Impact/Purpose:

The purpose of this activity is to effect gully stabilization and restoration to reduce nonpoint source pollution from a known source while protecting and restoring important habitat in a priority area.

Description:

Weeks Bay is a sub-estuary of Mobile Bay, a Gulf of Mexico Program priority area. Fish River is the main tributary of Weeks Bay and in this watershed gullies have formed due to a combination of soil types, heavy rain events and agricultural practices. This project was completed to stabilize and restore gullies as a demonstration project for the prevention, reduction, and elimination of sediment as a source of pollution. After a field survey of gullies in the Weeks Bay watershed, six gullies were identified on the aerial photos that were actively eroding and were suitable for remediation with the available funds. Of these six locations, Dixon gully on Perone Branch was selected as the project site. Gully walls were shaped to reduce overall slope and future sloughing. Rip-rap was added to stabilize eroding and a detention berm was installed. A flow-control structure was installed behind the detention berm to meter release of runoff and prevent further erosion. Two rip-rap check dams were installed in the main gully toward the top end of the site and near the toe to reduce flow through the gully, thereby reducing energy of the runoff and preventing future erosion. Following stabilization structure installation, the contractor grassed the entire length of the project site. This project is an example of the cooperation between private landowners and state/federal government to accomplish an environmental goal. Stability in the gully will continue to enhance water quality by reducing erosion and sedimentation impacts to Weeks Bay and Mobile Bay.

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