What’s Happening? A developer wants to fill 86.9 acres of wetlands next to Rabbit Creek in the Dog River Watershed. This would be devastating for Rabbit Creek, and the Dog River watershed as a whole. This wetland swath is one of the largest intact wetlands remaining in the Dog River watershed and is important to the health of the watershed. You can help protect it.
Why Does It Matter? Dog River’s wetlands protect our waterways and oysters by stopping stormwater runoff, trapping sediment, and filtering pollution. This makes our water safer to swim in and improves overall quality.
What Can You Do? Help us protect the health of our waters by using the action alert we’ve created or by submitting your own comments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by April 19, 2023, at [email protected]. Say you oppose this permit and urge the Corps to deny it because:
1. The filling of these wetlands would harm the environment and violate the Clean Water Act.
2. The developers could still achieve their project goals without filling so many wetlands.
3. Wetlands that aren’t filled in should be put under conservation easement to protect them.
4. Low-impact development practices should be used to manage stormwater and minimize harm to the environment.
Protect our waterways, oysters, and the health of our watershed. Speak up and tell the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deny the Rabbit Creek wetland fill project. See comments submitted by Mobile Baykeeper here.
“The overall health of the greater Dog River Watershed depends upon the existence of its wetlands”
— Dog River Watershed Management Plan
The Dog River Watershed Management Plan lists these wetlands as critical for preservation and one of the largest remaining contiguous bottomland hardwood wetland areas in the Dog River Watershed. The plan states, “The greatest loss of historic wetland habitats in the Watershed has occurred as a result of draining and/or filling of wetlands for development.” It goes on to say “there are only a handful of large wetland tracts that remain within the Watershed and, therefore, there is an increased emphasis placed on their longterm protection.”
