Impacts of Commercial and Residential Development on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway: A Case Study in Alabama

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Madeleine Powell
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1 Impacts of Commercial and Residential Development on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway: A Case Study in Alabama Dean Goodin, Ph.D. Eric Dohner Linda Brown, USACE

2 Introduction Coastal Alabama was heavily impacted by Hurricane Ivan (2004) Landfall at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Category 3 with 130 mph winds

3 Before After

4 Before After

5 Highway 182 (Perdido Beach Blvd)

6 Introduction Coastal Alabama was also impacted by Hurricane Katrina (2005) 67 mph sustained winds Storm surge of 10 feet

7 Introduction New development trend in northern Gulf Coast is construction along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) Threat of tropical storms Escalating prices of beachfront property GIWW extends from Brownsville, TX to Apalachee Bay, FL 520 miles open bays or coastal sounds 780 miles man-made canals

8 Gulf Intracoastal Waterway

9 Foley Land Cut In coastal Alabama, the Foley Land Cut is poised for development 10-mile stretch of GIWW in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Located approximately 2 miles inland Authorized channel dimensions 125 feet wide 12 feet deep Maintained by Corps of Engineers for commercial barge traffic operations

12 Foley Land Cut North Shore East Oyster Bay North Shore West

13 Foley Land Cut Gulf Shores/Orange Beach region developed and marketed as a tourist destination From 1990 to 2000 permanent population increased 50% Gulf Shores 68% Orange Beach 2007 Population ~12,000 Seasonal population expected to increase 30%

14 Foley Land Cut Why FLC? Sheltered from tropical storms Available waterfront property Provides waterway access to Gulf of Mexico via Bon Secour Bay and Wolf Bay Existing development Condominiums/single-family homes Marinas Restaurant Commercial

16 Lulu s Homeport Marina Sailboat Bay Marina Reynold s Ready Mix The Wharf

17 Proposed Development 15 proposed developments on FLC 14 located on north shore of FLC 1 located on south shore of Oyster Bay 16,700 condo units 3464 boat slips 1722 wet slips 1742 dry slips Marinas Retail shopping Office space Amenities (pools, greenspace, boardwalks)

19 Proposed Development Development Size Boat Slips Condominiums Units Retail/Commercial Greenspace (acres) Wet Dry Permanent Seasonal (square feet) (acres) 47 Canal Place Point West Bayside Harbour Bon Secour Village Eastern Marina Bon Secour Village West ,000 3, , Delfino Resort , Delfino Resort , Harbour Lights Marina ,000 - KFPH Properties ,000 - Lawrenz Eastern Marina , Lawrenz Western Marina Oyster Bay Marina , Summerdance , Walker Creek Waterways East TOTAL ,584,

22 EIS Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Evaluate environmental and socioeconomic consequences of development Address potential impacts to FLC and surrounding communities Waterway Capacity Study Hurricane Evacuation Study

23 EIS Direct and indirect impacts Short-term and long-term impacts Cumulative impacts Mitigation of impacts Irreversible and irretrievable commitment of resources Alternatives to proposed actions

24 EIS Cultural Resources Threatened & Endangered Species Wetlands Fish & Wildlife Resources Vegetative Communities Water Quality Soils & Geology Land Use Recreation Resources Utilities Air Quality Noise Light Socioeconomic Resources Traffic & Transportation Hazardous & Toxic Materials

25 Waterway Capacity Study Federally authorized use for commercial traffic Recreational use must not impact present and future commercial operations Safety and navigation concerns Speeding Uneducated boaters Congestion in high use areas (Hwy 59 boat ramp, Lulu s, bridges, etc.)

26 Lulu s Homeport Marina Bon Secour Village Marina Highway 59 Bridge Public Boat Ramp The Wharf Marina

27 Hurricane Evacuation Study Impacts of proposed developments Increased population of permanent and seasonal residents Increased number of vehicles Infrastructure Evacuation routes Vessel evacuation and security plan Shelters

28 Alternatives No Action Alternative Maximum Boat Slip Alternative Approve permits for up to 3093 boat slips through 2025 Minimum Boat Slip Alternative Initially approve 1943 boat slips Option of phasing-in 1150 additional boat slips until reach maximum (3093)

29 Alternatives Alternatives Proposed changes from original proposals Maximum number of additional boat slips a. No Action N/A 0 N/A b. Maximum Boat Slip Alternative Conservative RD approach (bottom number of the 15% confidence range) in the number of boat slips additional slips for implementing accepted mitigation options approved site plans 3,093 boat slips permitted Phase-in for additional boat slips N/A c. Minimum Boat Slip Alternative Conservative RD approach (bottom number of the 15% confidence range) in the number of boat slips potential future phase in approach no additional boat slips, mitigation options not implemented approved site plans 1,943 boat slips initially permitted 1,150 additional boat slips phased in at 25% per evaluation period beginning after Evaluation Period 1. Evaluation Period 1 = 1,943 Evaluation Period 2 = 2,230 Evaluation Period 3 = 2,517 Evaluation Period 4 = 2,804 Evaluation Period 5 = 3,093

30 Impacts Land Use/Land Cover Socioeconomics Recreational Resources Ecological Resources Noise Light Pollution

31 Mitigation Mooring Facilities 4 Primary 10 Secondary 1 Tertiary Safety signage Marine police Boater education Maps for commercial operators

33 In Closing EIS provides an objective evaluation of impacts associated with the proposed actions Example for future development along GIWW and Gulf Coast Florida St. Joe Land Company (Apalachicola Bay) Texas Port O Connor (Dolphin Point Community)

34 Questions?

Goal 1 To protect the public health, safety and property from the harmful effects of natural disasters.

Goal 1 To protect the public health, safety and property from the harmful effects of natural disasters. Plan Framework for Coastal Management The purpose of this element is to provide for the protection of residents and property in within the coastal area of the host community, and to limit expenditures,