What does it have to do with me

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What does it have to do with me?
Stormwater Runoff and Mobile Bay
Mobile Bay National Estuary Program www.mobilebayn
ep.com
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According to the U. S. Environmental Protection
Agency, polluted runoff is the number one water
quality problem in the country.
Sediment plume flowing out of Mobile Bay after a
major rain event
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What is Stormwater Runoff ?

• Stormwater runoff is rainwater that flows over
  the
• ground and directly into receiving waters like
• lakes, streams, and bays. Impervious surfaces,
  like driveways, roofs, parking lots, sidewalks,
  and streets, prevent rainwater from soaking into
  the ground.
• Unlike wastewater, which flows from household
  drains to facilities for treatment and
  purification, our stormwater is not treated.

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A watershed is a drainage basin or region of
land that drains into a river, river system, or
single body of water. The Mobile Bay watershed
is a funnel that drains hundreds of
subwatersheds across 2/3 of the state of Alabama
and parts of Georgia, Mississippi, and even
Tennessee.
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How does development affect stormwater and water
quality in a watershed?

• In undeveloped watersheds, most rainwater
  infiltrates, or seeps into the ground, where many
  good things happen
• groundwater supplies are recharged,
• pollutants are removed by plants or
  microorganisms and simple filtration,
• erosion and sedimentation are controlled or
  eliminated,
• and water temperatures are reduced or
  moderated.

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But rapid development converts acres of forest
and pasture to rooftops, streets, and parking lots
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As impervious surfaces in a watershed increase,
infiltration of rainwater decreases
90 infiltrated
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• Instead of infiltrating, the water
  accumulates on the hard surfaces and begins to
  move downhill, resulting in two distinct types of
  problems
• The increased volume of water picks up speed as
  it moves downhill over the impervious surfaces
  towards a creek or river, creating a powerful
  erosive force and the potential for flooding.
• As it moves, it picks up more than just speed.
  It picks up sediments, refuse, and all kinds of
  pollution which are all carried into a river or
  the bay without treatment.
• Many bad things happen as a result

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One of the most obvious problems is flooding
Runoff before development from a small summer
thunderstorm
Runoff from a similar storm after significant
development upstream a four-fold peak flow
increase!
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and the most direct path to the river or bay
isnt always between the banks of a stream.
Photo by Kiichiro Sato Press Register
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Another problem is Streambank Erosion
Increased water volume and velocity are the
formula for Streambank Erosion which
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Another problem is Streambank Erosion
Increased water volume and velocity are the
formula for Streambank Erosion which

• threatens property and structures,
• eliminates wildlife habitat,
• and delivers sediments into coastal waters where
  they do the most damage.

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Poor construction site management and streambank
erosion are major sources of sedimentation.
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Sediment clouds the water and makes it difficult
or impossible for aquatic plants to grow. It can
also destroy aquatic habitats.
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An example Sea grass beds (also called
submerged aquatic vegetation, or SAV) provide
many services in a healthy estuarine system.
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An example Sea grass beds (also called
submerged aquatic vegetation, or SAV) provide
many services in a healthy estuarine system.

• They provide food, shelter, and nurseries for
  many species of commercially and recreationally
  important fish and shellfish.

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An example Sea grass beds (also called
submerged aquatic vegetation, or SAV) provide
many services in a healthy estuarine system.

• They provide food, shelter, and nurseries for
  many species of commercially and recreationally
  important fish and shellfish.
• They cycle oxygen and nutrients throughout the
  system.

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An example Sea grass beds (also called
submerged aquatic vegetation, or SAV) provide
many services in a healthy estuarine system.

• They provide food, shelter, and nurseries for
  many species of commercially and recreationally
  important fish and shellfish.
• They cycle oxygen and nutrients throughout the
  system.
• They stabilize bottom sediments.

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An example Sea grass beds (also called
submerged aquatic vegetation, or SAV) provide
many services in a healthy estuarine system.

• They provide food, shelter, and nurseries for
  many species of commercially and recreationally
  important fish and shellfish.
• They cycle oxygen and nutrients throughout the
  system.
• They stabilize bottom sediments.
• Decaying SAV creates detritus, essential food for
  other organisms in the ocean food web upon which
  fish depend.

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Due in large part to sedimentation and turbidity,
sea grass beds around Mobile Bay have declined
by over 70 over the last 40 years!
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In addition to sediments, the water that
flows over the impervious surfaces of developed
landscapes carries all of the residues of urban
living Nonpoint Source Pollution. Unlike
pollution from industrial or sewage treatment
plants, nonpoint source pollution is carried by
stormwater runoff from diffuse or scattered
sources. Examples

• fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides from
  residential areas and agricultural lands
• oil, grease, and toxic chemicals from motor
  vehicles and roadways
• bacteria and nutrients from livestock, pet
  wastes, or faulty septic systems
• and organic matter from yard clippings and leaves.

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Polluted stormwater can have many adverse
effects on plants, fish, animals, and people.
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Household hazardous wastes like insecticides,
pesticides, paint, solvents, used motor oil, and
other auto fluids poison aquatic life. Land
animals and people can become sick from eating
diseased fish and shellfish or ingesting polluted
water.
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Excess nutrients from fertilizer, livestock, and
pet waste promote algal growth. When algae die,
they sink to the bottom and decompose in a
process that removes oxygen from the water. Fish
and other aquatic organisms cannot live in water
with low dissolved oxygen levels. HABs, or
harmful algal blooms, such as red tide, also
occur as a result of of too much nutrient input.
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Bacteria and other pathogens from pet waste,
livestock, or faulty septic systems can wash into
swimming areas and create health hazards, making
beach or shellfish bed closures necessary.
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Debris (plastic bags, six-pack rings, bottles,
cigarette butts, etc.) washed into water bodies
can choke, suffocate, or disable aquatic life
like ducks, fish, turtles, and shorebirds. It
also ruins the view.
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Polluted stormwater runoff negatively impacts
coastal waters and is a consequence of land
conversion and development.
Both the Pew Ocean Commission Report (2003) and
the Report of the U. S. Commission on Ocean
Policy (2004) conclude that negative impacts from
coastal growth and polluted runoff include 1)
diminished fish populations, 2) increases in the
frequency of harmful algal blooms, and 3)
closures of shellfish beds to harvest. According
to the Pew Report, the volume of oil and
petrochemical products that runs off U. S. roads
and parking lots over every eight month period is
equal to that of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in
Alaska in 1989!
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Coastal areas comprise only 17 percent of U. S.
land area, but as of 2003 they were inhabited by
over half (53) of the nations population.
Total coastal population between the years 1980
and 2003 increased by 33 million people (or 28
percent).
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Throughout the U. S., the rate of land
conversion is much faster than that of
population increase.
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Projected Year 2025 Impervious Cover by 12-digit
HUC in MBNEP Area Based on US EPA Office of
Research Development Analysis
Estimated Year 2000 Impervious Cover by 12-digit
HUC in MBNEP Area Based on US EPA Office of
Research Development Analysis
In 2000, three subwatersheds in the study area
were degraded, three were high impacted, five
were low impacted, and six were high
sensitive and on the threshold of
impacted. In 2025, only three subwatersheds
are still projected to be degraded and three
high impacted, but nine are projected to be
low impacted, and fourteen high sensitive and
on the threshold of impacted.
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Alabamas Coastal natural resources are
green..the color of money!
Our Coastal waters, beaches, and wetlands are
economic and ecological engines that power a
significant portion of Alabamas economy.
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• The following data from 2006 for Baldwin County
  alone indicate the economic importance of our
  coastal natural resources to visitors and
  tourists
• 4.4 Million Annual Visitors
• 1.96 Billion in Travel-related Expenditures
• 39,333 Travel-related Jobs
• 819 Million Travel-related Wages
• (Source Alabama Bureau of Tourism
  and Travel)
• In fact, at 242 Million, Baldwin County
• generated 24 of the total lodging revenue for
  the entire State of Alabama. (Source Economic
  Impact of Alabama Travel Industry, 2006)

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Polluted stormwater runoff is a big problem that
threatens not only our coastal resources but also
our economy and quality of life. What am I
supposed to do about it?
Apart from influencing governmental planners and
decision makers, coastal residents can
individually manage stormwater in one of two
ways-
1) Avoid contributing to the problem
2) Become part of the solution!
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With little investment of time or money, you can
avoid contributing to the problem by following
these guidelines

• Be conservative when using fertilizers,
  pesticides, or other topical lawn or garden
  treatments. Follow directions. Never apply them
  within 75 feet of a wetland or waterway, and
  NEVER over-use!

• Pick up and dispose of pet waste properly (in the
  toilet or trash) before they can be carried into
  a storm sewer. Put grocery store plastic bags to
  use.

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• Mulch your grass clippings and leave them on the
  lawn, or put them on a compost pile with other
  yard waste.

• Water only as a supplement to rainfall and not so
  frequently. Avoid sprinkling water onto paved
  areas or those that drain into storm sewers.

• Never let oil, debris, or any other pollutant
  find its way into a storm drain.

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• Wash your vehicles at a commercial car wash that
  catches runoff (e.g., detergent or grime) or on a
  non-paved surface to avoid drainage into the
  storm sewer.

• When necessary, sweep your driveway or walks
  instead of using a hose.

All of these actions help you avoid contributing
to the problem of polluted runoff. So how can
you become part of the solution?
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Practical Ways to Treat Stormwater on Your
Property (before it reaches street drains or
ditches and flows directly into our waters
without treatment)  
Use Rain Gutters To Channel Water To Porous
Areas. Use downspout extensions and splash
blocks to channel rainwater to areas where it has
a chance to infiltrate.
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Use Rain Barrels. Rain barrels can be attached
to downspouts to collect storm water running off
your roof. Rainwater collected in the barrel can
be used for watering your plants or garden or
even washing your car.  
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Create Rain Gardens or Infiltration Swales.
Rain gardens are shallow depressions, planted
with different types of flowers, grasses or
shrubs, that collect stormwater and allow it to
soak into the ground. They can be placed at the
ends of downspouts or at the downhill end of
slopes.
Infiltration swales are low spots with an
underground system of rock and gravel that allows
storm water to soak into the ground relatively
quickly. They can be installed where water
naturally tends to stand in your yard.
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A
B
Use Alternatives to Impervious Surfaces.
Whenever possible, use bricks, gravel, turf block
(A), mulch, pervious concrete (B), or other
porous materials for sidewalks, driveways or
patios. These (frequently cheaper) materials
allow rainwater to seep into the ground, helping
to filter pollutants and reducing the amount of
runoff from your yard. Use wheel tracks (C) in
place of full width drives.  
C
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• Good planning and implementation by governments,
  developers, and homeowners associations are
  obviously important. However, it is essential
  that individual homeowners understand their role
  in stormwater management and their impact on the
  larger community.
• Take steps necessary to avoid contributing to
  the problem.
• Employ residential stormwater management
  practices to keep and treat stormwater on your
  property. Be creative, resourceful, and
  responsible.
• Get Involved. Become aware of what your local
  governments are doing to promote responsible
  development practices and to manage stormwater.
  Encourage and support progress towards
  conserving our coastal resources.
• Volunteer. Use your time and energy to get the
  word out, mark stormwater drains, and help with
  clean up efforts or restoration activities.
  

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• Or we could do nothing at all

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Thanks for considering this significant problem
and what we can do about it. There is a wealth
of information online. Use your favorite search
engine to learn more about solving the problem of
polluted stormwater runoff. Then do something
about it.