By DONNA THORNTON, Editor
About 50 people gathered at Sand Mountain Park Thursday to hear more and to share their thoughts on the Drum Creek-Short Creek Watershed Management Plan.
The watershed encompasses all of Albertville Jay Rucker, of Goodwyn Mills Cawood, told those gathered. The watershed totals about 36,142 acres, most of it in Marshall County, with a small part in DeKalb County.
As Rucker explained, GMC is collecting information to develop the watershed plan – the first step in improving water quality in a watershed and mitigating the impact of future development. The planning process is expected to take 12 months. It has to be prepared and approved by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and the Environmental Protection Agency, Rucker said. Implementing the plan, he said, would be an ongoing process.
For the Albertville residents and property owners there, the meeting gave them an opportunity to look at maps and material on display with information about the watershed, including maps showing how land is used within its parameters.
Attendees had the chance to ask questions of GMC representatives and Albertville City Council members Nathan Broadhurst and Jill Oakley, and city clerk Dawn Smith, who attended and supplied information sheets to those present.
In discussing the watershed project, council members have said the goal is not only clean up the creek area and address pollution concerns, but to enhance the area with trails and recreational features.
The meeting gave a broad view of how the process will proceed. Some of the residents attending had more specific questions, such as when work would begin, what it would entail, and what impact it would have in the area where they live or own land.
Some didn’t get all the specific answers they wanted at this point in the process. With plans not completed and approved, and the grants that will be needed to implement the project as the city wants to still to be obtained, hard dates for the progression of the plan were not available.
That didn’t satisfy some attending. “I hope you report this was a waste of time,” one lady said. “We drove from Birmingham for this.”
Residents and property owners are encouraged to give their feedback or ask their questions, using a QR code or by contacting Rucker at [email protected] or 256-616-5205.
Interested Albertville residents received information about the Drum Creek Watershed Management Project at a meeting Thursday at Sand Mountain Park. The map (left) shows the outline of the watershed area to be cleaned up and improved for environmental control and enhanced recreation.
