ALABAMA STATE PORT AUTHORITY TO DEDICATE NATIONAL AWARD WINNING PROJECT MUDDY CREEK

Two hundred acres near the Theodore Ship Channel have been set aside by Alabama State Port Authority as a wetlands management area.  The Muddy Creek Wetlands Management Area will be dedicated at 10:00 a.m., on June 24, 2003, so that the public can bird watch and observe wildlife in a natural wetlands setting.  James K. Lyons, Director and CEO of the Alabama State Port Authority, Donal Campbell, Commission of the Alabama Department of Corrections, and Mobile Commissioner Mike Dean will speak and formally dedicate the preserve.

The project received First Place in the American Association of Port Authorities Environmental Improvement Award in the Mitigation Category in September 2002, during the Association's national convention.  The award was presented to Bob Harris, manager, Environmental, Health and Safety at the Port Authority.

The area, located along Muddy Creek, was developed due to construction associated with the Marine Liquid Bulk Terminal on the Theodore Channel. The Port Authority returned the acreage to a natural setting in exchange for 22½ acres of wetland impacts at the terminal site.

Muddy Creek's mitigation site consisted of approximately 95 acres of uplands and 105 acres of forested wetlands adjacent to both sides of Muddy Creek.  For the past five years, the Port Authority was responsible for removing all invasive plants and replanting the area with native plants.

In cooperation with the Alabama Department of Corrections, state prisoners cleared the area of debris and non-native, or exotic plant species. The State prisoners, from Fountain Correctional Facility, also constructed the interpretive trail and boardwalk system, in addition to planting 12,000 native tree and shrub species to prevent their re-growth of extracted invasive plants.  Bald cypress, sweetbay magnolia, tupelo gum, ash, red maple, southern magnolia, live oak, water oak, willow oak, white oak and laurel oak, and dozens of other varieties of trees were 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 to control vehicular access in and around the site and a vehicle parking lot has been constructed on the Old Industrial Road entrance to accommodate pedestrian access to the site.   Nesting boxes also were constructed and placed in appropriate habitats for native birds and recycled vegetation was left in strategic locations to provide shelter to other wildlife.  The nature trail navigates the site and a boardwalk crosses wetter locations to provide visitors with a two mile nature walk equipped with interpretive plant and animal species signs.

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 refuge 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 Wetland Management Area will open to the public on June 24, 2003 and will be available during daylight hours.

Click here to see the Muddy Creek Wetlands Management Area Brochure