DAPHNE, Ala.—A National Resource Conservation Service emergency watershed protection plan—which the Planning Commission last week approved—involves fixing three sites on Tiawasee Creek, two along Yancey Branch, two on D’Olive Creek and one along an unnamed tributary that flows out to Mobile Bay, city site inspector Ashley Campbell said.

Each of the eight sites presents its set of challenges. Some, Campbell said, are as simple as fixing an inlet. Others involve repairing severely damaged creek beds that have succumbed to erosion.

In many instances, the sides of the creeks have eroded so much that trees have fallen over the creek, causing sedimentation build-up in the water.

“During the storms last year, we had some erosion,” she said. “Some of the sites are eroding streams from past storms.”

“Basically, (the plan) involves repairing these issues,” she said.

Last fall, Congressman Jo Bonner toured impacted ares in the watershed with Mayor Fred Small, Campbell and representatives from area environmental and transportation agencies.

The group surveyed creeks that were overflowing with heavy rains. Campbell pointed out to officials specific sites where creek beds had eroded and sedimentation had built up to threatening levels.

In September, representatives from the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program met with state representatives, city officials and environmental agents to coordinate an action plan to fix the watershed.

However, the NRCS-8 maintenance project is sponsored solely by the city of Daphne.

“This was a city’s effort to locate the sites. But they are aware of this,” Campbell said, referring to the local environmental agencies involved in the large-scale Mobile Bay Watershed maintenance plan that includes D’Olive Bay and Lake Forest.

The National Resource Conservation Service is a federal environmental protection agency established in 1995; it consults in water-related projects and provides support and training on water-related issues, according to its Web site.