Dewberry, a national consulting firm, has been selected to provide comprehensive planning services for the restoration of the Three Mile Creek Watershed in Mobile County, Ala. The work will be directed out of Dewberry’s Gulf Coast offices in New Orleans, and Gulfport, Miss., for the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP).
Dewberry will complete a Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan aimed at restoring the watershed, including hydrology and water quality. The MBNEP envisions a community amenity that will provide enhanced access and recreational opportunities, and will promote ecotourism in the region. Three Mile Creek is a tidally influenced stream that flows through the city of Mobile, with headwaters near the University of South Alabama. The creek flows 14 miles east to the Mobile River.
Dewberry has initiated an extensive phase of community outreach that will encompass 15 community meetings. The sessions will educate residents about the watershed, review the impact of pollution, and explore opportunities to enhance the creek and surrounding watershed as a local amenity and urban destination. With community input, a draft plan will be prepared in the fall and finalized at the end of the year.
In addition to community engagement, Dewberry is examining water-quality issues, including the identification and sources of pollutants in the creek. “Determining how to improve water quality is an important aspect of this work,” says Jerri Daniels, CFM, project manager for Dewberry. “We have a strong technical team that is addressing the type of pollutants, how to reduce or eliminate them, and what low-impact approaches and green infrastructure will serve to minimize pollution in the future.”
Dewberry’s team includes Brown and Caldwell, PlaceMaker Design Studio, LLC, and Aerostar SES LLC.
Dewberry recently participated in a volunteer Three Mile Creek cleanup day, organized by Mobile Baykeeper in conjunction with the Mobile Housing Board and residents of nearby Renaissance Corridor. Additional partners included the Alabama Department of Natural Resources, the City of Mobile and Keep Mobile Beautiful. Several Dewberry employees took part in the cleanup effort, which drew nearly 100 volunteers from several states.
About Dewberry
Dewberry is a professional services firm with a history of providing architecture, engineering, and management and consulting services to a wide variety of public- and private-sector clients. Recognized for combining unsurpassed commitment to client service with deep subject matter expertise, Dewberry is dedicated to solving clients’ most complex challenges and transforming their communities. For more information, visit www.dewberry.com.
