History of Mobile Bay

The deep history of Mobile Bay is reflected through all three watersheds of the western shore of the bay. This area which is now known as the “Amazon of Alabama” for its remarkable ecological diversity has been occupied for millennia by a number of Native American Cultures. In the early 1500s this area was first mapped by the Spanish with the name “Bay of the Holy Spirit”. The area still holds rich multicultural traditions left behind from its Spanish, French, and British settlers including nurturing the country’s first Mardi Gras. As a host of wars, economic shifts, and cultural struggles this area has consistently defined itself as a beacon of trade and perseverance. Today, its natural beauty, stories, and its people continue to define the western shore of the bay.

Western Shore Community

The population for the Western Shore Watershed has been estimated using the tract level estimates from the American Community Survey (ACS) program of the US Census Bureau. The population of the tracts that were only partially contained in the three watershed boundaries and determined by using the percentage of population for the part of the tract that fell within the watershed and/or by weighing the distribution and density of the population within those areas from aerial photography. According to this method, the total population across the three watershed is 10,983 with 6,855 in Garrow’s Bend, 3,451 in Deer River and 677 in Delchamp’s Bayou.

Across the three watersheds the Median Household Incomes (MHI) demonstrate the different socioeconomic conditions. In Garrow’s Bend, the MHI is $28,135 which is below the $49,950 in Deer River and the $63,750 in Delchamp’s Bayou. One aspect to consider in the range of these numbers is the density and location of housing within these three watersheds. Deer River and Delchamp’s Bayou are geographically smaller than Garrow’s Bend and many of the housing units are waterfront homes along Mobile Bay. In Garrow’s Bend, a majority of the housing is located in dense urban historic neighborhoods of the City of Mobile.