Mobile Bay National Estuary Program Protecting Alabama s Most Valuable Resource

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1 Mobile Bay National Estuary Program Protecting Alabama s Most Valuable Resource Roberta Swann, Director Mobile Bay National Estuary Program March 21, 2018 Regional Response Team

2 The Mobile Bay Watershed Covers 2/3 of Alabama, & portions of Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee 6 th largest in North America by area (43,000 square miles) 4 th largest in North America by flow volume (62,000 cubic feet of water per second) 15-20% of nation s fresh water flows through Mobile Bay

3 Forests

4 Mobile Tensaw Delta

5 Dunes

6 Beaches

7 Wetlands

8 Our most Valuable Resource: WATER Photo: Buzz Sierke, 2009

9 Our Coastal Economy : Commercial Fishing Alabama Shrimp Harvest (2016) $57.3 million Alabama Blue Crab Harvest (2016) $1.8 million Red Snapper Harvest (2016) $1.4 million Spanish Mackerel Harvest (2016) $832 Thousand Eastern Oyster Harvest (2016) $600 Thousand

10 Our Coastal Economy : Recreational Fishing In 2011, over 3 million recreational anglers took 23 million trips in the Gulf

11 Our Coastal Economy: The Alabama State Port Contributes Over 124,328 Direct and Indirect Jobs Has an annual $459+ Million Direct/Indirect Tax Impact Annual $19.4+ Billion Total Economic Impact.Imports/ Exports: Chemicals, Coal, Lumber, Iron, Steel, Copper, Cement, Chemicals, Frozen Poultry, Soybeans

12 Our Economy: Tourism Gulf Shores National Shrimp Festival 40%, or $5.4 Billion of Alabama s $13 Billion travel industry occurs in Mobile and Baldwin Counties

13 Our Coastal Quality of Life

14 The Challenge of Living on the Coast How do we preserve the cultural, economic, and environmental diversity that make the Alabama coast a unique and desirable place to live and do business?

15 Overview of the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program Funded by a partnership between US EPA, State of Alabama, and local governments and private interests One of 28 nationally significant estuaries in the United States In existence for 23 years Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan (CCMP) Annual Plan guides activities from one year to next

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17 How does the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program Management Conference Work?

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19 Access to Water and Open Spaces Coastlines (Beaches and Other Shorelines) Fish & Wildlife Heritage and Culture Environmental Health and Resilience Water Quality

20 Highest Ranking Habitats, Ecosystem Services and Stresses Habitat Freshwater Wetlands Intertidal Marshes and Flats Ecosystem Services Most Stressed Top Stress Impacts Values Nesting for birds and turtles Biodiversity Wildlife, Fisheries Biodiversity Fisheries Wildlife Water Quality Land Use Change Fragmentation Dredging and Filling Sediment Sea Level Rise Fragmentation Access Fish Heritage Resilience Water Quality Access Beaches Fish Heritage Resilience Water Quality Streams and Rivers (Riparian Buffers) Fish Biodiversity Water Quality Sediment Freshwater discharge Land Use Change Sediments Access Fish Heritage Resilience Water Quality

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22 1. Priority Restoration Watershed Watershed Prioritization Criteria 2. Priority Conservation Watershed 3. Priority Freshwater Wetlands 4. Priority Intertidal Marshes and Flats 5. Priority for Acquisition 6. Protected Lands 7. Outstanding Alabama Water 8. Impaired Waters 9. TMDL presence 10.Point Source Discharges (NPDES) 11.Toxic Release Inventory Sites 12.% Urbanization 13.ADEM Water Quality Survey 14.Watershed Management Plan Old 15.Sediment Study complete 16.Watershed Plan Current 17.ADEM Long term Monitoring Stations

23 #1 #2 #3 #Respondents Total Wt.Score Watershed PH Fish River Restoration Tensaw Apalachee Restoration Big Creek Restoration/Conservation Bon Secour Restoration Fowl River Restoration West Fowl River Intertidal Priority Dog River Urban Deer River Restoration Grand Bay Swamp Conservation Graham Bayou Conservation Bayou La Batre River Restoration Oyster Bay Restoration Hammock Creek Intertidal Priority Dauphin Island Intertidal Priority Little Lagoon Intertidal Priority Upper Blackwater Conservation Rains Creek Conservation Halls Creek Conservation Skunk Bayou Conservation Negro Creek Conservation Cedar Creek Conservation

24 Focus Areas of the CCMP Ecosystem Status and Trends Research Assessment and Monitoring Reporting Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Tools Training Incentives Direct Assistance Ecosystem Restoration/Protection Water Quality Living Resources Habitats Healthy Communities Community Awareness, Education, Involvement Awareness Campaigns Outreach & Public Involvement Citizen Monitoring Volunteer involvement in restoration

25 $24.6 million $10.5 million $12 million $3 million $55.4 million $2.5 million $9 million $ 117 Million Committed/Invested

26 Together, we will Thank you.