MUDDY CREEK MITIGATION PROJECT READIES FOR PUBLIC VISITATION

Project wins first place at AAPA 

Two hundred acres near the Theodore Ship Channel have been set aside by Alabama State Docks as a wetlands mitigation area that is expected to be opened this fall so that the public can bird watch and observe wildlife in a natural wetlands setting.

The project, nearing completion, received First Place in the American Association of  Port Authorities Environmental Improvement Award in the Mitigation Category on Sept. 25. The award was presented to Bob Harris, manager, Environmental, Health and Safety at the Docks, at AAPA’s annual convention, held this year in Palm Beach.

The area, located along Muddy Creek, came into being because of the construction of the Marine Liquid Bulk Terminal on the Theodore Channel. The State Docks offered to return the acreage to a natural setting for perpetuity in exchange for impacting 22½ acres at the terminal site.

The mitigation site consists of almost 95 acres of uplands and a bit more than 105 acres of forested wetlands adjacent to both sides of Muddy Creek. For the past five years, the State Docks has been responsible for the removal of invasive plants from the site and replanting of the 200 acres.

In cooperation with the Alabama Department of Corrections, state prisoners cleared the area of debris and non-native, or exotic plant species. They then planted 12,000 native tree and shrub species to replace the extracted exotic plant species and prevent their re-growth. Bald cypress, sweetbay magnolia, tupelo gum, ash, red maple, southern magnolia, live oak, water oak, willow oak, overcup oak, white oak and laurel oak, and dozens of other varieties of trees were also planted. Beavers then moved in to create two large beaver ponds that now cover several wetland acres associated with the creek.

The area has been fenced and vehicular access controlled through locked access gates. A vehicle parking lot has been constructed and pedestrian access to the site is available from the parking lot. Nesting boxes were constructed and placed in appropriate habitats for native birds and other wildlife. A ground trail made of mulch donated by Alabama Power covers about two miles for walking through a newly planted longleaf pine thicket and along the creek. A boardwalk system has been placed in some of the wetter locations. Identification markers are to be placed denoting the plants.

James K. Lyons, director and CEO of the State Docks, said, “The site will benefit the community by providing opportunities for environmental education, exercise, wildlife watching and quiet solitude. It provides a natural haven and refuse to humans and wildlife in an otherwise developed area. We offer this as a gift to the area and hope that many will enjoy its benefits. Needless to say, we also trust that those who visit will protect the area by not littering or disturbing the plant life or animals in the area.”

Lyons added, “We are extremely pleased that the hard work and financial investment in Muddy Creek has been recognized by the American Association of Port Authorities. More than 140 port members are continuously working with mitigation projects and it is gratifying to know that our project was selected this year as the best.”

The Muddy Creek Project will open to the public on November 1 and will be available during daylight hours.