1. Impacts of Commercial and Residential Development on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway: A Case Study in Alabama Dean Goodin, Ph.D. Eric Dohner Linda Brown, USACE

2. Introduction  Coastal Alabama was heavily impacted by Hurricane Ivan (2004) Landfall at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Category 3 with 130 mph winds

3. BeforeAfter

4. BeforeAfter

5. Highway 182 (Perdido Beach Blvd)

6. Introduction  Coastal Alabama was also impacted by Hurricane Katrina (2005) 67 mph sustained winds Storm surge of 10 feet

7. Introduction  New development trend in northern Gulf Coast is construction along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) Threat of tropical storms Escalating prices of beachfront property  GIWW extends from Brownsville, TX to Apalachee Bay, FL 520 miles – open bays or coastal sounds 780 miles – man-made canals

8. Gulf Intracoastal Waterway

9. Foley Land Cut  In coastal Alabama, the Foley Land Cut is poised for development 10-mile stretch of GIWW in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Located approximately 2 miles inland Authorized channel dimensions 125 feet wide 12 feet deep Maintained by Corps of Engineers for commercial barge traffic operations

12. Foley Land Cut North Shore East Oyster Bay North Shore West

13. Foley Land Cut  Gulf Shores/Orange Beach region developed and marketed as a tourist destination  From 1990 to 2000 permanent population increased 50% Gulf Shores 68% Orange Beach  2007 Population ~12,000  Seasonal population expected to increase 30%

14. Foley Land Cut  Why FLC? Sheltered from tropical storms Available waterfront property Provides waterway access to Gulf of Mexico via Bon Secour Bay and Wolf Bay  Existing development Condominiums/single-family homes Marinas Restaurant Commercial

16. Lulu’s Homeport Marina Sailboat Bay Marina Reynold’s Ready Mix The Wharf

17. Proposed Development  15 proposed developments on FLC 14 located on north shore of FLC 1 located on south shore of Oyster Bay 16,700 condo units 3464 boat slips 1722 wet slips 1742 dry slips Marinas Retail shopping Office space Amenities (pools, greenspace, boardwalks)

19. DevelopmentSizeBoat SlipsCondominiums UnitsRetail/CommercialGreenspace (acres)WetDryPermanentSeasonal(square feet)(acres) 47 Canal Place31270308370905-- 501 Point West376380340797-18.5 Bayside Harbour8116-3581-4.7 Bon Secour Village Eastern Marina510528---- Bon Secour Village West1000107-3,000 750,000500 Delfino Resort 12653-14557925,00010.4 Delfino Resort 21250-8032030,0004.8 Harbour Lights Marina1676-170 25,000- KFPH Properties550-100 20,000- Lawrenz Eastern Marina3777-750500700,0001.85 Lawrenz Western Marina843-173115-0.84 Oyster Bay Marina205396-500 7,000155 Summerdance2403188261048212727,000100 Walker Creek1042-155316-- Waterways East1251-92200-10 TOTAL165217221742695897101,584,000806.09 Proposed Development

22. EIS  Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Evaluate environmental and socioeconomic consequences of development Address potential impacts to FLC and surrounding communities Waterway Capacity Study Hurricane Evacuation Study

23. EIS  Direct and indirect impacts  Short-term and long-term impacts  Cumulative impacts  Mitigation of impacts  Irreversible and irretrievable commitment of resources  Alternatives to proposed actions

24. EIS  Cultural Resources  Threatened & Endangered Species  Wetlands  Fish & Wildlife Resources  Vegetative Communities  Water Quality  Soils & Geology  Land Use  Recreation Resources  Utilities  Air Quality  Noise  Light  Socioeconomic Resources  Traffic & Transportation  Hazardous & Toxic Materials

25. Waterway Capacity Study  Federally authorized use for commercial traffic  Recreational use must not impact present and future commercial operations  Safety and navigation concerns Speeding Uneducated boaters Congestion in high use areas (Hwy 59 boat ramp, Lulu’s, bridges, etc.)

26. Lulu’s Homeport MarinaHighway 59 Bridge Public Boat Ramp Bon Secour Village MarinaThe Wharf Marina

27. Hurricane Evacuation Study  Impacts of proposed developments Increased population of permanent and seasonal residents Increased number of vehicles  Infrastructure Evacuation routes Vessel evacuation and security plan Shelters

28. Alternatives  No Action Alternative  Maximum Boat Slip Alternative Approve permits for up to 3093 boat slips through 2025  Minimum Boat Slip Alternative Initially approve 1943 boat slips Option of phasing-in 1150 additional boat slips until reach maximum (3093)

29. Alternatives Proposed changes from original proposals Maximum number of additional boat slips Phase-in for additional boat slips a. No ActionN/A0 b. Maximum Boat Slip Alternative Conservative RD approach (bottom number of the 15% confidence range) in the number of boat slips additional slips for implementing accepted mitigation options approved site plans 3,093 boat slips permitted N/A c. Minimum Boat Slip Alternative Conservative RD approach (bottom number of the 15% confidence range) in the number of boat slips potential future phase in approach no additional boat slips, mitigation options not implemented approved site plans 1,943 boat slips initially permitted 1,150 additional boat slips phased in at 25% per evaluation period beginning after Evaluation Period 1. Evaluation Period 1 = 1,943 Evaluation Period 2 = 2,230 Evaluation Period 3 = 2,517 Evaluation Period 4 = 2,804 Evaluation Period 5 = 3,093

30. Impacts  Land Use/Land Cover  Socioeconomics  Recreational Resources  Ecological Resources  Noise  Light Pollution

31. Mitigation  Mooring Facilities 4 Primary 10 Secondary 1 Tertiary  Safety signage  Marine police  Boater education  Maps for commercial operators

33. In Closing  EIS provides an objective evaluation of impacts associated with the proposed actions  Example for future development along GIWW and Gulf Coast Florida St. Joe Land Company (Apalachicola Bay) Texas Port O’Connor (Dolphin Point Community)

34. Questions?