Dog river watershed management plan

1. General information

Location and description of the intervention

City or FUA

Mobile (FUA)

Region

Northern America

Short description of the intervention

The Dog River Watershed Restoration project aims to protect and enhance the chemical, biological, and cultural integrity of the Dog River Watershed in Mobile County, Alabama (Ref 1). Guided by the Dog River Watershed Management Plan (WMP), the project addresses key issues such as pollution, litter, stormwater management, and habitat degradation (Ref 2). Funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund and completed in partnership with stakeholders, the project focuses on implementing targeted restoration activities to improve water quality, protect critical habitats, and increase public awareness and access to the watershed (Ref 2). The Dog River Watershed faces significant hazards, including pollution, sedimentation, erosion, and the impacts of urban development (Ref 3). These challenges are intensified by the watershed’s role as an urban estuary, where land use heavily influences water quality and habitat conditions (Ref 3). To mitigate these threats, the project incorporates pollution prevention measures, shoreline restoration efforts, and community engagement initiatives (Ref 4). By prioritizing scientifically supported actions and aligning with broader environmental goals, the project seeks to restore ecological balance and ensure the long-term health and resilience of the watershed and its connected ecosystems in Mobile Bay (Ref 4).
The Watershed Management Plan for the Dog River Watershed is a key component of the Mobile Bay Shore Habitat Conservation and Acquisition Initiative, which focuses on acquiring, restoring, and preserving habitats and wildlife species affected by the environmental disasters of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that occurred in 2010 (Ref 6). The project spans three critical areas: 300 acres in the Dog River Watershed (as detailed in this project profile), 450 acres within the Three Mile Creek Watershed, and 40 acres in the Garrows Bend Watershed (not in focus here) (Ref 7).

Website of the intervention

https://www.mobilebaynep.com/images/uploads/library/Dog_River_Watershed_Managem…

Principal problems

Climate-Related Hazards

Coastal flooding

Urban flooding (stormwater)

Coastal hazards (e.g. erosion, flooding)

Environmental Degradation

Biodiversity loss

Invasive alien species

Poor water quality

Land use and Socio-economic change

Rapid urbanization

Unequal availability and access to public green spaces

Implementation area characterization

Climate

Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter)

Ecosystem

Fresh water wetlands

Coastal wetlands

Rivers/streams

Urban or built environment

Address

3006 Bryant Rd
Mobile, 36605
United States

Location

The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by).

Area boundary (map-based)

NBS area image

Source of NBS area image

1. Dog River Clearwater Revival website
https://dogriver.org/about-us/our-urban-watershed/
2. Google Maps
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mobile,+Alabama+36615,+%C3%89tats-Unis/@30.6106461,-88.1465847,12.26z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x889a4eeb7fcd3211:0x8170cd70f4856676!8m2!3d30.6344297!4d-88.0656445!16s%2Fm%2F07nr09z?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDgyOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Total area

1214060.00m²

Area description

Urban (main city)

Freshwater landscape (e.g. river, lake)

Type of area before implementation of the NBS

Freshwater setting (e.g. river, channel, lake, pond)

Public Greenspace Area

Mixed-use development (combination of residential, commercial, and/or industrial)

Timeline of intervention

Start date of the intervention (planning process)

2015

Start date of intervention (implementation process)

2018

End date of the intervention

ongoing

Present stage of the intervention

Ongoing

2. Objectives of the intervention

Objectives of the intervention

Goals of the intervention

1. Improving water quality:
• Reduce sediment rates in increments of 25%
• Reduce trash accumulation (preliminary goal of reducing trash recovery tonnages by 50% over 10 years)
• Reduce stormwater runoff
• Reduction of concentrations of components that comprise nutrients
• Reductions of the bacteria counts
2. Protecting and restoring critical habitats to support healthy populations of fish and wildlife
3. Improving ecological resiliency, notably to flooding events
4. Improving access to blue and green spaces (Ref 4)

Key Priorities

Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation)

Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration)

Sustainability challenge(s) addressed

Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)

Climate change adaptation

Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14)

Coastal protection / hazard mitigation

Marine and coastal biodiversity protection

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)

Green space creation and/or management

Habitat and biodiversity restoration

Water management (SDG 6)

Flood protection

Stormwater and rainfall management and storage

Improvements to water quality

Health and well-being (SDG 3)

Creation of opportunities for recreation

Improving physical health

Economic development and employment (SDG 8)

Economic development: industry

Tourism support

Employment/job creation

Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?

Restore mangroves, marshes, reefs and wetlands to dissipate the effects of storms and floodwaters

Protect and restore coastal ecosystems, to address loss of land and livelihoods, due to rising sea levels

Restore rivers and other fresh water bodies to reduce flood or drought risk

What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?

Species-focused

Ecosystem-focused

What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?

Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems

Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)

Clear and control invasive alien species

Restore ecological connectivity

Public engagement

Implementation activities and NBS focus

Implementation activities

1. To improve water quality:
- implementing additional litter traps, stormwater inlet screens, catch basin filters, volunteer clean-ups
- addressing human behaviour through public education and awareness
- Implement stormwater runoff management techniques
2. To protect and restore habitats:
• Acquire 1,000 acres of existing natural wetlands and ecologically significant land.
• Restore 6,000 linear feet of streams.
• Employ 5 acres of bioretention systems.
• Employ 20 acres of constructed stormwater wetlands.
• Restore 20,000 linear feet of riparian buffer.
• Employ living shoreline techniques to at least 3,000 linear feet of shorelines.
3. To improve resiliency:
• Acquire at least 50% of the 95 acres of land identified for habitat migration.
• Develop an adaptation action area designation for low-lying zones that may experience flooding due to high tides and storm surges, and that are vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise
4. to improve access:
• Add at least six new access points.
• Improve access points through signage and mapping.
• Increase interpretative signage on historic and cultural themes.
• Develop a boater’s guide to highlight local waterways and access points (Ref 4)

Type of NBS project

Creation of semi-natural blue areas

Implementation of green areas for water management (e.g. rain gardens)

Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas

River rehabilitation/ restoration

Restoration, protecion and sustainable manage floodplains

Upper watershed restoration and management

Restoration of riparian vegetation

Coastal landscape management or protection

Improving coastal resilience

Ecological restoration of ecosystems

Restoration of wetlands (other types than peatlands and mangroves, e.g. seagrass)

Restoration and protection of ecosystems (including water ecosystems)

Protection of natural ecosystems

Protecton and enhancement of wetlands (other types than peatlands and mangroves, e.g. seagrass)

Habitat restoration

Knowledge creation and awareness raising

Educational and awareness raising programs

3. NBS domains, ES and scale

NBS domain and interventions

Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented

Blue infrastructure

Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries

Coastal wetland, mangroves and salt marshes

In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors

Riverbank/Lakeside greens

Green areas for water management

Rain gardens

Sustainable urban drainage systems

Amenities offered by the NBS

Benches and drinking water stations

Playgrounds

Sports areas and equipment

Swimming areas

Educational or biodiversity trails

Viewing and outlook points

Design elements for well-being

Visual elements (e.g., expansive views, scenic views, natural light, diverse vegetation)

Auditory elements (e.g., birdsong, water features, quiet areas, rustling leaves)

Services

Expected ecosystem services delivered

Regulating services

Coastal protection

Flood regulation

Water purification / filtration

Habitat and supporting services

Habitats for species

Cultural services

Aesthetic appreciation

Recreation

Mental and physical health and wellbeing

Scale

Spatial scale

Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level

Beneficiaries

Demographics in implementation area

demographics Mobile 36605 Zip Code in 2022 (Ref 8):
-population: 25,968
- median age : 38.6 years
- average household size: 2.5 people
-Average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) in 2020: $36,250
- ethnicity:Black: 69.5%, White: 24.5%, Hispanic or Latino: 2.6%, Two or more races: 2.1%, Some other race: 0.8%, Asian: 0.5%, American Indian: 0.03%, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.01%

Demographics Mobile 36619 Zip Code in 2022 (Ref 9):
- population: 14,792
- median age : 40.6 years
- aveagre household size: 2.5 people
- median age: 40.6 years
- Average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) in 2020: $62,557
- ethnicity: White: 76.7%, Black: 8.7% Hispanic or Latino: 7.4, Asian: 4.6%, Two or more races: 2.4%, American Indian: 0.2%

Demographics Mobile 36693 Zip Code in 2022 (Ref 10):
- population: 18,976
- median age: 44.0 years
- average householde size: 2.3 people
- Average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) in 2020: $65,538
-ethnicity: White 66.7%? Black 25.5%, Hispanic or Latino 3.0% , Asian 2.7% , Two or more races 1.5% American Indian 0.2%, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.2%, Some other race : 0.1%

Socio-economic profile of the area

Middle-income

Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts

Unknown

Non-government actors

Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches

Private sector/Corporate/Business

Citizens or community groups

Primary Beneficiaries

Private sector/Corporate/Company

Citizens or community groups

Coastal-dependent communities (e.g. small-scale fishers, coastal farmers, and indigenous peoples)

Specify primary beneficiaries

- residents (Ref 4)
- fishers (ref 4)
- stakeholders and local businesses (Ref 4)

Marginalized groups

Unknown

Other beneficiaries

Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators)

Endangered species (flora and fauna)

Natural habitats (e.g. wetland, forests, coastal areas)

Ecosystem services (e.g. improved air quality, water purification)

City infrastructure (e.g., reduced flooding, improved water quality)

4. Governance and financing

Governance

Governance arrangements

Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative

The plan is led by the City of Mobile and Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) (NGO) (Ref 1). The Mobile City Council has officially endorsed the Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan (Ref 2).
Contractors: Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood (GMC) (private sector) (Ref 2)
Implementation: The Dog River Clearwater Revival (DRCR) (NGO) (Ref 5)
Significant funding has been provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) (NGO) (Ref 6)
Citizens and stakeholders were consulted (Ref 4)

Key actors - initiating organization

Local government/municipality

Non-government organisation/civil society

Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)

Non-government organisation/civil society

Citizens or community group

Private sector/corporate actor/company

Stages of citizen and community engagement

Planning and design (e.g. site selection, identification of key priorities)

Level of citizen and community engagement

Limited

Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives

Implementation of educational programs, workshops or trainings

Creation of collaborative decision-making processes that actively involve community members

Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders)

Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)

Dissemination of information and education

Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)

Uncommon actors ("Missing actors")

Unknown

Land owners

Public space owned by the city

Policy drivers

NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy

Yes

Please specify the "Regional Directive/Strategy"

Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund (to restore the ecosystem affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill) (Ref 6)

NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan

Unknown

NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan

Yes

Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"

Dog River Watershed Management Plan (WMP) (Ref. 1, 2).

Relevant strategy or plan

Water regulation strategy

Mandatory or voluntary intervention

Unknown

Enablers & Barriers

Type of enablers

Capacity-building projects

Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships)

Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives.

Collaboration between the City of Mobile, NGOs and private company (Ref 4)

Governace and decison-making instruments

Strategic instruments (e.g. GI strategies, green space strategy or plans)

Public - community agreement (e.g. citizen science programs; citizen assemblies)

Public - private business agreement (e.g. public private collaborations, public-private-partnerships (PPP))

Arrangements for governance cooperation

Formal coordination mechanisms to oversee project implementation and decision-making (e.g., multi-stakeholder steering committees, working groups)

Barriers

unknown

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Please specify total cost (EUR)

Between $124,597,000 Low and $152,277,750 High over 20 years will be required to fully implement the WMP as presented (Ref 4)

What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?

unknown

Source(s) of funding

Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)

Type of fund(s) used

Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Co-finance for NBS

Unknown

Entrepreneurship opportunities

Unknown

Business models

Risk reduction model

Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?

Public actor (e.g. municipality)

Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)

5. Evaluation and learning

Impacts, benefits

Environmental impacts

Climate change

Increased protection against sea level rise

Expected increased protection against sea level rise

Storm / wave induced erosion and flooding

Expected storm / wave induced erosion and flooding

Enhanced protection against extreme weather events (e.g. storms, cyclones, tidal surges, coastal erosion)

Expected enhanced protection against extreme weather events (e.g. storms, cyclones, tidal surges, coastal erosion)

Environmental quality

Improved waste management

Expected improved waste management

Water management and blue areas

Improved water quality

Expected improved water quality

Increased protection against flooding

Expected increased protection against flooding

Improved stormwater management

Expected improved stormwater management

Enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems

Expected enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems

Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems

Expected enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems

Green space and habitat

Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems

Expected increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems

Reduced biodiversity loss

Expected reduced biodiversity loss

Description of environmental benefits

-Increased protection against sea level rise: "Improving watershed resiliency to sea level rise and changing climate impacts" (Ref 4)
-Storm / wave induced erosion and flooding: "Additionally, coastal wetland spits and fringe wetlands are decreasing in size due to additional vulnerabilities to sea level rise, wave action, storm surge, and the effects of urban growth (increased flows from stormwater, etc.)." (Ref 4) "LULC maps can be used to [...] visualize impacts from floods and storm surges" (Ref 4)
-Enhanced protection against extreme weather events (e.g. storms, cyclones, tidal surges, coastal erosion): "The greater Dog River Watershed is routinely affected by high volumes of rainfall associated with either frequent precipitation events in the form of isolated thunderstorms or less frequently occurring precipitation events such as hurricanes" "The model employs historical, hypothetical, or predicted hurricanes data as well as the characteristics of the coastline, and track intensity, size, and forward speeds of the hurricane to estimate storm surge heights" (Ref 4)
-Improved waste management: "Litter issues should be addressed through a multifaceted strategy focusing on regular cleanups, stringent enforcement, recycling programs, and education based on a message of community pride" (Ref 4)
-Improved water quality: "Improving water quality by addressing: Sediment; Trash; Nutrients; Pathogens (Ref 4)
-Increased protection against flooding: "Develop an adaptation action area designation for low-lying zones that may experience flooding due to high tides and storm surge and are vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise." (Ref 4)
-Improved stormwater management: "Develop and implement stormwater management practices for new developments and redevelopments (Ref 4)
-Enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems: "In Dog River and its tributaries [...] between the fresh water and salt water ecosystem" "to build resilience of coastal ecosystems and communities."
- Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems: "In Dog River and its tributaries [...] between the fresh water and salt water ecosystem" "to accelerate strategic protection of healthy, freshwater ecosystems and their watersheds (Ref 4)
-Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems: "Improving ecosystem function and resilience through protection, restoration, and conservation of habitats, including beaches, bays, backwaters, and rivers" (Ref 4)
-Reduced biodiversity loss: "destroying important intertidal and subtidal environments, further reducing the biodiversity" "Additionally, natural drainage systems enhance biodiversity by providing habitats for a wide variety of fish, wildlife, and plants." (Ref 4)

Environmental impact indicators

Total number of vascular plant species protected or introduced

unknown

Total number of bird species re-introduced, rediscovered or monitored

unknown

Total area of habitat restored (in ha)

121,406 ha

Water supplied or available from nature restoration (in m³ or L)

unknown

Water retention capacity (m³ or %)

unknown

Volume of stormwater treated (m³)

unknown

Area of water management infrastructure (e.g. SUDs, rain gardens) (m2)

20234,3 m2

Economic impacts

Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)

Expected increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)

Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)

Expected generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)

More sustainable tourism

Expected more sustainable tourism

Attraction of business and investment

Description of economic benefits

-Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions): the project is expected to enhance "workforce development and job creation" (ref 4)
-Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation): "volunteer cleanups"(Ref 4)
-Expected more sustainable tourism: "Promotion of tourism in the Gulf Coast Region, including recreational fishing" (Ref 4)
- Attraction of business and investment: the project is expected to "Diversify the tourism and technology economic base and retain and attract new businesses by developing and expanding industries, and cultivating a skilled workforce" (Ref 4)

Economic impact indicators

Number of jobs created (e.g. park maintenance, landscaping, ecotourism)

unknown

Number of businesses attracted by the NBS (number)

unknown

Social and cultural impact indicators

Surface area of accessible green spaces (in ha)

unknown

Total area of recreational green space created or restored (in ha)

unknown

Number of participants in outdoor activities or exercise programs in green spaces

unknown

Number of environmental education programs, workshops, outreach activities (eg. in schools, community centers, public spaces)

unknown

Evidence for use of assessment

Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process

Yes

Actors involved in the assessment, monitoring or evaluation of NBS impacts

Non-government organisation/civil society

Citizens or community group

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Type of indicators

Process indicators

Progress indicators

Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

Name of any specific impact assessment tools

The Impervious Cover Model (ICM) was first introduced by Schueler (1994) (Ref 4)

Use of GIS in mapping impacts

No evidence in public records

Cost-benefit analysis

Unknown

Transparency

Meetings with stakeholders’ representatives

Inclusion of diverse stakeholders in project governance processes (e.g. planning, implementation, monitoring, etc.)

Community forums for information sharing and encouraging the participation of marginalized groups

Clear communication channels for stakeholders to provide feedback, raise concerns, and ask questions about the project

Justice

Community satisfaction

Unknown

Description of locals satisfaction with the project

unknown

Trade-offs & Negative impacts

Unknown

Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement

No initiatives or policies were implemented

High-quality & Transformative NBS

Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community)

Yes

Goal setting and impacts delivery

Yes, from the planning phase the project aimed to address issues in these three key priority areas and it also delivered benefits across these three areas.

Reaching original project goals

Inconclusive as the project is still undergoing implementation, or is still on its planning stages

Long-term perspective

Yes

Cost-effective solutions

Unknown

Equitable impacts

C. Unknown

Transformative capacity

Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution)

Technical change (e.g. built infrastructure of cities and their parts, roads, buildings and so on)

Magnitude of change

Transformative: (deep) by focusing on and substantially changing structures, including institutional ones (norms and rules).

Application of lessons learned

Unknown

Perception of Environmental Change

Unknown

6. Sources

References

Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (n.d.). Dog River. Mobile, Al: Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, Accessed on September 1, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];

GMC (2018). Mobile City Council endorses Dog River Watershed Management Plan. Mobile, Al: GMC, Accessed on August 1, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];

Dog River Clear Water Revival (n.d.). Our Urban Watershed. Mobile, Al: Dog River Clear Water Revival, Accessed on September 1, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];

GMC (2017). DOG RIVER WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN. Mobile, Al: GMC, Accessed on September 1, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];

Dog River Clear Water Revival (2023). Dog River Clear Water Revival 2023 Annual report. Mobile, Al: Dog River Clear Water Revival, Accessed on September 1, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];

National Fish and Wild Life Foundation (n.d.). Dog River Clear Water Revival - Phase II. Mobile, Al: National Fish and Wild Life Foundation, Accessed on September 1, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];

City of Mobile (2016). Contract presented to conserve the coast. Mobile, Al: City of Mobile, Accessed on September 1, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];

CityData.com (2022). demographics mobile 36605 Zip Code. Mobile, Al: CityData.com, Accessed on September 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];

CityData.com (2022). Demographics Mobile 36619 Zip Code. Mobile, Al: CityData.com, Accessed on September 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];

10.

CityData.com (2022). Demographics Mobile 36693 Zip Code. Mobile, Al: CityData.com, Accessed on September 2, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];

Comments and notes

Public Images

Comparison 1964/2016 LULC for the greater Dog River Watershed

https://dogriver.org/about-us/our-urban-watershed/ accessed on01/09/2024