DAPHNE, Ala. — With sediment filling waterways, culverts washing out and four-wheeler traffic destroying stream banks, some are happy to hear that nature has a new group on its side. On Thursday, members of organizations like the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, Thompson Engineering, Lake Forest Property Owners Association, the city of Daphne, and Alabama Department of Transportation met to discuss plans to stop erosion problems in the D’Olive and Tiawassee watersheds.

State Rep. Randy Davis said data has been collected and funding is nearly complete to undertake projects to reduce the sediment load going into Mobile Bay.

“We almost have all the funding to get started — about 80 percent (of planning costs reportedly totaling $125,000)” he said. “Now it’s data-driven and there’s some things we’ve had to do in the Legislature like with four-wheeler trespassing.”

Roberta Swann, deputy director of the estuary program, said many organizations have helped with funding, including:

Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, Lake Forest Property Owners Association, city of Daphne, city of Spanish Fort, Alabama Department of Environmental Management and Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium.

She also commended the city of Daphne for hiring employees to help monitor sedimentation and erosion.

The group has four goals it plans to work toward in the next four months, according to Glen Coffee, project manager with Thompson Engineering.

“(They are) data compilation, watershed characterization, wetland condition evaluation and watershed problem identification,” he said.

Though much data has already been collected, he requested that members from the organizations present at the meeting send information such as historical studies, aerial photography, land-use plans, subdivisions and property-owners associations — within the watershed, commercial developments, existing detention and retention ponds, storm water and development ordinances and citizen concerns.

“We hope to be through gathering data by the end of September,” he said.

During watershed characterization, the group will delineate watershed management units; characterize streams, watershed lands and water quality; evaluate the condition of wetlands; assess storm-water management and sedimentation issues; develop future projected conditions; identify problem areas; and assess risks and future development, he said.

Through this research, they hope to find and prevent channel incisions and channel-head cutting; areas with accelerated surface runoff and of unwanted sedimentation; disturbed areas with high erosion rates; failed detention and retention ponds; absence of vegetation buffers along streams; and damage to wetland resources, he said.

He said this data will help stop, “run off; altered hydrology is the key problem that we have.”

They hope to begin field work in mid-September and end the watershed characterization portion of the project by October.

Coffee mentioned that the group is still in the planning stage.

“Nobody has suggested anything on prioritization,” he said. “We (Thompson Engineering) will not make any decisions — we’ll give our professional opinion, then the watershed leaders will make the decisions.”

Swann cited that some action has already been taken at D’Olive Creek and other locations.

“Some work has already started and we’re going to continue to be aggressive,” she said. “If we see a grant available we’re going to go after it.”

The funds will help bring the projects to fruition once the problem areas are identified, Coffee said.

“Lake Forest Lake is a natural sedimentation trap; it’s the only reason D’Olive Bay still exists — you’d be able to walk across it,” he said.

He added that the “Lake Forest golf course provides a lot of run-off because of the greens.”

While most projects remain in the data collection and planning process, Ashley Campbell, Daphne’s site containment inspector, said a few issues have been resolved.

D’Olive Creek at U.S. Interstate 10 now has riprap — a wall of unorganized stones often used on an embankment slope to prevent erosion — at the heavy water-flow area culverts. The group also has placed erosion-control blankets and built grades to step the water down gradually.

AT&T worked to restore exposed fiber-optic lines in that area.

“I think we have the I-10 culverts under control now with the 180 feet of linear restoration,” Campbell said.

The group will meet on Dec. 9 to discuss problem identification and ranking, Coffee said.

They’ll also meet March 15 for the selection of conceptual corrective measures and May 18 for a public meeting on the draft of the comprehensive watershed management plan.

For questions or concerns, call Campbell at 621-3080.