1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Mobile (FUA) Region Northern America Short description of the intervention The Three Mile Creek Hydrological Restoration project is taking place in one historic channel of the Three Mile Creek, located east of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, and covering approximately 1,800 linear feet (Ref 3). This project, led by the City of Mobile, aims to remove sediment from the stream channel. This segment of the Creek was bypassed with a straight channel in the early 1980s to control flooding in the area, thus accelerating the accumulation of sediments in the historic channel (Ref 1). The project's goal is to restore and maintain the natural flow to the historic channel and create a connection to the City and County's Blueway initiatives (Ref 3). This will improve habitat conditions and water quality and help to protect the area’s estuarine and marine water resources (Ref 8). It will also contribute to revitalizing the Three Mile Creek Watershed and provide increased recreational opportunities for citizens, like kayaking and canoeing (Ref 6). Construction work occurred in 2022 and 2023 (Ref 3). The Three Mile Creek Hydrological Restoration is a key component of the Mobile Bay Shore Habitat Conservation and Acquisition Initiative, which focuses on acquiring, restoring, and preserving habitats, including riparian, wetland, and upland areas that support various fish and wildlife species affected by the environmental disasters of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that occurred in 2010 (Ref 1). The project spans three critical areas: 450 acres within the Three Mile Creek Watershed (as detailed in this project profile), 300 acres in the Dog River Watershed, and 40 acres of bay shore property in the Garrows Bend Watershed (with the latter two areas being part of separate initiatives) (Ref 4). Website of the intervention https://mapformobile.org/3mchydrological/ Principal problems Climate-Related Hazards River flooding Urban flooding (stormwater) Environmental Degradation Biodiversity loss Poor water quality Implementation area characterization Climate Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter) Ecosystem Rivers/streams Urban or built environment Address Mobile, 36603 United States Location The NBS area is spread over a linear space, the GIS coordinates serve as points along a line (e.g. along a river) Area boundary (map-based) 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) Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2021 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2022 End date of the intervention 2024 Present stage of the intervention Ongoing 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention The project mostly focuses on restoring and maintaining the natural flow to the Three Mile Creek. Sub-goals of the project include: - removal of sediment from the channel (Ref 1) - enhancing its flood control capacity (Ref 1) - returning and preserving natural flow (Ref 1) - provide a linkage to the City and County Blueway efforts (Ref 1) - improve habitat conditions (Ref 5) - restore water quality (Ref 5) - help to protect the area’s estuarine and marine water resources (Ref 5) - provide increased recreational opportunities for citizens (Ref 5) Key Priorities 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) 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 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 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? 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) Restore native species Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities - The project includes the sediment removal from the stream channel east of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Avenue (1,800 linear feet) to restore and preserve the natural water flow (Ref 1). - Instream structures were planned to be constructed to reduce stream velocity/energy, protect existing sanitary sewer crossings, and increase natural habitat (Ref 1). - Stabilize the bank and stream along Twelve Mile Creek (Ref 1). - Dredging the historical creek (Ref 6) and dredging and restorating of Langan Park Lake (Ref 1). "The Three Mile Creek Watershed Restoration project is separated into three phases: Phase 1: Twelve Mile Creek Bank Stabilization University Blvd to Museum Drive (2022-2024) Phase 2: Twelve Mile Creek Bank Stabilization East Drive to University Blvd (2023 - 2024) Phase 3: Langan Lake Dredging (2023-2024)" (Ref 1). Type of NBS project Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas River rehabilitation/ restoration Restoration, protecion and sustainable manage floodplains Restoration of riparian vegetation Ecological restoration of ecosystems Restoration and protection of ecosystems (including water ecosystems) 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Blue infrastructure Lakes/ponds Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries Coastlines Amenities offered by the NBS Sports areas and equipment Swimming areas Design elements for well-being None of the above 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 Scale Spatial scale Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area Demographics in Fisher neighborhood in 2022 (Ref 7) -population: 1,649 - median age male: 36.9 years - median age female: 36.3 years - average household size: 2.5 people - median income range: $30,000 to $39,999 - poverty level: 43.7% - ethnicity: Black: 77.1%, Some other race: 10.6%, White: 9.1%, Two or more races: 2.4%, Asian: 0.4%, Hispanic or Latino: 0.3% Socio-economic profile of the area Low-income Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Primary Beneficiaries Local government/Municipality Citizens or community groups Specify primary beneficiaries - citizens of Mobile who will be able to enjoy the area (Ref 6) - residents in the area (Ref 6) Other beneficiaries Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators) 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 Government-led Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative Project Lead: City of Mobile Partners: University of South Alabama, Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, MAWSS, The Village of Spring Hill, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NGO) Supporting implementation: Moffatt & Nichol (private sector) Fundings: Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, RESTORE Council (Ref. 1) Key actors - initiating organization Local government/municipality Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Public sector institution Non-government organisation/civil society Researchers/university Private sector/corporate actor/company Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Unknown 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" "This project was paid for [in part] with federal funding from the Department of the Treasury under the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act)" (Ref. 1) 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" The Mobile Bay Shore Habitat Conservation and Acquisition Initiative (Ref 3, 4) Relevant strategy or plan Other Please specify other local relevant strategy City specific blue space strategy or plan Mandatory or voluntary intervention Voluntary (spontaneous) Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Capacity-building projects Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships) Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city) Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives. The watershed project demonstrates governance innovation through its public-private partnership involving the City of Mobile, University of South Alabama, Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, MAWSS, The Village of Spring Hill, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. It is a capacity-building project as it involves collaboration with various stakeholders, fostering knowledge sharing and capacity development. The project enablers include the financial support from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the RESTORE Council, providing necessary resources for implementation. "This project was paid for [in part] with federal funding from the Department of the Treasury under the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act)" (Ref. 1) 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 Task forces or commissions (e.g. group of multi-disciplinary experts) Barriers unknown Financing Total cost Unknown Please specify total cost (EUR) Precise costs of the Three Mile Creek Hydrological Restoration project are unavailable. But the project is part of Mobile Bay Shore Habitat Conservation and Acquisition Initiative, which has been funded through The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's grant of $6,923,800 = 6 249 263,67 Euros (exchange rate on 30/08/2024: 1 USD = 0,902510 EUR) (Ref 5) Source(s) of funding Public local authority budget Public regional budget Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO) Type of fund(s) used Earmarked public budget Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities) Non-financial contribution Unknown Co-finance for NBS Yes Co-governance arrangement Unknown Entrepreneurship opportunities Unknown Business models Business models Risk reduction model Other Please specify other Business model Blue restoration project Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Public actor (e.g. municipality) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Water management and blue areas Improved water quality Expected improved water quality Increased protection against flooding Expected increased protection against flooding 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 Description of environmental benefits -Improved water quality: "The project will improve water quality" (Ref 8) -Increased protection against flooding: "significantly reduced flooding issues in the area." (Ref 1) -Enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems: "help to protect the area’s estuarine and marine water resources." (Ref 8) -Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems: "help to protect the area’s estuarine and marine water resources." (Ref 8) -Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems: "Dredging the historical channel will improve water flow and habitat conditions" (Ref 6) Environmental impact indicators Total area of habitat restored (in ha) unknown Total area of protected or secured natural areas (in ha) unknown Area of river/lake or riparian area restored (in ha) unknown Water supplied or available from nature restoration (in m³ or L) unknown Water retention capacity (m³ or %) unknown Volume of stormwater treated (m³) unknown Economic impacts More sustainable tourism Expected more sustainable tourism Description of economic benefits - More sustainable tourism: the project will "provide increased recreational opportunities for citizens, like kayaking and canoeing. It will also contribute to our larger, collaborative effort to revitalize the Three Mile Creek Watershed." (Ref 6) Economic impact indicators Increase in property values or real estate prices in neighborhoods with improved access to green spaces & natural amenities (%) unknown Generation of income (in EUR) unknown Social and cultural impacts Health and wellbeing Gain in activities for recreation and exercise Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise Cultural heritage and sense of place Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure Expected protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure Social and cultural impact indicators Total area of recreational green space created or restored (in ha) unknown Description of social and cultural benefits -Gain in activities for recreation and exercise: "provide increased recreational opportunities for citizens, like kayaking and canoeing." (Ref 6) -Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure: "Our goal is to restore this historic waterway" (Ref 6) Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Unknown Presence of indicators used in reporting No evidence in public records Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports No evidence in public records Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No evidence in public records Name of any specific impact assessment tools unknown Use of GIS in mapping impacts No evidence in public records Cost-benefit analysis Unknown Transparency Unknown Justice Community satisfaction Unknown Description of locals satisfaction with the project unknown Trade-offs & Negative impacts Unknown Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement Unknown High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) No Goal setting and impacts delivery In the planning phase, the project aimed to address issues in all 3 key priority areas, but impacts were not delivered in all three key 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 1. map for mobile (n.d.). Projects Underway Three Mile Creek Hydrological Restoration. Mobile, Al: map for mobile, Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Moffat and Nichol (n.d.). Priorities guide the Mobile Bay Shore Habitat Conservation and Acquisition Initiative, as a city implements restoration and conservation.. Mobile, Al: Moffat and Nichol, Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. NFWF (n.d.). Mobile Bay Shore Habitat Conservation and Acquisition Initiative- Phase II. Mobile, Al: NFWF, p. 1 Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. City of Mobile (n.d.). Contract presented to conserve the coast. Mobile, Al: City of Mobile, p. 1 Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. WPMI Web Staff (2017). City of Mobile awarded $6.9 million grant to conserve the coast. Mobile, Al: NBC News 15, p. 2 Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. Lane, K. (2023). City of Mobile begins dredging historic Three Mile Creek channel. Mobile, Al: NBC News 15, Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 7. City-Data.com (2022). Demographics Fisher. Mobile, Al: City-Data.com, Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 8. Hrvacevic, Z. (2023). Three Mile Creek dredging project underway Authorities & Government. Mobile, Al: Dedgingtoday.com, Accessed on August 30, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Public Images Image Sattelite view of the historic channel of the Three Mile Creek that the project aims to dredge https://mapformobile.org/3mchydrological/ accessed on 30/08/2024
Image Sattelite view of the historic channel of the Three Mile Creek that the project aims to dredge https://mapformobile.org/3mchydrological/ accessed on 30/08/2024
