexico 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 Mobile Bay 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, Alabama 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.