Last updated: May 2025
The City of Mobile has developed and implemented a Storm Water Management Program (SWMP) as required by the regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency (Ref 1). Flooding is a significant issue in Mobile, occurring frequently throughout the town (Ref 3). The SWMP aims to protect water quality and prevent harmful pollutants in stormwater runoff from entering the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) area (Ref 1). Stormwater runoff refers to rainfall that does not seep into the ground but instead flows over yards, streets, parking lots, and buildings, eventually entering the storm sewer system, which directs it into creeks, rivers, bays, and the Gulf of Mexico (Ref 1). Stormwater can collect pollutants such as trash, debris, sediment, heavy metals, oils, and hazardous household materials. Additionally, development increases impervious surfaces, leading to more stormwater runoff (Ref 2).
Picture and the location of the litter trap implemented in Eslava Creek
https://www.stormwatermobile.org/uploads/images/2023-01-24%20FINAL%20Mobile%20SWMP%20Plan%20Update.pdf, page 50, accessed on: 18/09/2024
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
- In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors
- Green areas for water management
- Rain gardens
- Swales and filter strips
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Regulation of built environment
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Improvements to water quality
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Urban flooding (stormwater)
- Extreme weather events (e.g. storms, hurricanes)
- Environmental Degradation
- Poor water quality
- Physical water retention and availability
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Rapid urbanization
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation)
Focus
Maintenance and management of urban nature, Urban reforestation, restoration of street trees, Creation of semi-natural blue areas, Implementation of green areas for water management (e.g. rain gardens), Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas, Restoration, protecion and sustainable manage floodplains, Restoration of riparian vegetation, Strategy, plan or policy development, Creation of city-wide or neighborhood climate adaptation or mitigation strategies/programs, Development of disaster-risk prevention strategies (e.g.fire management, flood alleviation scheme)
Project objectives
1. Protect water quality by preventing harmful pollutants from entering the storm sewer system (MS4) (Ref 1).
2. Reduce flooding by effectively managing stormwater runoff (Ref 3).
3. Minimise pollutant discharge into creeks, rivers, bays, and the Gulf of Mexico (Ref 1).
4. Limit pollutants from construction and development activities. (Ref 2)
5. Preserve natural ecosystems, including wetlands, riparian areas, and in-stream habitats. (Ref 2)
6. Reduce the environmental impact of municipal operations, pesticide use, and industrial discharges.(Ref 2)
7. Educate the community on proper stormwater management practices.(Ref 2)
Implementation activities
1. Monitoring stormwater collection system operations (Ref 2, p 41).
2. Developing and implementing the use of stormwater retention/detention basins, infiltration basins/trenches, proprietary structural devices, pervious pavement, grass swales, filter strips, constructed wetlands, rain barrels, rain gardens, litter traps and urban canopies (p 105).
3. Implementation of GIS mapping of catch basins (p 45)
4. Preserving natural systems, including in-stream habitats, riparian areas, wetlands (p 21, 105) and vegetated areas, to increase sediment removal and maximize infiltration (p 93)
5. Providing public facilities and education for proper disposal of household hazardous waste (p 136).
6. Developing a guide for industries to prevent discharges from industrial facilities to the MS4 (p 140).
7. Developing and implementing pollution prevention and good housekeeping practices for municipal operations, such as park maintenance and public transportation (p 120).
8. Promoting effective management and landscaping practices for reducing pollutant discharges from the application of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers (p 128).
9. establishing spill prevention and response procedures for accidental or illegal spills (p 114).
10. Establishing a monitoring program to collect data and assess the effectiveness of the SWMP (p 150)
11. Implementing public education activities related to stormwater management, recycling programs, and proper waste management practices to educate the community
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- 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
- Reducing socio-economic vulnerability to climate impacts (e.g. awareness raising)
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes
Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities
Riverfront communities, Communities located in floodplains
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project is lead by the city of Mobile (Ref 2)
The target audience is: Residents (Homeowners and renters); Schools; Business (Owners and employees); Engineers; Contractors; and, Developers (Ref 2, p 60)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Yes
(Storm Water Program for Alabama: "The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) presently has primary jurisdiction over permitting and enforcement of the Storm Water Program for Alabama. The City of Mobile was issued NPDES Permit Number ALS000007 on 7 July 2021" (Ref 2, p 16))
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) storm water program: "In 1990, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated regulations establishing Phase I of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) storm water program", "The City of Mobile was issued NPDES Permit Number ALS000007 on 7 July 2021. [...] The City of Mobile is required to develop and implement a Storm Water Management Program (SWMP) in accordance with the NPDES Permit requirements.' (Ref 2 p 16))
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Unknown
Type of funding
- Unknown
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Storm / wave induced erosion and flooding
- Expected storm / wave induced erosion and flooding
- Enhanced protection against extreme weather events (e.g. storms, cyclones, tidal surges, coastal erosion)
- Expected enhanced protection against extreme weather events (e.g. storms, cyclones, tidal surges, coastal erosion)
- 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
- Green space and habitat
- Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
- Expected increased conversion of degraded land or soil
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved liveability
- Expected improved liveability
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved physical health
- Expected improved physical health
- Education
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Expected increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Safety
- Improved community safety to climate-related hazards
- Expected improved community safety to climate-related hazards
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
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.
Mobile County (n.d.). Stormwater Management Program Plan. Mobile: Mobile County, p. 1 Accessed on September 18, 2024, [Source link];
2.
City of Mobile (2023). Storm water management plan 2023 city of Mobile. Mobile: City of Mobile, p. 1-161 Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Ramey, A. (2021). Mobile maps stormwater system, looks to fix flooding problems. Mobile, Al: NBC 15 News, p. 1-3 Accessed on September 18, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Datausa.com (2022). Demographics Mobile - data USA. Mobile, Al: Datausa.com, Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link];
Map of potential pollutants accross the streams in Mobile, due to runoff stormwater
https://www.stormwatermobile.org/uploads/images/2023-01-24%20FINAL%20Mobile%20SWMP%20Plan%20Update.pdf, page 37, accessed on 18/09/2024
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.