Meeting Type: BCC Regular Meeting
Meeting Date: 7/16/2025
Item Status: New
From: Jay Dickson, Planning Director
Submitted by: Ashley Campbell, Natural Resource Planner
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ITEM TITLE
Title
Amended Subrecipient Agreement with Dauphin Island Sea Lab/Mobile Bay National Estuary Program for Baldwin County Stream Gauge Monitoring
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STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve and authorize the Chairman to sign the Amended Subrecipient Agreement by and between the Dauphin Island Sea Lab / Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) and the Baldwin County Commission for Baldwin County Stream Gauge Monitoring.
This Agreement commenced May 20, 2025, and remains in force to April 30, 2026.
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Background: On May 20, 2025, the Commission approved the subrecipient agreement that references the background below. During the project review, a mistake was found in the verbiage of the original agreement. The agreement has been revised to correct verbiage.
In 2024, Baldwin County partnered with the MBNEP and sponsored several stream and rain gauges in watersheds within Baldwin County. These gauges initiated the creation of the County’s comprehensive hydrologic modeling program. This Agreement will further that effort by providing four (4) new rain and stream gauges (3 gauges in Styx River and 1 gauge in Magnolia River) within Baldwin County.
The comprehensive hydrologic modeling program is the first step towards implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) recommended in coastal Watershed Management Plans (WMPs). These comprehensive hydrologic studies are necessary to determine where regional detention, restoration, and conservation activities can provide the most benefit to the system. Comprehensive watershed hydrologic models will be developed and utilized to guide the design of regional detention projects, priority coastal habitat restoration projects, and provide watershed resource managers a useful tool to guide implementation of future headwater projects in these watersheds. The development of these hydrologic models has been recommended in multiple WMPs and have been used to address issues including but not limited to:
• Modeling dynamics of stream segments to inform stream restoration design.
• Evaluating the impacts of future growth.
• Helping resource managers evaluate proposed new developments with respect to compliance with stormwater management.
• Evaluating potential retrofit measures in already-developed areas to: 1) aid in selection of watershed-specific retrofit retention/capture volume targets; and 2) aid in the determination of how many and what types of retrofits (i.e., relative effectiveness) are needed to meet capture volume targets.
The development of accurate watershed hydrologic models is heavily dependent on the collection of topographical, streamflow, and rainfall data collected throughout the basins studied. Calibration and validation of watershed hydrologic models are achieved through the proper collection and analysis of field data.
This Agreement will continue the County’s efforts in the comprehensive hydrologic modeling program. It will be entered into with the Dauphin Island Sea Lab / MBNEP, and the Baldwin County Commission (the “Subrecipient”) will cooperate in the performance of the subject project. This monitoring is the continuation of the implementation of the MBNEP’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan prepared by MBNEP for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
MBNEP’s mission is to implement a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) that maintains and promotes wise stewardship of the water quality and living resources in Mobile Bay and Delta.
The Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium is the administrative host of MBNEP and received funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on behalf of MBNEP to implement the objectives set forth in its CCMP.
MBNEP desires to address the Ecosystem Restoration goal of its CCMP as follows: to advance the wise stewardship of water quality and living resources of Alabama's estuaries and coast to withstand evolving weather trend related impacts.
Baldwin County Commission is a duly organized public entity and agrees to undertake said project.
Previous Commission action/date: N/A
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Total cost of recommendation: N/A
Budget line item(s) to be used: N/A
If this is not a budgeted expenditure, does the recommendation create a need for funding? N/A
LEGAL IMPACT
Is legal review necessary for this staff recommendation and related documents?
Yes
Reviewed/approved by: Reviewed by Brad Hicks/received from Ashley Campbell on 06/25/2025.
Additional comments: N/A
ADVERTISING REQUIREMENTS
Is advertising required for this recommendation? N/A
If the proof of publication affidavit is not attached, list the reason: N/A
FOLLOW UP IMPLEMENTATION
For time-sensitive follow up, select deadline date for follow up: N/A
Individual(s) responsible for follow up: N/A
Action required (list contact persons/addresses if documents are to be mailed or emailed): Mail two (2) executed originals to:
Mobile Bay National Estuary Program
ATTN: Bethany Hudson, Business and Grants Manager
118 North Royal Street, Suite 601
Mobile, Alabama 36602
Additional instructions/notes: Administration - Add to tickler for receipt of one original Agreement. Inactivate the Subrecipient Agreement approved on 5/20/2025.