Runoff from construction sites is widely regarded as one of the leading causes of water pollution nationwide. Stormwater runoff is rain water that flows over the ground, sometimes with extreme force, which carries dirt, debris and chemicals into our waterways, endangering the health of our communities and environment. Sediment runoff is the number one pollutant of waterways in Alabama, accounting for roughly 20% of Alabama’s impaired streams. The number may actually be higher because so few of Alabama’s waters are monitored adequately for pollutants. Some of the major projects Mobile Baykeeper is currently working on involve stormwater runoff, including the construction of Highway 98 and the Publix construction in Fairhope affecting Fly Creek.

Sediment and clay run-off damages waterways because it accumulates on the bottom of stream and wetland ecosystems, reaching anywhere from a few inches to a few feet. The clay and sediment smothers plants and bottom dwelling creatures that form the base of aquatic food chains. When these important food sources die out, plants and animals such as large fish and birds begin to die out as well. The result could be the devastating loss of many vital ecosystems.
 
Mobile Baykeeper is working with the Alabama Stormwater Partnership, a group of fourteen statewide agencies as well as several national agencies, each with the goal of reducing stormwater runoff in the state of Alabama. Together we are working to fully understand the impacts of stormwater in our waterways, to affect policy change, increase oversight, and educate the public about this issue.