| Below EPA Threshold | Over EPA Threshold | % of passing | # of failing | # of times sampled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 18 | 53.80 | 46.20 | 39 |
The Mobile Bay Watershed encompasses 65% of the land area for the state of Alabama, along with portions of Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee. Mobile Bay is the endpoint for the Mobile, Tombigbee, Black Warrior, Alabama, Coosa, and Tallapoosa Rivers. The watershed is a vast network of more than 250 separate waterways. The waterways that flow toward Mobile Bay form the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, a 40-mile-long braid of rivers and bayous that spreads over cypress swamps, bottomland forests, marshes, and bogs. The expansive Delta is considered one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in North America – “North America’s Amazon.” It opens into the northern end of Mobile Bay in an area called Five Rivers, which consists of the Mobile, Spanish, Tensaw, Apalachee, and Blakeley rivers. On average, 33.5 trillion gallons pass into Mobile Bay annually, making it the fourth largest drainage basin in North America. Point Clear, nestled just south of Battles Wharf and Fairhope, is a small town with a rich history. In the 1800’s this area became a popular destination for wealthy families living in Mobile and other parts of the country. Point Clear still features many of these historic homes and the famous Grand Hotel, which was once a hospital for Confederate soldiers. The main tributaries in Point Clear are Point Clear Creek and Bailey’s Branch.
