Project Summary

1. Project ID
Name	Habitat and Water Quality Protection through Gully Restoration
Region	Gulf of Mexico Region
State	AL
Location
Date of this update	8/3/00

Habitat Restoration/Protection
Wetlands
River systems
Beaches/Dunes
Offshore areas
Mangroves
Assisting Species at Risk
Pollution Mitigation
Non-Point Source Pollution
Other (describe)

3. Project description (100 words or less)

Gullies have formed in the Weeks Bay watershed due to a combination of heavy rain events and lack of erosion control best management practices. Many of these gullies contribute sediment laden water to Fish River, the main tributary of Weeks Bay, an Outstanding National Resource Water. Funding is sought to stabilize and restore gullies to a condition that does not compromise State Fish and Wildlife water quality standards. Weeks Bay Watershed Project (WBWP) represents a place-based watershed protection effort steered by and supported through citizens, local governments, state agencies, federal agencies, and non-profit groups. The Baldwin County Soil and Water Conservation District has played an active role in pollution prevention projects and offers invaluable technical advice and experience. A gully restoration project will be a prime demonstration project for the prevention, reduction, and elimination of nonpoint sources of pollution, particularly sediment and nutrients. Pollution will be reduced at the source and important coastal watershed habitats will be protected and restored with the completion of this project. The gully restoration project will produce measurable environmental outcomes, specifically improvements in water and habitat quality. Water quality monitoring and habitat surveys will be ongoing to judge project success.

Through landowner technical assistance requests, review of aerial photography, and reconnaissance on the ground, the presence of several large gullies in the Weeks Bay watershed has been brought to the attention of the local Natural Resources Conservation Service office and the Weeks Bay Watershed Project. Sediment laden waters from these gullies wash into Fish River, the main tributary of Weeks Bay, destroying sensitive habitats and accelerating nutrient loading. Weeks Bay is a sub-estuary of Mobile Bay, a Gulf of Mexico Program designated priority area. The gully and habitat restoration project will focus on stabilizing and restoring gullies to a condition that does not compromise State Fish and Wildlife water quality standards.

Accomplishing gully stabilization and restoration will meet several objectives and priorities of the Gulf of Mexico Program. This project will reduce nonpoint source pollution from a known source, diminishing the problem while protecting and restoring important habitat in coastal watersheds. By reducing the sediment load entering Fish River, nutrient loads transported along with sediment will also be reduced. This further maintains and improves key Gulf habitats that support living resources. It should be noted, Weeks Bay is classified as shellfish growing waters and is currently conditionally closed. Loss of shellfish habitat has been attributed to increased sedimentation among other factors. Working to decrease the sediment load entering Weeks Bay is a step in promoting enhanced biodiversity as well as protecting a swimming, boating and fishing recreational water system. Furthermore, a gully restoration project will be a prime demonstration project gulf wide for the prevention, reduction, and elimination of nonpoint sources of pollution, particularly sediment and nutrients.

Restoration activities may include hard structures (example: rip rap in association with geotextile mats), vegetative measures (example: native vegetation planting to increase soil stability), and construction of structures to reduce stormwater velocity (example: retention ponds). Practices that protect and maintain water quality will be encouraged on each restoration site.

4. Goals/Benefits (quantify where possible using measures of success list) Was a cost-benefit study conducted for this project? yes/no If yes, provide a summary of findings.

5. Partners (include each participant's responsibilities - funding, permitting, etc.)

6. Funding/Contributions (organization and amount)

	  Cash	Federal	
			Non Federal 	State government 
					Local government
					Private industry
					Public interest groups
			Total	


	  In-Kind Services (hours, equipment, or other forms of assistance and estimated dollar 	value)
	
	  Volunteers (number of people and hours, and estimated dollar value)
                

7. Legislative authorities used by each participant

8. Value added by Coastal America Partnership including Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) goals achieved through this collaboration (500 words or less)

9. Project Status

• Initiation date:
• Completion date:
• Current stage (Initiated - I, Underway - U or Completed - C)

10.Contacts

11. Any additional information/comments