A leader of conservation, restoration and preservation efforts along Alabama’s Gulf Coast is asking for your thoughts on what you believe are priorities for a portion of the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta in south Alabama.

The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) has put together a short 10-question survey for people who live, use, visit or have an interest in the Mobile-Tensaw Apalachee (MTA) Watershed, a 37,000-acre complex in Mobile and Baldwin counties that feeds Mobile Bay. Christian Miller, Watershed Management Coordinator for the MBNEP, says the online survey was created as an alternative to public meetings halted due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“The COVID-19 situation really hampered the ability of our folks to go out and collect that one-on-one,” Miller said. “That’s a critical component – going out into the community and talking to all sectors from business, industry, academia, grassroots organizations, landowners – anybody who utilizes the Delta, we want to hear from them.”

Mobile Bay NEP seeks community input on Delta watershed from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

The MTA Watershed makes up the lower portion of the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, America’s second-largest delta and the most biodiverse body of water in the world. At 600,000+ acres the Delta is home to more than 600 species of fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds. The Delta, in turn, makes up the lower portion of the Mobile Bay Watershed, the sixth-largest watershed in the nation, with streams and rivers spanning four states.

“All of the rivers in Alabama essentially drain down through the Mobile-Tensaw Delta into Mobile Bay,” said Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “The Mobile Delta is just a spectacular place. This watershed management plan is going to be very important for looking at the positives and the issues in areas for improvement in the delta.”

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Miller says community input is critical to the success of future conservation, restoration and preservation efforts.

“It’s critical that we get community buy-in on all of our watershed management plans,” Miller said. “We don’t do these plans in a vacuum. We want them bought in to the process on the front end because, at the end of the day when this plan is done, they’re going to have to be the champions of that plan. It won’t be successful unless the people in the community are on board and bought into it.”

To complete the survey from computer, tablet or mobile device, click here. To learn more about the MTA Watershed or to take a virtual boat tour, click here.