Water Quality

Water quality refers to the condition of water in terms of its chemical, physical, and biological characteristics. It's a measure of how clean and safe the water is for various uses, including drinking, recreation, and supporting aquatic life. Factors affecting water quality include the presence of pollutants like chemicals and microorganisms, the clarity of the water, its odor and taste, and its ability to sustain healthy ecosystems. Monitoring and improving water quality are crucial for protecting public health, maintaining biodiversity, and ensuring sustainable use of our water resources.

The MBNEP facilitates a community-driven approach to managing the quality of our coastal waters by developing and implementing local comprehensive watershed plans. This process integrates scientific assessment with community concerns and priorities, offering a roadmap for enhancing environmental management by those directly connected to the resource. These plans enable government, grassroots groups, and others to coordinate efforts focused on addressing the primary stressors affecting their local environment.

A synthesis of plans completed provides a current overview of environmental concerns across the Alabama coast:

Water Quality Impairments Habitat Degradation Issues

Watershed	Sediments	Nutrients	Pathogens	Litter	Habitat Loss	Degraded Streams	Invasive Species	Shoreline Erosion
D’Olive	P	√	P	√	√	P	√	√
Three Mile Creek	√	P	P	P	√	√	√
Bon Secour	P	√	P	√	√		√	P
Dog River	P	P	P	P		√	√	√
Fowl River	√	P	P	√	P	√	√	√
Weeks Bay	P	√	P		√	P	√	√
Bayou La Batre	P	√	P	√		P	√	√
West Fowl River			P	P		√	√	P
Wolf Bay	P	√	P	√	√	P	P	√
Western Shore	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	P
Gulf Frontal	√	P	P	√	√		√	P
Mobile Tensaw Delta	√	P		√	P	√	P	P
Dauphin Island			√	√	P	√	√	P
Eastern Shore	P		P		√	√	√	P
Western Perdido Bay		√	P		P		√	P

NOTE: P = Identified as a priority issue in watershed management plan (WMP)

Alabama’s coastal water quality challenges are varied and demand “all-hands-on-deck” as we strive to improve conditions for fish, wildlife and humans. Our watershed management plans provide a meeting ground for federal, state, and local agencies as well local communities to coordinate actions for improving local watershed conditions, and contributing to the health of Alabama’s estuaries and coast.