Regional Challenges, Regional Solutions…

Implementing a Watershed Approach

National Non Point Source Workshop Roberta Arena Swann

October 31 - November 3, 2016, Boston Mobile Bay National Estuary Program

Academia

Business, Industry, Utilities

Fishermen

Place Based Citizen Groups

NGOs

LocalGovernment

StateGovernment

Federal Government

Who is the Mobile Bay National Estuary

Program?

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

Water Quality

Access to Water and Open Spaces

Coastlines (Beaches and Other Shorelines)

Fish

Heritage and Culture

Environmental Health and Resilience

Habitat Ecosystem Services Most Stressed Top Stress Impacts Values

Freshwater Wetlands

Nesting for birds and turtles Biodiversity Wildlife, Fisheries

Land Use ChangeFragmentationDredging and Filling

AccessFishHeritageResilienceWater Quality

Intertidal Marshes and Flats

BiodiversityFisheriesWildlifeWater Quality

SedimentSea Level Rise Fragmentation

AccessBeachesFishHeritageResilienceWater Quality

Streams and Rivers (Riparian Buffers)

FishBiodiversityWater QualitySediment

Freshwater dischargeLand Use Change Sediments

AccessFishHeritageResilienceWater Quality

Highest Ranking Habitats, Ecosystem Services and Stresses

Watershed Selection Criteria1. Priority Restoration Watershed

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 Management Plan – Current

17. ADEM Long-term Monitoring Stations

31 Intertidal HUC 12 Watersheds of Coastal Alabama

• Improve water quality

• Improve habitats

• Protect continued customary uses of biological resources

• Improve watershed resiliency

• Expand opportunities for community access

Goals of the watershed planning …

• Build Partnerships- key stakeholders, community input and concerns

• Characterize the Watershed- causes and sources of impairments, identification of data gaps and estimation of pollutant loads (history, access, SLR and storm surge scenarios)

• Set Goals and Identify Solutions % of pollutant load reductions and management measures to achieve goals

• Design Implementation Program- Initial actions, interim milestones, monitoring plan, education program, and costs and financing opportunities

What is in a plan? (EPA’s 9 Key Elements +)

Why? Section 319 Funding (originally)

How watershed plans are informing coastal restoration.

• Intensive community education and engagement

• Identification of restoration and protection opportunities

• Recommendations prioritized on “biggest bang for the buck”

• Tool for local governments in securing resources

• Justification of projects for Funders

• National Flood Insurance Program Discounts through the Community Rating System

$12 million

$2.1 million

$3 million

Where we are today.

ADEM 319: $1million +

Where we are today.

Watershed Plan Actions:Restoration and Conservation

• Streams

• Freshwater wetlands

• Salt marshes

• Shorelines

• Green infrastructure retrofits

• Invasive species management

• Trash management

Watershed Plan Actions:Intergovernmental Cooperation

Consistent Subdivision Regulations

Increased use of LID practices

Intergovernmental cooperation

Improved litter enforcement

Regional Stormwater Management Options

New water use category? “Outstanding Coastal Water”

Watershed Plan Actions:Community Buy-In

• Volunteer WQ monitoring

• Rain barrel workshops

• Litter clean-ups

• Paddle trips

• Watershed signage

Section 319 as a tool for implementation of plans.

The Good• Available funding

The Bad• Limitations on uses

The Ugly• Unrealistic methodologies

Together,

we will

Thank you.