Helen Wood Park Where Are You In The Watershed? Can You Say Estuary? The Dog River Watershed An estuary (es-choo-er-ee) is where freshwater Dog River and its tributaries drain most of from inland is mixed with saltwater from Mobile, Alabama and is a “sub-watershed” the sea. Estuaries are home to some of the of the greater Mobile Bay watershed. most sensitive and ecologically important habitats on earth. They provide sanctuary Dog River Watershed for many species of birds and serve as By the Numbers breeding grounds for many ocean fish, Area: 95 square miles including shrimp, crabs, red fish and Location: 56 percent City of Mobile, mullet. Helen Wood Park is located 44 percent Mobile County within the Mobile Bay estuary. Waterways include: pristine streams, concrete lined drainage ditches, and Did You Know... That tidal channels Mobile Bay is Where No Dumping Five Major Rivers Meet These markers are placed throughout the Gulf of Mexico the Dog River Watershed to remind citizens that storm drains flow directly Rivers, creeks and streams from over into the creeks and streams that feed 65 percent of the state of Alabama and Dog River. Any trash, chemicals, portions of Mississippi, Geogia, and motor oil, yard clippings, Tennessee flow into Mobile Bay and mix or other things that with saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico. are allowed to reach This makes Mobile Bay watershed the a storm drain will sixth largest in the nation by area and end up in a tributary the fourth largest in North America by or Dog River and affect freshwater flow. Wind and tides deliver the fish and wildlife that salty water into the bay from the Gulf depend upon the river for life. of Mexico. Due to the shallow nature of Mobile Bay the “saltiness” or salinity of the water changes constantly. You Are Here – Where Dog River Meets Mobile Bay Mobile Bay By the Numbers Helen Wood Park is located on the Drains: 43,662 square miles margin of two even smaller watersheds Receives: 62,000 cubic feet of included in the Mobile Bay Watershed. freshwater per second Gulf of Mexico Some of the water that runs off the park Average Depth: 10 feet flows downhill directly into the bay. O D ATM SPH N ER The remaining runoff flows towards A I IC C Length, North to South: 32 miles N A A D E M I C N O I S the west into marshes adjacent and L T A R N Widest Point: 23 miles A O T I I O T A N contributing to Dog River, which flow N U Width at City of Mobile: 10 miles . E Map: Heather Boone, S . C D R Department of E E into the bay directly south of the park. P M A M Geology and Geography, RT O MENT OF C University of South Alabama Helen Wood Park The Big Picture: The Ecosystem Did You Know... you are now Animals in the Marsh Plants of Helen Wood Park looking at a tidal marsh? Look a little closer, and you will see All plants that live in salt marshes have that the marsh is teeming with animal developed special abilities to withstand Marshes are transition zones between life, both in and out of the water. constant flooding and to keep salt bodies of water, like Mobile Bay, and out of their tissues. However, more uplands, like pine or hardwood forests. plant species can live in the brackish A tidal marsh is one kind of wetland. Look for... water of Helen Wood Park than Wetlands are formed by three different Fiddler crabs (Uca pugnax and pugilator) in the saltier marshes further south. things: water, soil, and plants. The plants live in burrows they dig along the edge Arrowhead and animals that live in this marsh must of the marsh. As you walk through the park, you will be able to handle the unique conditions They get their findblack needlerush (Juncus roemerianus), created by the always-changing water and common name and smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) tides of Mobile Bay. from the shape of that are typical of Gulf Coast marshes. You’ll the one extremely see a large stand of bulrush (Schoenoplectus An ecosystem includes plants and animals large front claw of robustus and Schoenoplectus pungens), that depend on each other for food, the male fiddler crabs. duck potato (Sagittaria latifolia), shelter, and survival. The marsh you see around you is an example of one of the Periwinkle snails Duck Great Blue most productive and beneficial ecosystems Potato Heron (Littoraria irrorata) graze on on the planet. the algae living on the grass leaves, and they climb southern wild What’s in the water? up its stalks to avoid both The richness of salt marsh habitat makes it rice (Zizaniopsis Birds of Helen Wood Park high tidal waters and blue a nursery for fish and other aquatic species. miliacea), arrowhead (Sagittaria lancifolia), crabs (Callinectes sapidus), 345 species of birds make their pickerel weed (Pontederia cordata), and Here are some of the fish and shellfish who like to eat them. home in and around Mobile Bay. marsh hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos). Some of these birds are migratory. you might find at the marsh’s edge: All these different plants provide food • White trout (Cynoscion arenarius) Green Heron Grasshoppers and habitat for the • Redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus) (Orchelium fidicinum) marsh’s many animals. • Ground mullet (Mentiairrhus americanus) graze on the upper portion • Speckled trout (Cynoscion nebulosus) of marsh grass leaves. Snowy Egret White Ibis • Brown and white shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus), (Penaeus setiferus) Can you spot these marsh birds? • Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) Black Needlerush • Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) • Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) • Green Heron (Butorides virescens) • Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) • White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) Speckled Trout ATMOSP ND HE A RI IC C N A A D E M I C N O I S L T A R N A O T I I O T A N N U .S E C Redfish . D R Blue Crab E E P M A M RT O Shrimp MENT OF C Helen Wood Park Restoring The Marsh Native Bulrush The Helen Wood Park restoration project The improvements included three steps: was completed by the City of Mobile, the Restore the marsh located between 2 Replace “impervious pavement” with Construct a waterfront boardwalk State of Alabama and the Mobile Bay 1 Dog River Bridge and the Bay. pervious parking material that allows 3 with safety rails for fishing and National Estuary Program to provide public water to soak into the ground. observation. access and recreation along Mobile Bay. Hydrology and Marsh Restoration Impervious vs. Pervious Access to Bay Water Invasive Species In 2008 the Mobile Bay National Estuary Public access along Mobile Bay is very Program received a Community Restoration limited. In fact, only Arlington Park, When Dog River Bridge was built in Partnership Grant from the National Oceanic McNally Park, and Helen Wood Park 1990-92, much of the material removed and Atmospheric Administration and Gulf in Mobile and Bayfront Park in Mobile during construction was cast into the of Mexico Foundation to restore wetlands by County provide public access to the wetlands of today’s Helen Wood Park, removing Phragmites, excavation of six Bay’s western shore. To encourage wise in effect “filling” them. This reduced inches of fill from the marsh floor, and stewardship of our precious coastal “Impervious surfaces” like concrete, roads, water flow into the area and created replanting the area with native marsh plants. resources this park provides a way for roofs, or the asphalt used to create parking conditions favorable for infestation of the public to connect to the waters that lots; prevent water from soaking into the the common reed (Phragmites australis). so enhance our quality of life. A wooden soil and recharging underground aquifers. boardwalk along the waterfront and a Phragmites occurs in areas that have been Instead, they cause water to runoff, erode gazebo along the north side of the parking disturbed by humans, where it crowds out creek banks, and carry sediments, pollutants, area allow visitors to enjoy the beauty more beneficial native marsh plants by excess nutrients, animal waste, and other surrounding Mobile Bay. spreading its roots up to 16 feet each year harmful materials into receiving waters Phragmites roots also release chemicals like the Bay. In 2005, the parking area’s that poison native plants and seedlings impervious pavement was replaced with that are important to fish, invertebrates, pervious material to allow water to soak Smooth Cordgrass birds, and other wildlife found in, preventing runoff. in healthy native salt marshes. Look for these plants: Phragmites In November 2009, volunteers planted Three plant species that will contribute TMOS almost 13,400 native plants across the D A PHE AN R C IC I A to the restoration of this ecosystem: N A D E M C I marsh site. This project was successful in N O I S L T (Schoenoplectus robustus) A Sturdy bulrush R N A O T I I restoring normal water flow and native plant O T Sturdy A N N Native bulrush (Schoenoplectus sp.) U Bulrush .S E C species, allowing the marsh to once again . D R E E P M Smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) A M RT O MENT OF C become a healthy, diverse coastal ecosystem. William Brooks Park Chickasaw: Gateway to the Delta What is an Estuary? About the Mobile-Tensaw Delta An estuary (es-choo-er-ee) is where freshwater Just north of Mobile Bay lies the country’s from inland is mixed with saltwater from second largest delta, the Mobile-Tensaw.