Abstract
The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) secured funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund (GEBF) to perform engineering and design studies to develop a solution to stabilize and protect priority in-river wetland spits and restore marshland throughout the intertidal portions of lower Fowl River. This project will reduce the risk of future harm to habitats necessary for sustaining a healthy fishery and improve water quality from this significant watershed to Mobile Bay. Restoration of these important coastal spits and wetlands within the lower reaches of Fowl River was a significant priority action identified in the recently completed Fowl River Watershed Management Plan. This presentation will provide an overview of the stressors impacting these marshes including sea level rise, subsidence, salinity, and other issues; discuss the initial Marsh Study work that was done in coordination with the MBNEP Science Advisory Committee (SAC), and how results form that study are informing the project design; discuss permitting, funding, and other challenges that have arisen during project development; present lessons learned in this ongoing project; and give an update on the status of the project. The presentation will also give the audience a view of how watershed management planning provides a road map to implementation projects; and provide a real world example of how coordination among scientists and stakeholders, which includes numerous agencies, organizations, communities, and the private sector, can be brought together to develop integrative coastal management strategies and implementation projects.
