Last updated: May 2025
Perch Creek is one of the many meanders that drain into Dog River (Ref 2), located just west of Mobile Bay (Ref 3). These areas include sensitive, tidally influenced marshes and flats where the brackish water of the Bay meets fresh waters (Ref 1). The Perch Creek Nature Trail & Preserve project aims to protect 96 acres on Perch Creek (Ref 3). It is part of efforts to revitalise Mobile’s coastal community and improve the water quality of the city's urban river (Ref 2), following the devastation of the BP oil disaster in 2010. The project focuses on two main aspects: creating a low-impact recreational destination to spark economic redevelopment, and preserving Mobile’s coastal wetlands (Ref 1). The conservation aspect involves wetland acquisition, marsh restoration, and invasive species management, improving water quality in both waterbodies (Ref 1). The area, rich in wildlife, requires habitat protection, including for migrating birds, foxes, alligators, manatees, and bald eagles (Ref 1). Brackish marshes on the property serve as nurseries for fish, while forested areas provide natural corridors for wildlife (Ref 3). The wetlands also play a role in flood control, acting as natural sponges to absorb rising tides and cleanse stormwater runoff before it reaches Mobile Bay (Ref 1). Additionally, they store stormwater, helping mitigate flooding as storms intensify (Ref 3). The recreational aspect includes developing nature-based recreation, such as nature trails and kayak launches, as well as expanding public access to natural resources (Ref 3). In 2018, the Perch Creek section was added to the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail, with educational signage for kayakers (Ref 1). This comprehensive project preserves vital habitats and flood-absorbing wetlands, while providing outdoor recreation opportunities and supporting the coastal community's recovery (Ref 2). It combines high-quality water resources, wildlife connectivity, scenic beauty, and outdoor recreation (Ref 3).
Water based trail sign in Perch Creek
https://thepeninsulaofmobile.org/our-projects/perch-creek-nature-trail-preserve/ accessed on 13/09/2024
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
- Coastlines
- Coastal wetland, mangroves and salt marshes
- In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors
- Riverbank/Lakeside greens
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14)
- Coastal protection / hazard mitigation
- Marine and coastal biodiversity protection
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Improvements to water quality
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Tourism support
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- River flooding
- Coastal flooding
- Urban flooding (stormwater)
- Coastal hazards (e.g. erosion, flooding)
- Sea level rise
- Environmental Degradation
- Biodiversity loss
- Invasive alien species
- Poor water quality
- Physical water retention and availability
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Economic losses due to disasters and environmental degradation
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Physical health harm (from pollution, wildfire, extreme temperature)
- Inadequate access to recreational opportunities
- Disconnection from nature
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration), Social Justice and community
Focus
Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas, River rehabilitation/ restoration, Restoration, protecion and sustainable manage floodplains, Protection of riparian vegetation, Restoration of riparian vegetation, Coastal landscape management or protection, Coastal ecosystems restoration and maintenance (mangroves, dunes, saltplains, underwater meadows), Improving coastal resilience, Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Restoration of wetlands (other types than peatlands and mangroves, e.g. seagrass), Restoration and protection of ecosystems (including water ecosystems), Protection of natural ecosystems, Protecton and enhancement of wetlands (other types than peatlands and mangroves, e.g. seagrass), Expansion of protected areas, Habitat restoration, Habitat conservation, Marine and coastal conservation initiatives
Project objectives
1. Preserving coastal wetlands, forests, and brackish marshes(Ref 1)
2. Protect critical fish and wildlife habitats (Ref 3)
3. Restore coastal streams and hydrologic flow (Ref 2).
4. Improving water quality in Perch Creek and Dog River (Ref 1)
5. Supporting economic redevelopment through the creation of a low-impact recreational destination to revitalise the local coastal community (Ref 1).
6. Providing outdoor recreation opportunities by connecting the public to nature through nature trails, kayak and canoe launches, and the expansion of the Dog River Scenic Blueway (Ref 3).
7. Enhancing flood control and stormwater management by preserving wetlands that absorb stormwater and control flooding (Ref 1, Ref 3).
8. Rebuilding community resilience by fostering a resilient coastline to support the growing economy and recovering from past disasters like the BP oil spill (Ref 2).
Implementation activities
1. Wetland acquisition along Perch Creek to protect them from future development and ensure their conservation (Ref 1).
2. Marsh restoration to improve habitat quality for fish and wildlife, and enhance natural water filtration processes (Ref 1).
3. Invasive species management (Ref 1).
4. Installation of educational signage and trail maps for kayakers exploring the Perch Creek Blueway and Dog River Scenic Blueway (Ref 2).
5. Creation of nature trails (Ref 3).
6. Development of kayak and canoe launches (Ref 3).
7. Addition of Perch Creek to the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail (Ref 1).
8. Establishment of the Perch Creek Blueway, a marked water trail as part of the larger Dog River Scenic Blueway (Ref 1).
9. Restoring the wetlands to store stormwater, slow runoff, and mitigate flooding (Ref 3).
10. Implementing measures to restore natural water flow patterns in the area, improving ecosystem functionality (Ref 2).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Restore mangroves, marshes, reefs and wetlands to dissipate the effects of storms and floodwaters
- Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater
- Restore rivers and other fresh water bodies to reduce flood or drought risk
- Restore and protect forests to prevent water runoff and assets loss due to flooding
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes
Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities
Coastal communities, Riverfront communities
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
- Clear and control invasive alien species
- Restore ecological connectivity
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
- Coastal-dependent communities (e.g. small-scale fishers, coastal farmers, and indigenous peoples)
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
- The City of Mobile lead the project and is responsible for the overall implementation of the project (Ref 2, Ref 3).
In collaboration with:
- Peninsula of Mobile (NGO) (Ref 2).
- Dog River Clearwater Revival (NGO) (Ref 2).
- Alabama Department of Transportation (regional government): involved in infrastructure and transportation planning related to the project (Ref 2).
- Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (NGO) (Ref 2).
- MAWSS (Mobile Area Water and Sewer System) (local agency): involved in sanitary sewer management (Ref 2)
- Alabama Department of Environmental Management (regional government) (Ref 2)
- Alabama Coastal Foundation (NGO) (Ref 2)
- Mobile United (NGO) (Ref 2)
- Pelican Coast Conservancy (NGO) (Ref 2)
- Martin Luther King Jr. Redevelopment Authority (NGO) (Ref 2)
- South Alabama Land Trust (regional government) (Ref 2)
Fundings:
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) (NGO) (Ref 2).
- Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council (RESTORE) (national government) (Ref 2)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Yes
(The project is part of Alabama Coastal Restoration Project (Ref 2))
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(The project is part of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE) initiative to restore Alabama coast after the BP oil spill in 2010. (Ref 2))
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(The project overlap with the Dog River Scenic Blueway and Birding Trail (Ref 2))
Type of enablers
Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships)
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
- Public national budget
- Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Expected strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Expected improved water quality
- Increased protection against flooding
- Expected increased protection against flooding
- Improved stormwater management
- Expected improved stormwater management
- Enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems
- Expected enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems
- Green space and habitat
- Increase in protected green space areas
- Expected increase in protected green space areas
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Expected increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
- Expected increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Expected reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased presence and recovery of wild species
- Expected increased presence and recovery of wild species
- Improved prevention or control of invasive alien species
- Expected improved prevention or control of invasive alien species
Economic impacts
- More sustainable tourism
- Expected more sustainable tourism
- Stimulate development in deprived areas
- Expected stimulate development in deprived areas
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Expected improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Expected increased opportunities for social interaction
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Expected improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Expected increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
The Peninsula of Mobile (n.d.). Perch Creek Nature Trail & Preserve. Mobile, Al: The Peninsula of Mobile, p. 1-7 Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link];
2.
City of Mobile (2018). Mayor Stimpson, Peninsula of Mobile and Dog River Clearwater Revival Announce New Perch Creek Nature Trail. Mobile, Al: City of Mobile, p. 1 Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link];
3.
south alabama land trust (n.d.). Protecting Dog River - Perch Creek. Mobile, Al: south alabama land trust, p. 1-3 Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Bay Business News (2021). Mobile Mulls Perch Creek Preserve Expansion. Mobile, Al: Bay Business News, p. 1 Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link];
5.
City of Mobile (n.d.). Capital Improvement Plan 23-24. Mobile, Al: City of Mobile, p. 66 and 62 Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link];
6.
CityData.com (2022). Demographics Driftwood. Mobile, Al: CityData.com, Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link];
7.
CityData.com (2022). Demographics Lourdes. Mobile, Al: CityData.com, Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link];
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.