DRAFT
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
CEMENT PLANT
THEODORE INDUSTRIAL PARK. ALABAMA
LIMESTONE QUARRY
MONROE COUNTY. ALABAMA
APPENDICES
VOLUME III
APPENDIX B BASELINE
ECOLOGY
SOCIOECONOMICS
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, REGION IV
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
APPENDIX B. BASELINE
TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY
INTRODUCTION B-E-1
ECOSYSTEM ANALYSIS (PLANT SITE) B-E-2
EXISTING ENVIRONMENT (1977) B-E-2
Ecological Structure B-E-2
Plant Communities B-E-2
Animal Communities B-E-6
Functional Aspects B-E-18
Energetics B-E-18
Cycles B-E-19
Overall Homeostasis B-E-20
Uses and Ecological Values of the Ecosystem B-E-23
Forest Products B-E-23
Soil and Water Conservation and Flood Control B-E-23
Wildlife Production B-E-24
PROJECTED 1992 ENVIRONMENT B-E-25
ECOSYSTEM ANALYSIS—QUARRY SITE B-E-28
EXISTING ENVIRONMENT (1977) B-E-28
Ecological Structure B-E-28
Plant Communities B-E-28
Animal Communities B-E-34
Functional Aspects B-E-48
Energetics B-E-48
Cycles B-E-48
Uses and Ecological Value of the Ecosystems B-E-51
Forest Products B-E-51
Soil and Water Conservation and Flood Control B-E-51
Wildlife Production B-E-53
Recreational and Aesthetic Resources B-E-53
PROJECTED ENVIRONMENT 1992 B-E-55
IMPORTANT SPECIES ANALYSIS B-E-59
Introduction B-E-59
Plant Site~ B-E-59
Vegetation B-E-59
Animals B-E-59
Ill-i
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Quarry Site B-E-61
Vegetation B-E-61
Animals B-E-61
Discussion of Individual Species B-E-61
Important Game Species B-E-61
Fur-Bearing Mammals B-E-69
RARE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES ANALYSIS B-E-72
Introduction B-E-72
Plant Site^Summary B-E-73
Quarry Site—Summary B-E-73
Individual Species Discussion B-E-77
Plants B-E-77
Birds B-E-77
Mammals B-E-81
Reptiles B-E-82
Amphibians B-E-84
AQUATIC ECOLOGY
PLANT SITE B-A-E-1
EXISTING ENVIRONMENT B-A-E-1
PROJECTED 1992 ENVIRONMENT B-A-E-6
QUARRY SITE B-A-E-7
EXISTING ENVIRONMENT B-A-E-7
Aquatic Fauna B-A-E-7
FishesB-A-E-7
Rare and Endangered Fishes B-A-E-14
Benthic Macroinvertebrates B-A-E-15
Freshwater Mussels (Naiads) B-A-E-21
PROJECTED 1992 ENVIRONMENT B-A-E-22
SOCIOECONOMICS
PLANT SITE: EXISTING ENVIRONMENT (1977) B-P-S-1
REGIONAL ECONOMY B-P-S-1
POPULATION B-P-S-12
FURTHER EXAMINATION OF RECENT TRENDS B-P-S-17
Out-CommutinQ B-P-S-17
Construction B-P-S-19
Ill-ii
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Trade and Services B-P-S-19
POPULATION AND HOUSING IN SOUTH MOBILE COUNTY B-P-S-21
LAND USE AND LAND VALUE B-P-S-40
TRANSPORTATION B-P-S-45
Dauphin Island Parkway B-P-S-47
Rangellne RoadB-P-S-47
Island Road (Hamilton Road) B-P-S-47
Rangeline Expressway B-P-S-50
Eslava Creek Freeway B-P-S-51
Laurendine Road B-P-S-51
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES B-P-S-53
WATER AND SEWER SERVICE B-P-S-57
HEALTH FACILITIES B-P-S-59
POLICE AND FIRE PROTECTION B-P-S-61
RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE B-P-S-63
ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS SYSTEMS B-P-S-67
LOCAL LAND USE B-P-S-68
Industry B-P-S-68
Residential Land B-P-S-68
Transportation Land B-P-S-71
Agriculture and Nurseries B-P-S-72
Industrial, Commercial, and Recreational Land B-P-S-72
GENERAL PLANNING ISSUES B-P-S-73
PROJECTED 1992 ENVIRONMENT B-P-S-77
FUTURE POPULATION AND ECONOMY B-P-S-77
Theodore Industrial Park and Ship Channel B-P-S-77
Tennessee-Tombigbee WaterwayB-P-S-78
Petroleum-Related Development B-P-S-79
POPULATION FORECASTS B-P-S-81
FUTURE LAND USE B-P-S-92
South Bank Area B-P-S-96
North Bank Area B-P-S-96
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Middle Road B-P-S-97
San Marino Drive B-P-S-97
PUBLIC SEWERAGE B-P-S-99
HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION B-P-S-102
FUTURE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES B-P-S-106
QUARRY SITE B-Q-S-1
EXISTING ENVIRONMENT (1977) B-Q-S-1
Population and Economy B-Q-S-1
AGRICULTURE B-Q-S-18
HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS B-Q-S-21
COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT B-Q-S-30
LAND USE SETTING B-Q-S-34
PRESENT LAND USE B-Q-S-34
FUTURE LAND USE B-Q-S-36
COMMUNITY FACILITIES B-Q-S-37
Health Care B-Q-S-38
Education B-Q-S-40
Law Enforcement B-Q-S-43
Water and Sewer Service B-Q-S-43
Fire Protection B-Q-S-44
Highway Transportation B-Q-S-44
Recreation B-Q-S-44
Electric Service B-Q-S-46
Summary B-Q-S-47
PROJECTED 1992 ENVIRONMENT B-Q-S-48
Ill-iv
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LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY
B.E.I List of Plants Occurring on the Proposed Plant Site B-E-7
B.E.2 Listing and Preferred Habitats of Vertebrates Known or B-E-9
Expected to Occur on or in the Vicinity of the Proposed
Plant Site, Mobile County
B.E.3 List of Plants Occurring on the Proposed Quarry Site, B-E-31
Monroe County
B.E.4 Quantitative Characteristics of Overstory Plants at B-E-35
the Quarry Site
B.E.5 Listing and Preferred Habitats of Vertebrates Known or B-E-38
Expected to Occur on or in the Vicinity of the Proposed
Quarry Site, Monroe County
B.E.6 Preferred Foods, in Relative Order of Abundance, of B-E-64
Important Game Species Occurring on the Proposed Quarry
Site, Monroe County
B.E.7 List of Vertebrates (Endangered, Threatened, or of B-E-74
Special Concern) Which are Known or Expected to Occur
on or in the Vicinity of the Proposed Plant Site,
Mobile County, with their Preferred Habitats and
Likelihood of Occurrence
B.E.8 List of Plants (Endangered, Threatened, or Species B-E-75
of Special Concern) Which May Occur on the Proposed
Plant or Quarry Sites
B.E.9 List of Vertebrates (Endangered, Threatened, or of B-E-76
Special Concern) Which are Known or Expected to Occur
on or in the Vicinity of the Proposed Quarry Site,
Monroe County, with their Preferred Habitats and
Likelihood of Occurrence
AQUATIC ECOLOGY
B.A.E.l The More Abundant Fish Species in Monthly Trawl B-A-E-3
Catches from Middle Deer River, January, 1971, to
May, 1972
III-v
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LIST OF TABLES
(continued)
Table Page
B.A.E.2 The More Abundant Fish Species in Monthly Trawl B-A-E-4
Catches from Theodore Barge Canal, February, 1971,
to May, 1972
B.A.E.3 Relative Abundances of Fishes in Cutoff Oxbows and B-A-E-12
in Adjacent Main Channel of Alabama River at I and II
B.A.E.4 Benthic Macroinvertebrate Collections B-A-E-17
SOCIOECONOMICS
PLANT SITE
B.P.S.l Estimated Employment Impact of the Port of Mobile, B-P-S-4
1973
B.P.S.2 Mobile Harbor Freight Traffic, 1975, in Thousands B-P-S-6
of Short Tons
B.P.S.3 Wage and Salary Employment in the Mobile Area B-P-S-9
B.P.S.4 Commuting Patterns in the Mobile SMSA B-P-S-11
B.P.S.5 Components of Population Change in the Mobile SMSA B-P-S-13
B.P.S.6 Relationships of Population to Employment in the B-P-S-14
Mobile SMSA
B.P.S.7 Components of Change in Mobile SMSA Resident B-P-S-18
Employment, 1970-1976
B.P.S.8 Historical Population Trends in South Mobile County B-P-S-25
B.P.S.9 Population Estimates for Mobile County by Component B-P-S-26
Area
B.P.S.10 Current Population Estimates for South Mobile B-P-S-29
County, by Component Area
B.P.S.ll Sources of Employment for South Mobile County B-P-S-30
Residents
B.P.S.12 Household Estimates for Census Tracts in South B-P-S-32
Mobile County
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LIST OF TABLES
(Continued)
Table Page
B.P.S.13 Dwelling Unit Estimates for Census Tracts in B-P-S-33
South Mobile County
B.P.S.14 Population Characteristics of Census Tracts in B-P-S-36
South Mobile County, 1970
B.P.S.15 Housing Characteristics of Census Tracts in South B-P-S-37
Mobile County, 1970
B.P.S.16 Approximate Hectares (Acreages) of Land in Various B-P-S-41
Uses, South Mobile County, 1968 and 1975
B.P.S.17 Average Daily Traffic Counts for Points on Major B-P-S-46
Highways in South Mobile County, 1970 and 1976
B.P.S.18 Traffic Flow Through the Intersection of Island B-P-S-49
and Range!ine Roads, 1977
B.P.S.19 Public Schools Serving South Mobile County B-P-S-54
B.P.S.20 Existing Hospital Bed Capacity, Mobile County, B-P-S-60
Alabama
B.P.S.21 Inventory of Recreational Facilities in South B-P-S-64
Mobile County
B.P.S.22 Dwelling Units and Population Near the Proposed B-P-S-70
Ideal Basic Site as of August, 1977
B.P.S.23 Annexation in Alabama Metropolitan Areas, 1960-1970 B-P-S-75
B.P.S.24 Projected Mobile SMSA Population, in Thousands of B-P-S-82
Persons
B.P.S.25 SARPC Population Projections for Mobile County B-P-S-84
B.P.S.26 Projected Future Population in South Mobile County B-P-S-86
B.P.S.27 Population Projections for Census Tracts in South B-P-S-88
Mobile County
B.P.S.28 Future Place of Work of South Mobile County B-P-S-90
Residents
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LIST OF TABLES
(Continued)
Table Page
B.P.S.29 Household and Dwelling Unit Forecasts for South B-P-S-90
Mobile County
B.P.S.30 Projected Land Use in South Mobile County B-P-S-93
B.P.S.31 Estimates of Population Served by Public Sanitary B-P-S-100
Sewer Facilities in South Mobile County
B.P.S.32 Traffic Forecasts for Highways Near the Theodore B-P-S-103
Industrial Area
B.P.S.33 Projected Public School Enrollment in South Mobile B-P-S-107
County
B.P.S.34 Projected Utilization of School Facilities in B-P-S-109
1991-1992
B.P.S.35 Possible Allocation of Public School Students B-P-S-111
After Construction of Theodore High School
QUARRY SITE
B.Q.S.I Historical Population Trends in the Quarry Impact B-Q-S-2
Area
B.Q.S.2 Industry Group of Employed Residents in 1970; B-Q-S-4
Counties in Quarry Impact Area
B.Q.S.3 Labor Force Characteristics of Counties in the B-Q-S-5
Quarry Impact Area
B.Q.S.4 Unemployment Trends in the Quarry Impact Area B-Q-S-5
B.Q.S.5 Commuting Patterns in the Quarry Impact Area, 1970 B-Q-S-7
B.Q.S.6 Income Trends in the Quarry Impact Area B-Q-S-7
B.Q.S.7 Income in 1969 of 1970 Residents; Quarry Impact B-Q-S-9
Area and State of Alabama
B.Q.S.8 Components of Recent Population Change, Monroe B-Q-S-10
County
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LIST OF TABLES
(Continued)
Table Page
B.Q.S.9 Employment Characteristics by Race; Monroe County, B-Q-S-13
1970
B.Q.S.10 Labor Force Composition by Race; Monroe County, 1970 B-Q-S-13
B.Q.S.ll Resident Employment in Monroe County, 1970, by B-Q-S-15
Industry, Sex, and Race
B.Q.S.12 Recent Employment Trends in Monroe County B-Q-S-16
B.Q.S.13 Characteristics of Agriculture in Monroe County B-Q-S-19
B.Q.S.14 Housing Characteristics of Counties in the Quarry B-Q-S-22
Impact Area, 1970
B.Q.S.15 Potential Dwelling Unit Demand, Monroe County B-Q-S-24
B.Q.S.16 Population and Dwelling Units Within the 1970 B-Q-S-27
Monroeville City Limits.
B.Q.S.17 Vacancy Analysis of Dwelling Units; Monroeville, B-Q-S-27
1975
B.Q.S.18 Retail Sales Trends in the Quarry Impact Area B-Q-S-31
B.Q.S.19 Health Care Statistics for Impact Area Counties B-Q-S-39
B.Q.S.20 County School Information, Grades 1-12, For Impact B-Q-S-41
Area Counties
B.Q.S.21 Traffic Flow Information for Highways in Monroe B-Q-S-45
County
B.Q.S.22 OBERS Forecasts for Impact Area Counties B-Q-S-49
B.Q.S.23 Forecasts of Nonagricultural Wage and Salary B-Q-S-52
Employment in Monroe County
B.Q.S.24 Comparison of Population Forecast for Monroe County B-Q-S-52
with OBERS Series E Projections
B.Q.S.25 Household and Dwelling Unit Forecasts for Monroe B-Q-S-54
County
B.Q.S.26 Population and Household Forecasts for Monroeville B-Q-S-56
(1970 City Limits)
Ill-ix
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY
B.E.I Vegetation Map for the Proposed Plant Site B-E-3
B.E.2 Photographs of Plant Communi'ties B-E-4
B.E.3 Generalized Diagram of Nutrient Cycling in the Marshes B-E-21
of the Proposed Plant Site
B.E.4 Ecological Relationships of the Ecosystems of the B-E-22
Proposed Plant Site
B.E.5 General Plant Succession and 1992 Baseline Conditions B-E-26
of the Proposed Plant Site
B.E.6 Generalized Pattern of Bird and Mammal Succession in B-E-27
Southeastern Forests
B.E.7 Vegetation Map of the Proposed Quarry Site B-E-29
B.E.8 Photographs of Vegetational Areas B-E-30
B.E.9 Generalized Diagram of Nutrient Cycling , B-E-49
B.E.10 Generalized Diagram of Nutrient Cycling in the B-E-52
Ecosystem of the Proposed Quarry Site
B.E.ll Game Species Habitat Map of the Proposed Quarry Site B-E-54
B.E.12 General Plant Succession and 1992 Baseline Conditions B-E-56
of the Proposed Quarry Site
B.E.13 Ecological Relationship of the Ecosystems of the B-E-57
Proposed Quarry Site
B.E.14 Generalized Pattern of Bird and Mammal Succession B-E-58
in Southeastern Forests
AQUATIC ECOLOGY
B.A.E.l Photographs of Habitat (Thompson Mill Creek) B-A-E-8
B.A.E.2 Photographs of Habitat (Hoilinger Creek) B-A-E-9
B.A.E.3 Photographs of Habitat (Randons Creek) B-A-E-10
III-x
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LIST OF FIGURES
(continued)
Figure
SOCIOECONOMICS
B.P.S.l. Definition of South Mobile County Planning Area B-P-S-22
B.P.S.2. Present Land Use in the Vicinity of the Proposed B-P-S-69
Ideal Basic Industries Plant Site, 1992
B.P.S.3. Projected Land Use in the Vicinity of the Proposed B-P-S-94
Ideal Basic Industries Plant Site, 1992
B.Q.S.I Present Land Use in the Vicinity of the Proposed B-Q-S-35
Ideal Basic Industries Plant Site
Ill-xi
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ECOLOGY
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
APPENDIX B. BASELINE
TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
For the purpose of highlighting the important ecological and environ-
mental elements in the areas of concern, the analysis of the existing
terrestrial environments of the plant and quarry sites is divided into
three sections: "Ecosystem Analysis," "Important Species Analysis," and
"Rare and Endangered Species Analysis."
"Ecosystem Analysis" describes the ecological systems of the plant and
quarry site from structural, functional, and service/value points of
view in order to illustrate the dynamics, sensitivities, and importance
of these systems. "Important Species Analysis" is a discussion of any
commercially or recreation ally important plants and animals and of those
species which either affect the well-being of these important species or
are critical to the structure and function of the ecological systems
at the sites. "Rare and Endangered Species Analysis" is a discussion of
those plants and animals classified by the Secretary of the Interior or
by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources as rare,
endangered, or threatened.
The analysis of the baseline ecological environment represents existing
conditions observed in the spring, summer, and fall, 1977. The 1992
projections for the plant site are based on the assumption that natural
ecological succession would be allowed to continue. For the quarry
site, the 15-year projection is based on the Conservation Plan developed
for Mr. Howard McWilliams by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service, Monroe
County Soil Conservation District (May 26, 1974).
B-E-1
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PLANT SITE
ECOSYSTEM ANALYSIS (PLANT SITE)
EXISTING ENVIRONMENT (1977)
Ecological Structure
Plant Communities
There are two major plant communities at the proposed plant site: a
modified longleaf pine forest and a marshland which has gum and titi
swamps at its perimeter (Figure B.E.I and Figure B.E.2). The marshland
is of two types—fresh and brackish.
The upland areas have a sparse overstory of longleaf pine with a well-
developed understory of hardwoods. Longleaf pine development requires
periodic fire to clear the underbrush so that the pine seedlings can
compete successfully. The study area has been burned periodically
during the last 15 years, and mature longleaf pine trees were harvested
in 1974. The recent absence of fires allows the more competitive
hardwoods to attain their present size and numbers (Hodgkins, 1958).
Once burning ceased and the canopy was opened by lumbering, the
increased light further aided the development of the hardwoods. Pines
cannot compete with established hardwoods (Quarterman and Keever, 1962).
Opening of the canopy has increased the abundance of weedy and/or
disturbed area species such as muhly, broomstraw, meadowbeauty,
dog-fennel, panic grass, greenbrier, blackberry, grape, and St. John's
wort, especially in open areas. Most of the upland area has been
affected, either directly or indirectly, by the clearing resulting from
lumbering.
Pitcher plant bogs occur in several depressions within the upland areas.
These depressions are generally moist and resistant to fire. Insecti-
vorous plants generally grow on nitrogen-deficient soils, in association
with yellow-eyed grass, broomstraw, redroot, and bulrush. The area
covered by the bogs is small and probably will be invaded by shrubs.
B-E-2
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[y^7| MODIFIED LONQLEAF
PINE FOREST
pi | BRACKISH MARSH
F~71 FRESHWATER MARSH
fcVJ INTERMEDIATE MARSH | WATER
ZONE
| | DEVELOPED -++++ RAILROAD
ROADS
IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
PROPERTY BOUNDARY
Figure B.E.1
VEGETATION MAP FOR THE PROPOSED PLANT SITE
SCALE IN METERS >0°
SOURCE: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
REGION IV
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
PROPOSED CEMENT MANUFACTURING
PLANT THEODORE INDUSTRIAL PARK
MOBILE, ALABAMA
B-E-3
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FRESHWATER MARSH
(NORTH FORK DEER RIVER)
MODIFIED LONGLEAF PINE
BRACKISH MARSH
(NORTH FORK DEER RIVER)
LONGLEAF PINE FOREST
Figure B.E.2
PHOTOGRAPHS OF PLANT COMMUNITIES
SOURCE: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
REGION IV
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
PROPOSED CEMENT MANUFACTURING
PLANT THEODORE INDUSTRIAL PARK
MOBILE, ALABAMA
B-E-4
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PLANT SITE
The southwestern side of Mobile Bay has the smallest area of tidal
marshlands compared to other areas in the Bay. The brackish marsh at
the mouth of the North Fork Deer River is representative of one type of
tiaal marsh found in Mobile Bay. It is composed of black needle rush
which intergrades to sawgrass in the higher river. The sawgrass marsh
covers most of the tidal marsh area of the proposed plant site and
represents a little over 5U percent of the total marsh area of the
site.
The freshwater marsh is separated from the brackish marsh by a higher
forested area which apparently has been filled and has stopped the
saline influence of tidal waters. Clewell, et al_. (1976), has described
the effect of "damming" saline creeks without installing a culvert to
allow tidal exchange. He has shown that following impoundment,
vegetation and macroinvertebrates change from saltwater species to
freshwater species.
Thi-s- higher area, called the "intermediate marsh," is characterized by
the presence of overstory species. Although small in stature, these
species clearly define the upper limit of regular saline influence. The
overstory is dominated by titi, black willow, and red maple. Also
present, but not abundant, are Sapium, black gum, wax myrtle, and
bayberry. Ground cover includes spike rush, water hyssop, royal fern,
pickerel weed, arrowhead, poison ivy, and climbing hempweed.
Because of species overlaps between the intermediate and fresh marshes,
a distinct line of demarcation is absent. Landward from the intermedi-
ate zone, overstory species become sparse and are replaced by grasses,
goldenrod, dog fennel, and Coreopsis sp. Grasses predominate in the
center of the marsh, while pickerel weed and arrowhead dominate the
marsh edges where the water is deeper and the current is stronger.
Ludwigia and bracken fern are also present on the edge of the marsh.
Higher in the fresh marsh at the property boundary the vegetation is
almost entirely cattail, cane, and reed. Freshwater species also occur
but are not abundant.
B-E-5
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PLANT SITE
The plant species which occur on the proposed Mobile site are listed in
Table B.E.I.
Animal Communities
Because of the diversity of aquatic and terrestrial habitats (Swingle,
et al_., 1975), the Gulf Coast areas of Alabama contain the largest
variety of wildlife found within any region of the state. The verte-
brate animal communities of the plant site (see Table B.E.2) reflect
this habitat diversity.
With the presence of this wetland, an aquatic-associated group of birds.
mammals, reptiles, and amphibians are represented on the site. The
marshes have a number of exclusives (species occurring in a single habi-
tat), including marsh wrens, rails, rice rats, nutria, and salt marsh
snakes which are adapted to the periodic inundation of the vegetation of
the marsh. Other species (e.g., barn owls, fish crows, raccoons, and
skunks) are ubiquitous and utilize the marsh as well as a wide variety
of other habitats. The most commonly observed vertebrate animals were
avian species such as swallows, snipe, sharptailed sparrows, and red-
wing blackbirds. Although the fresh and brackish marshes are flor-
istically different and have different salinity patterns, many of the
animals are associated with both. The faunal differences between the
two marshes are more quantitative than qualitative. For example, there
were more red-wing blackbirds seen in the freshwater marsh than in the
brackish marsh because cattails provide more suitable nesting habitat.
Some species resident in the marshes also utilize upland habitats.
However, the exchange is predominantly in the other direction, and the
marshes support several species from surrounding communities.
B-E-6
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PLANT SITE
Table B.E.I. List of Plants Occurring on the Proposed Plant Site
Scientific Name
Common Name
Woody Plants
Acer rubrum
Baccharis halimi folia
Cephalanthus occidental is
Clethra aim'folia
Cliftonia monophylla
Cyril!a racemiflora
Diospyros
Hamameli s
virginiana
virginiana
Hyperi cum ni ti dum
Hyper
Ilex
myrtifolia
Ilex coriacea
Ilex glabra
Ilex vomi tori a
Magnolia grandiflora
Magnolia virginiana
Myrica ceri fera
Myrica heterophylla
Nyssa biflora
Persea palustris
pal
Hi
Pinus elliotii
Pinus palustris
Prunus serotina
Quercus marilandica
Quercus m'gra
Quercus virginiana
Rhus radicans
Rubus betulifolius
a
sebi f erum
ap
Sal ix nigra
Smi 1 ax bona-nox
Smi 1 ax lauri folia
Symplocgs tinctoria
Vaccinium arboreum
Vaccim'um myrsinites
Viburnum nudum
Vitis rotundifolia
Vitis aestivalis
Red Maple
Sea Myrtle, Groundsel
Tree
Buttonbush
Sweet Pepperbush
Cliftonia
Ti ti, Leatherwood
Persimmon
Witch-hazel
St. John's Wort
Myrtle-leaved Holly
Large or Sweet Gall berry
Gall berry
Yaupon
Bull Bay
Sweet Bay
Wax Myrtle
Bayberry
Black Gum
Swamp Bay
Slash Pine
Longleaf Pine
Black Cherry
Blackjack Oak
Water Oak
Live Oak
Poison Ivy
Blackberry
Black Willow
Greenbrier, Catbrier
Bamboo
Horse Sugar
Sparkleberry
Dwarf Blueberry
Possum-haw Viburnum
Muscadine
Summer Grape
B-E-7
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PLANT SITE
Table B.E.I.
List of Plants Occurring on the Proposed Plant Site
(Continued)
Scientific Name
Common Name
Herbaceous Plants
Andropogon sp.
Arundinaria tecta
Bacopa monnieri
Cladium jamaicense
Coreopsis sp.
Crinum americanum
Eleocharis parvula
Eryngium yuccifolium
Eupatorium capi Hi folium
Ipomoea purpurea
Ipomoea sagittate
Juncus roemerianus
Lachnanthes sp.
Ludwigia gl'andulosa
Lycopodium alopecuroides
Lycopus rubellus
Lycopus virginicus
Mikania scandens
Muhlenbergia sp.
Osmunda cinnamomea
Osmunda regal is
Panicum spp.
Peltandra virginiana
Phragmites austral is
Pluchea rosea
Polygonum hydropiperoides
Pontedari
Pteridium aquillnum
Rhexia sp.
Sagittaria land folia
Sarracenia flava
Saururus cernuus
Scirpus americanus
Scirpus robustus
Serenoa repens
Soli dago
Spartina bakeri
Typha domingensis
Typha latifolia
Woodwardia virginica
Broom-straw
Cane
Water Hyssop
Sawgrass
Tickseed
Spike-rush
Button Snakeroot,
Rattlesnake Master
Dog-fennel
Morning Glory
Morning Glory
Black Needle Rush
Redroot
Foxtail Clubmoss
Bugleweed
Bugleweed
Climbing Hempwood
Muhly
Cinnamon Fern
Royal Fern
Panic Grass
Arrow-arum
Reed
Marsh Fleabane
Smartweed
Pickerel Weed
Bracken Fern
Meadow beauty
Arrowhead
Trumpets, Pitcher Plant
Lizard's Tail
Bulrush
Bulrush
Saw Palmetto
Goldenrod
Sand Cordgrass
Cat-tail
Common Cat-tail
Virginia Chain Fern
Yellow-eyed grass
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering, 1977.
B-E-8
-------
PLANT SITE
Table B.E.2. Listing and Preferred Habitats of Vertebrates Known or Expected to Occur on or in
the Vicinity of the Proposed Plant Site, Mobile County
Order
Family
Species Common Name
Caudata
Ambystomati dae
Ambystoma cingulatum Flatwoods salamander
Ambystoma talpoideum Mole salamander
Ambystoma tigrinum trigrinum Tiger salamander
Salamandridae
Notophthalamus viridescens
louisianensis Central newt
Plethooontidae
Plethodon glutinosus Slimy salamander
Amphiumiaae
Amphiuma means means Two- toed congo eel
Necturidae
Necturus punctatus Southern mud puppy
Anura
Pelobatidae
Scaphiopus holbrooki Eastern spadefoot toad
Ranidae
Rana areolata Gopher frog
Rana catesbeiana Bullfrog
Rana claim tans Bronze frog
Rana grylio Pig frog
Rana hecksheri River frog
Rana utriculana Southern leopard frog
Microhylidae
Gastrophryne carol inensis Eastern narrow-mouth toad
Bufonidae
Bufo quercicus Oak toad
Bufo terrestris terrestris Southern toad
Bufo woodhousei fbVleri Fowler's toad
Hyl loae
Acris gryllus gryllus Southern cricket frog
Hyl a crucifer crucifer Northern spring peeper
Hyl a cinerea cinerea Green treefrog
Hyl a femoral i s Pine woods treefrog
Hyl a squirella Squirrel treefrog
Hyl a versicolor Gray treefrog
Pseudacris mgrita mgrita Southern chorus frog
Pseuaacris ornata Ornate chorus frog
Testudines
Chelydridae
Chelyolra serpentine serpentine Snapping turtle
Kinosternidae
Stenotherus odoratus Musk turtle
Stenotherus minor Loggerhead musk turtle
Kinosternon subrubrum hippocrepis Mud turtle
Emydidae
Terrapene Carolina major Gulf Coast box turtle
Terrapene Caroline triunguis Three- toed box turtle
Malaclemys terrapin Diamondback terrapin
Observed
X
X
X
X
Pine Oak
Hardwoods
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
in L.
01 ID
i. £
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
£
in
— .e
^e in
-------
PLANT SITE
Table B.E.2. Listing and Preferred Habitats of Vertebrates Known or Expected to Occur on or in
the Vicinity of the Proposed Plant Site, Mobile County (continued)
Order
Family
Species Common Name
Emydidae (cont'd)
Graptemys pulchra Alabama map turtle
Chrysemys alabamensis Alabama red-bellied turtle
Chrysemys scipta elegans Red-eared turtle
Chrysemys pi eta dorsal i s Southern painted turtle
Chrysemys scripta scripta Yellow-bellied turtle
Deirochelyj reticulana Chicken turtle
Testudinidae
Gopherus polyphemus Gopher tortoise
Trionychidae
Trionyx muticus calvatus Gulf Coast smooth soft-shelled
turtle
Trionyx spiniferus asper Gulf Coast spiny soft-shelled
turtle
Crocodyl la
Alligator idae
Alligator imssissippiensis American alligator
Squamata
Iguanidae
Anolis carol inensis Green anole
Sceloporus undulatus Fence lizard
Seine idae
Leiolopisma laterale Ground skink
Eumeces fasciatus Five-lined skink
Eumeces inexpectatus Southeastern five-lined skink
Teiidae
Cnemidophorus sexlineatus Six-lined racerunner
Anguioae
Ophisaurus ventral is Eastern glass lizard
Ophisaurus longicauda Slender glass lizard
Colubndae
Natrix fasciata fasciata Banded water snake
Natrix fasciata clarki Gulf salt marsh snake
Natrix erythrogaster flavigaster Yellow-bellied water snake
Natrix cyclopion Green water snake
Natrix rhombifera rhombifera Diamond- backed water snake
Natrix rigida Glossy water snake
Seminatrix pygaea Black swamp snake
Thamnophis sirtalis Garter snake
Thamnophis sauritus Ribbon snake
Virginia striatula Rough earth snake
Virginia valeriae Smooth earth snake
Storena occipi tomaculata Red-bellied snake
Storena dekayi Brown snake
Heterodon pi aty rhinos Eastern hognose snake
Heterodon simus Southern hognose snake
Diadophis punctatus Ringneck snake
Farancia erytrogramma Rainbow snake
Farancia abacura Mud snake
Coluber constrictor Black racer
Observed
X
X
X
X
X
Pine Oak
Hardwoods
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
n I.
Ol ID
. s:
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
f
tn
1- f
J* I/I
0 i-
>D ID
£z
X
X
X
B-E-10
-------
PLANT SITE
Table B.E.2. Listing and Preferred Habitats of Vertebrates Known or Expected to Occur on or in
the Vicinity of the Proposed Plant Site, Mobile County (continued)
Order
Family
Species Coimon Name
Colubridae (cont'd)
Masticophis flagellum Eastern coachwhip
Opheodrys aestivus Rough green snake
Elaphe guttata guttata Corn snake
Elaphe obsolete Gray rat snake
Pituophus melanoleucus lodingi Black pine snake
Drymarchon corais couperi Indigo snake
Lampropeltis calligaster Mole snake
Lampropeltis getulus holbrooki Speckled kingsnake
Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides Scarlet kingsnake
Cemophora cocci nea Scarlet snake
Rhadinaca flavilata Pine woods snake
Tantilla coronata Southeastern crowned snake
Elapidae
Micrurus fulvius fulvius Eastern coral snake
Viperidae
Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti Florida cottonmouth
Sistrurus miliarius barbouri Dusky pigmy rattlesnake
Crotalus horridus atricaudatus Canebrake rattlesnake
Crotalus adamanteus Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
Observed
FPine Oak
Hardwoods
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
£ trt
I/I 1.
01 re
i- z:
.1.
X
f
(A
S-5
-------
PLANT SITE
Table B.E.2. Listing and Preferred Habitats of Vertebrates Known or Expected to Occur on or in the
Vicinity of the Proposed Plant Site, Mobile County, (continued)
Order
Species Common Name
Podicipediformes
Podiceps caspicus Eared grebe
Podiceps podilymbus Pied-billed grebe
P el ecam formes
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos White pelican
Pelecanus occidental is Brown pelican
Phalacrocorax auritus Double-crested cormorant
Anhinga anhinga Anhinga
C i com' i formes
Ardea herodias Great blue heron
Butorides striatus Green heron
Florida caerulea Little blue heron
Bubulcus ibis Cattle egret
Casmerodi'us albus Great egret
Egretta thula Snowy egret
Hydranassa tricolor Louisiana heron
Nycticorax nycticorax Black-crowned night heron
Nyctanassa violacea Yellow-crowned night heron
Ixobrychus exilis Least bittern
Botaurus lentiginosus American bittern
My c ten a americana Wood stork
Plegadis faTcinellus Glossy ibis
Eudocimus albus White ibis
Plegadis chihi White- faced ibis
Anseri formes
Branta canadensis Canada goose
Chen caerulescens Snow goose
Dendrocygna btcol or Fulvous whistling duck
Anas platyrhynchos Mallard
Anas rubripes Black duck
Anas ful vijjula Mottled duck
Anas strepera Gadwall
Anas acuta Pintail
Anas crecca carol inensis Green-winged teal
Anas discors Blue-winged teal
Anas americana American widgeon
Anas clypeata Northern shovel er
Aix sponsa Wood duck
Aytha valisineria Canvasback
Bucephala albeola Bufflehead
Oxyura jamaicensis Ruddy duck
Lophodytes cucullatus Hooded merganser
Fal com formes
Cathartes aura Turkey vulture
Coragyps atratus Black vulture
Elanoides forficatus Swallow-tailed kite
Ectima misisippiensis Mississippi kite
Accipiter coopern Cooper's hawk
Buteo jamaicensis Red-tailed hawk
Buteo lineatus Red- shouldered hawk
Buteo platypterus Broad-winged hawk
Observed
X
X
X
en u<
C 01
•o o
01 01
Q) CL
Ul/1
aa
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
in
•o
^ o
IB O
o .»
Ol 1-
C IS
•— z
o.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
,C I/*
trt L.
LL.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
f
in
•r- £
tsc
c.
CO
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
B-E-12
-------
PLANT SITE
Table B.E.2. Listing and Preferred Habitats of Vertebrates Known or Expected to Occur on or in the
Vicinity of the Proposed Plant Site, Mobile County (continued)
Order
Species Common Name
Fa 1 com formes (continued)
Haliaeetus leucocephalus Bald eagle
Circus cyaneus Marsh hawk
Pandion haliaetus Osprey
Falco columbarius Merlin
Falco s parvenus American kestrel
Gall i formes
Colinus virgi'm anus Bobwhite
Grui formes
Grus canadensis Sandhill crane
Rail us elegans King rail
Raljus longirpstris Clapper rail
Rail us limicola Virginia rail
Porzana Carolina Sora
Coturmcops noveboracensis Yellow rail
Lateral 1 us jamaicensis Black rail
Porphyruta martimca Purple gall mule
Gall inul a chloropus Common gall mule
Fulica amen c ana American coot
Charadm formes
Haematopus mexicanus Black-necked stilt
Charadrius vociferus Kill deer
Capella gal Imago Common snipe
Calidris melanotos Pectoral sandpiper
Recurvi rostra amen c ana American avocet
Larus hyperboreus Glaucous gull
Larus argentatus Herring gull
Larus delawarensis Ring-billed gull
Gelocheliaon nilotica Gull -billed tern
Sterna forsteri Forster's tern
Sterna caspia Caspian tern
Chlidonias niger Black tern
Col umbi formes
Columba livia Rock dove
Zenaida macroura Mourning dove
Col umbi na passerina Ground dove
Cuculi formes
Coccyzus americanus Yellow-billed cuckoo
Strigi formes
Tyto alba Barn owl
Otus asio Screech owl
Bubo virginianus Great horned owl
Strix varia Barred owl
Asio flammeus Short-eared owl
Caprimulgi formes
Caprimulgus carol inensis Chuck-will's widow
Caprimulgus vociferus Whip-poor-will
Chordeiles minor Common nighthawk
Apod i formes
Chaetura pelagica Chimney swift
Archilochus colubns Ruby-throated hummingbird
Observed
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Breeding
Species
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
7
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Pine Oak
Hardwoods
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
.C «/l
I/I &.
01 10
i- z:
U-
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Brackish
Marsh
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
B-E-13
-------
PLANT SITE
Table B.E.2. Listing and Preferred Habitats of Vertebrates Known or Expected to Occur on or in the
Vicinity of the Proposed Plant Site, Mobile County (continued)
Order
Species Common Name
Coracii formes
Megaceryle alcyon Belted kingfisher
Pici formes
Colaptes auratus Common flicker
Dryocopus pileatus Pileated woodpecker
Centurus carol inus Red-bellied woodpecker
Helanerpes erythrocephalus Red-headed woodpecker
Sphyrapicus varius Yellow-bellied sapsucker
Picoioes villous Hairy woodpecker
Picoides pubescens Downy woodpecker
Picoides boreal is Red-cockaded woodpecker
Passeri formes
Tyrannus tyrannus Eastern kingbird
Tyrannus domim'censis Gray kingbird
Muscivora forficata Scissor- tailed flycatcher
Myiarchus crimtus Great crested flycatcher
Myiarchus cinerascens Ash-throated flycatcher
Empidonax virescens Acadian flycatcher
Empidonax minimus Least flycatcher
Contopus virens Eastern wood peewee
Riparia riparia Bank swallow
Stelgidopteryx ruficollis Rough-winged swallow
Hirundo rustica Barn swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonata Cliff swallow
Progne subis Purple martin
Cyanocitta cristata Blue jay
Corvus ossifragus Fish crow
Parus carol inensis Carolina chickadee
Parus bicolor Tufted titmouse
Sitta canadensis Red-breasted nuthatch
Sitta pusilla Brown-headed nuthatch
Certhia familiaris Brown creeper
Thryothorus luoovicianus Carolina wren
Cistothorus palustris Long-billed marsh wren
Cistothorus platensis Short-billed marsh wren
Minus polygl ottos Mockingbird
Dumetella carol inensis Gray catbird
Toxostoma rufum Brown thrasher
Turdus migratorius American robin
Catharus guttatus Hermit thrush
Catharus ustulatus Swainson's thrush
Catharus minimus Gray-cheeked thrush
Catharus fuscescens Veery
Hylocichla musteline Mood thrush
Sialia sialis Eastern bluebird
Polioptila caerulea Blue-gray gnatcatcher
Regulus satrapa Golden-crowned kinglet
Regulus calendula Ruby-crowned kinglet
Bombycilla cedrorum Cedar waxwing
Lamus ludovicianus Loggerhead shrike
Sturvus vulgaris Starling
Observed
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Breeding
Species
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Pine Oak
Hardwoods
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
JI
f tn
in l.
££
u_
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
y
X
X
X
Brackish
Marsh
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
B-E-14
-------
Table B.E.2.
PLANT SITE
Listing and Preferred Habitats of Vertebrates Known or Expected to Occur on or in the
Vicinity of the Proposed Plant Site, Mobile County (continued)
Order
Species Conmon Name
Passeri formes, (cont'd)
Vireo griseus White-eyed vireo
Vireo flavifrons Yellow-throat vireo
Vireo sol i tar i us Solitary vireo
Vireo olivaceus Red-eyed vireo
Vireo philadelphicus Philadelphia vireo
Mmotilta van a Black and white warbler
Vermivora peregnna Tennessee warbler
Vermivora celata Orange-crowned warbler
Parula americana Northern parula
Dendroica magnolia Magnolia warbler
Dendroica coronata Yellow-rumped warbler
Dendroica domimca Yellow- throated warbler
Dendroica pensylvamca Chestnut-sided warbler
Dendroica striata Blackpoll warbler
Dendroica pinus Pine warbler
Dendroica discolor Prairie warbler
Dendroica palmarum Palm warbler
Seiurus noveboracensis Northern waterthrush
Seiurus motacilla Louisiana waterthrush
Geothlypis trichas Conmon yellowthroat
I c ten a virens Yellow-breasted chat
Wilsonia canadensis Canada warbler
Passer domes ticus House sparrow
Dolichonyx oryzivorus Bobolink
Sturnelia magna Eastern meadowlark
Agelaius pheomceus Redwing blackbird
Icterus spun us Orchard oriole
Icterus gal bul a Northern oriole
Euphagus carol inus Rusty blackbird
Quiscalus major Boat-tailed grackle
Euphagus cyanocephalus Brewer's blackbird
Molothrus ater Brown-headed cowbird
Pheucticus ludovicianus Rose-breasted grosbeak
Cardinal is cardinal is Cardinal
Guiraca caerulea Blue grosbeak
Passenna cyaena Indigo bunting
Passerina cms Painted bunting
Hesperiphona vespertine Evening grosbeak
Carpodacus purpureus Purple finch
Spiza americana Dickcissel
Pipilo erythrophthalmus Rufous-sided towhee
Amnospiza caudacuta Sharptailed sparrow
Ammospiza maritima Seaside sparrow
Passerculus sandvicensis sandvicensis Savannah sparrow
Ammodramus savannarum Grasshopper sparrow
Pooecetes gralnTrieus Vesper sparrow
Aimophila aestivalis Bachman's sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys White-crowned sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis White- throated sparrow
Passerella iliaca Fox sparrow
Melospiza georgiana Swamp sparrow
Melospiza melodia Song sparrow
Observed
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
C 0)
•5 G
Q| Q)
Ol CL
t- tf>
03
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Pine Oak
Hardwoods
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Irt L.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
f
I/I
— .c
je u>
u t-
-------
PLANT SITE
Table B.E.2. Listing and Preferred Habitats of Vertebrates Known or Exoected to Occur on or in the
Vicinity of the Prooosed Plant Site, Mobile County (continued)
Order
Family
Species Common Name
Marsupials
Didelphidae
Oi del phis marsupial is Opossum
Insecti vora
Soricmae
Blarina brevicauda Shorttail shrew
Cryptotis parva Least shrew
Talpidae
Scalopus aquaticus Eastern mole
Condylura cristata Starnose mole
Chiroptera
Vesperti lionidae
Hyoti s austroriparius Mississippi myotis
Pipistrellus subflavas Eastern pipistrel
Eptesicus fuscus Big brown bat
Lasiurus boreal is Red bat
Lasiurus seminolus Seminole bat
Lasiurus intermedius Yellow bat
Lasiurus cinereus Hoary bat
Nycticeius humeral is Evening bat
Plecotus rafinesquei Big-eared bat
Edentata
Dasypodidae
Dasypus novemcinctus Nine-banded armaaillo
Lagomorpha
Leporidae
Sylvilagus floridanus Eastern cottontail
Sylvilagus aquaticus Swamp rabbit
Sylvilagus palustris Marsh rabbit
Rodentia
Sciuridae
Sciurus carol inensis Gray squirrel
Sciurus mger Fox squirrel
Glaucomys volans Southern flying scuirrel
Cricetidae
Oryzomys palustris Rice rat
Peromyscus gossypinus Cotton mouse
Sigmodon hispidus Cotton rat
Neotoma f loridana Eastern woodrat
Ondatra zibethicus Louisiana musk rat
Muridae
Rattus norvegicus Norway rat
Rattus rattus Black rat
Mus musculus House mouse
Carmvora
Canidae
Vulojis fulva Red fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus Gray fox
Cams familiaris Feral dog
Procyomaae
Procyon lotor Raccoon
Observed
X
X
X
X
X
X
Pine Oak
Hardwoods
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
f
J= l/>
VI i.
££
U-
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Brackish
Marsh
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
B-E-16
-------
PLANT SITE
Table B.E.2. Listing and Preferred Habitats of Vertebrates Known or Expected to Occur on or in
the Vicinity of the Proposed Plant Site, Mobile County (continued)
Order
Family
Species Common Name
Carnivore (cont'd.)
Mustel idae
Mustela vi son Mink
Lutra canadensis River otter
Pel loae
Lynx rufus Bobcat
Felis catus Feral cat
Artiodactyla
Cervidae
Odocoileus virgirnanus White-tailed deer
•o
QJ
>
^
Ol
l/>
§
in
"O
.M o
*o o
° -o
o> t-
c ro
£ ""
X
X
X
f
f— If)
I/I 1.
o> «
i- z:
LL.
X
X
X
X
X
JT
i/l
•— f
-------
PLANT SITE
The longleaf pine animal community is characterized by a number of
exclusives—nuthatches, warblers, squirrels, flatwoods salamanders, and
black pine snakes. A greater number of ubiquitous species, including
raccoons, rabbits, crows, jays, marsh hawks, slimy salamanders, and the
Florida box turtle, are also associated with the longleaf pine com-
munity. Some of the more commonly observed animals in the area were
cardinals, quail, doves, red-bellied woodpeckers, raccoons and rabbits
(cottontail and swamp). The recent logging of the longleaf pine forest
has reduced the quality of animal habitat, especially for exclusive
types.
In addition to changes in population numbers resulting from repro-
duction, primarily in spring and summer, there are temporary changes in
species composition when migrating birds stop-over in spring and fall
(Imhof, 1976). Some of these migrants (e.g., cardinals and Carolina
wrens) remain in the area and augment resident populations of the same
species.
Bogs are one of the several smaller habitats included within the long-
leaf pine community. Some reptiles and amphibians, such as scarlet
kingsnake and flatwoods salamanders, are more common in bogs. Because
of the extremely dry conditions, a thorough analysis of aquatic habitats
was impossible.
Functional Aspects
Energetics
The productivity of the longleaf pine forest is similar to that detailed
for the proposed quarry site. In general, the net productivity of early
successional stages such as those on the site, is high compared to more
mature communities.
Tidal marshes have high productivities. Estimates range as high as
3750 g dry weight m-2/yr (0.77 pounds per square foot per year)
(Gosselink, et. al., 1973). This production is mainly exported to
estuarine areas and bays and provides important nutrient sources for
B-E-18
-------
PLANT SITE
important nutrient sources for estuarine animals. The tidal marshes
serve as important nursery grounds for the young of most commercial
species of seafood (see Aquatic Ecology section).
Brackish marshes may have higher productivities than freshwater marshes.
Odum and Fanning (1973) found higher productivity in Spartina
alterniflora, a salt marsh plant, than in Spartina cynosuroides. a
freshwater species. The brackish marsh is under tidal influence and
exports detritus to the estuaries and to Mobile Bay. These exported
materials are very important to commercial marine seafood organisms.
Juncus roeniarianus, one of the dominant brackish marsh species, has
production values ranging from 560 to 2,000 g dry wt in-2/yr (0.11 to
0.41 pounds per square foot per year) for above-ground vegetation
(de la Cruz, 1973). These production values are relatively high
compared to other plants and result in peat accumulation and in detritus
export. At the Mobile site, peat has accumulated to a depth of
50 centimeters (20 inches) or more, and it is augmented by silt carried
from the uplands, especially at the upper end. The intermediate zone
tends to reduce the siltation in the brackish marsh.
Cycles
A general discussion of the cycling of elements in the longleaf pine
forest is found in the description of the proposed quarry site. At the
plant site, the nutrient cycle has been disrupted because of recent
lumbering and road building. Erosion at the site indicates loss of
nutrients to other systems, including the marsh. Reduction in
litterfall has diminished the major nutrient reservoir for the forest.
The hardwoods now developing on the site have high rates of uptake and
storage of nutrients so that they reduce losses of nutrients to
surrounding systems. However, losses are still greater than in more
mature forests (Vitousek and Reiners, 1975). As the hardwoods develop,
the nutrient cycles become more closed, which will result in a more
efficient use and better retention of nutrients.
B-E-19
-------
PLANT SITE
Generally, whether a marsh is fresh or saline, solar energy fixed into
organic chemical energy enters the soil and water as organic detritus or
dissolved organic carbon. Some surface water nutrients reach
equilibrium with soil nutrients; some are concentrated around or within
plants or animals. Plants, filter feeders, and detritus feeders utilize
this material. These organisms then become the food source of
macroinvertebrates and vertebrates within the system (fishes, crabs,
anemones, raccoons, etc.). Death and subsequent decay of these
organisms effectively cycle these nutrients within the system. The
concentrations of available phosphorus and nitrogen in tidal marshes are
significantly higher than those in the bay or the inflowing streams and
rivers. Marshes act as nutrient cycle pumps.
The marshes at the site have two additional major nutrient inputs
from the North Fork Deer River drainage system and from the surrounding
longleaf pine forest (see Figure B.E.3).
There is twice as much gray silt [12 centimeters (5 inches)] in the
upper end of the freshwater marsh as in the intermediate marsh
[5 centimeters (2 inches)]. The amount of silt decreases slightly from
the intermediate marsh through the brackish marsh. This silting pattern
is inoicative of additional imports to the marsh system and of the
filtering effect of the marsh. The water quality study of the North
Fork Deer River points out the loading of the marsh nutrient cycles by
off site sources (see the Water Resources section).
Overall Homeostasis
The overall homeostasis of the ecological systems of the proposed plant
site has to be viewed in terms of the two major subsystems on the site,
the marshes and the longleaf pine community. Figure B.E.4 details some
general relationships between the major subsystems on the site.
The wetlands show the greater homeostasis of the two systems on the
site. The marshes are the center of interactions for both the biotic
B-E-20
-------
I
ro
AVAILABLE
INORGANIC
NUTRIENTS
NORTH FORK
DEER RIVER
AND LONGLEAF
PINE FOREST
Figure B.E.3
GENERALIZED DIAGRAM OF NUTRIENT CYCLING IN THE MARSHES OF THE PROPOSED
PLANT SITE
SOURCE: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
REGION IV
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
PROPOSED CEMENT MANUFACTURING
PLANT THEODORE INDUSTRIAL PARK
MOBILE, ALABAMA
-------
ro
ro
fOOO COVER ^REPRODUCTION
^^^ b.
-^ ^^
\ LARGER AMOUNTS
I OF DETRITUS AND ^
DISSOLVED NUTRIENTS ™
MOBILE
BAY
ESTUARINE ANIMALS
\
BIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS
ABIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS
Figure B.E.4
ECOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS OF THE ECOSYSTEMS OF THE PROPOSED PLANT SITE
REGION IV
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
SOURCE. Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
PROPOSED CEMENT MANUFACTURING
PLANT THEODORE INDUSTRIAL PARK
MOBILE, ALABAMA
-------
PLANT SITE
and abiotic processes occurring on the site. They act as the major
buffers or intermediary systems between the bay and the uplands. The
marshes filter chemical inputs from the uplands going to Mobile
Bay. For example, the concentrations of iron, mercury, and lead are
respectively 3.5. 2.3, and 1.5 times less in water leaving the marsh
than in water entering the marsh.
The present disturbed nature of the site is characterized by poor
nutrient conservation (erosion, leaching, etc.), poor microclimate
regulation (drying of bogs in logged and early regrowth areas), and less
stabilized and shorter food webs associated with its early successional
state (Odum, 1971).
Uses and Ecological Values of the Ecosystem
Forest Products
The upland vegetation of the proposed plant site has little value in
terms of merchantable timber because of previous lumbering, disturbance,
and its limited area. Pine, the major lumber tree of Alabama, is not
reproducing well because of the lack of management of the hardwoods.
Existing trees are competing poorly with the hardwoods.
Soil and Water Conservation and Flood Control
Forest communities normally contribute much to soil retention and forma-
tion as well as flood control, surface water storage, and recharge. The
disturbed condition of the site impairs or limits these services and
their value to the ecosystems of the area.
Wetlands are valuable resources for water conservation, flood control.
and recycling wastes (Wharton, et al_., 1976). The marshes of the site
are fairly undisturbed and provide these services. The wetlands of the
site contribute to the better quality of water going into Mobile Bay
from the North Fork Deer River drainage area, which has become
i ndustrialized.
B-E-23
-------
PLANT SITE
Wildlife Production
The upland area of the site supports some small game species, namely
cottontail and swamp rabbit, bobwhite quail and mourning dove; however,
because of the limited land area, the populations of these species are
small. Fur-bearing animals cannot be expected to occur in large numbers
because of the limited area.
Wetlands are recognized as valuable resources which provide food,
cover, and nesting areas for recreationally and commercially important
wildlife and fisheries species. Nutria, as well as raccoons and rails,
are common in both marshes, and waterfowl inhabit the marshes during the
winter.
Hunting, particularly for quail, rabbit, and dove, occurs on the site.
Prior to lumbering, significant red squirrel populations were present
(Athens, 1977). There is some fishing for mullet and trout along the
barge canal. In general, the site is not considered a major hunting and
fishing area, although local residents do use the site to some extent.
B-E-24
-------
PLANT SITE
PROJECTED 1992 ENVIRONMENT
Assuming no change from current conditions, the forest at the site
should develop into a southern mixed deciduous forest within a 140- to
170-year period. Figure B.E.5 presents general plant succession and
indicates the 1992 direction. Currently, the understory is dense: but
competition would thin the existing trees to a stable density. The open
areas would require considerably more time to reach this stage since it
would first take 80 to 8b years for a pine forest to develop. The pine
forest would probably last for 40 to 50 years, assuming no fires, and
ultimately develop into a southern mixed deciduous forest.
As succession proceeds, the insectivorous and fructivorous birds will
increase, as well as the omnivorous birds. With the increase in pine
and oaks, squirrels will increase in numbers, whereas rabbits will
decrease somewhat with the reduction in the understory plants. The
generalized pattern of bird and mammal succession is presented in Fig-
ure B.E.6.
The marsh is a relatively stable system, and little change is expected
in either plant or animal communities. However, marsh areas, and
especially bogs, will become somwhat smaller because of gradual filling
with organic material. The filling process should occur more slowly in
the marsh since much of the material is exported from it. Streamflow
patterns ana some species densities may change, but the basic structure
and function of the marsh should not change within the next 15 years.
B-E-25
-------
I
ro
MATURE CLIMAX FOREST
(SOUTHERN MIXED DECIDUOUS)
PINE-OAK FOREST)
EVERGREEN FOREST
(PINE)
tt
SHRUB
MOSSES
ROCK. BARE GROUND
HISTORICAL DISTURBANCE,
LUMBERING. FIRE. ETC
| | SUCCESSION AL STAGE
I EXISTING STAGE ON SITE
1992 DIRECTION
— •*• HISTORICAL DISTURBANCE
NATURAL SUCCESSIONAL DIRECTION
ESH WATER MARSH
.(CATTAIL MARSH) .
(
JRASSES,
OLD
FIEL
3
MARSH I 3-
I BRACKISH
(TIDAL INFLUENCE FROM
MOBILE BAYI
ALLUVIUM FROM
DEER RIVER
Figure B.E.5
GENERAL PLANT SUCCESSION AND 1992 BASELINE CONDITIONS OF THE
PROPOSED PLANT SITE
SOURCE: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
REGION IV
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
PROPOSED CEMENT MANUFACTURING.
PLANT THEODORE INDUSTRIAL PARK
MOBILE. ALABAMA
-------
HIGH
RELATIVE
ABUNDANCE
LOW
PRESENT STATE AND
1992 DIRECTION
HIGH
NUMBER
OF SPECIES
LOW
GRASSLAND SHRUB EVERGREEN OAK SOUTHERN MIXED
FOREST HARDWOODS
ECOLOGICAL TIME
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
NUMBER OF SPECIES
Figure B.E.6
GENERALIZED PATTERN OF BIRD AND MAMMAL
SUCCESSION IN SOUTHEASTERN FORESTS
(Adapted from Johnston and Odum, 1956; Hirth, 1959)
SOURCE: Environmental Science and Engineering. Inc.. 1977.
REGION IV
U.S ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
PROPOSED CEMENT MANUFACTURING
PLANT THEODORE INDUSTRIAL PARK
MOBILE. ALABAMA
B-E-27
-------
QUARRY SITE
ECOSYSTEM ANALYSIS—QUARRY SITE
EXISTING ENVIRONMENT (1977)
Ecological Structure
Plant Communities
There are five major vegetational communities currently existing on the
proposed quarry site: (1) improved pasture and cropland, (2) remnant
forests, (3) floodplain forest, (4) pine-hardwood forest, and (5)
hardwood bottomlands. The extent of these communities is depicted in
Figure B.E.7, and photographs of vegetational areas 1, 2, and 3 are
presented in Figure B.E.8. Table B.E.3 lists the plants occurring on
the site.
"Improved pastureland" includes cropland, silage, and pasture. Many
weedy species at the perimeters of these areas may provide food and
cover for wildlife. In the past, much of the quarry site reportedly was
cultivated for food crops. Some of this land was later abandoned and
eventually developed second growth loblolly and slash pine. Other
parcels converted to pastureland are now planted in bahia grass.
Between 1968 and 1974, 36 hectares (90 acres) were planted in chufa and
partridge pea to provide food for wildlife.
Disturbed, remnant forests are generally surrounded by pastureland and
are used by livestock, which compact the soil and increase the nutrient
load by their wastes. Because of grazing, early successional plants do
not reach expected size or numbers.
The floodplain is small on the eastern bank of the Alabama River, and
regulation of water level by dams makes heavy flooding relatively rare.
Perhaps because of this regulation, no intermediate age classes of
cypress are found on the site. A few seedlings were found near the
mouth of Hollinger Creek, but otherwise only mature cypress occur along
Hoi linger and Randons creeks. The remainder of the floodplain forest
(see Figure B.E.7) is dominated by silver maple, gum, hickories and ash.
Other plants include reed, red maple, titi, and cl if torn'a.
8-E-28
-------
^ifem$ii^^rm&m
^Wtt&^m&S
v?/ nf>^:'> < »-' T'>>>\
7|/ i^y^S-Sv.
vv [}l'::X:l$ss£::*'<:ti
7.11 V:^'^:^W^.:'' > "ft
PINE HARDWOODS
HARDWOODS
REMNANT FOREST
IMPROVED PASTURE
TRANSITION STATE
LZZD IMPROVED PASTURE
E3 FLOODPLAIN FOREST
|—-n FLOODPLAIN FOREST
1—' DOMINATED BY CYPRESS
] FLOODPLAIN FOREST
WITH MODIFIED CYPRESS
AREAS
Figure B.E.7
VEGETATION MAP OF THE PROPOSED QUARRY SITE
0 O.S 1
SCALE IN KILOMETERS
SOURCE: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
THINNED HARDWOODS
ROADS
McWILLIAMS PROPERTY
BOUNDARY
IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
PROPERTY BOUNDARY
REGION IV
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
PROPOSED GAILLARD QUARRY
MONROE COUNTY, ALABAMA
B-E-29
-------
FLOODPLAIN FOREST (HOLLINGER CREEK)
IMPROVED PASTURE AND REMNANT FOREST
Figure B.E.8
PHOTOGRAPHS OF VEGETATIONAL AREAS
REGION IV
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
SOURCE: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
PROPOSED QAILLARD QUARRY
MONROE COUNTY, ALABAMA
B-E-30
-------
QUARRY SITE
Table B.E.3.
List of Plants Occurring
Monroe County
on the Proposed Quarry Site.
Scientific Name
Common Name
Woody Plants
Aesculus
Acer
Acer
leucoderme
regundo
Acer rubrum
Acer saccharinum
Aral i a spinosa
Carpi mis carol ini ana
Carya cordiformis
Carya ovata
Carya tomentosa
Celtis laevigata
Cephalanthus occidental is
Cliftorn'a monophylla
Cornus florida
Cornus alterniflora
Cyril!a racemif 1 ora
Diospyros virginiana
Fagus grandiflora
Fraxinus americana
Gleditsia aquatica
Ilex opaca
Juglans nigra
Juniperus silicicola
Liquidambar styraciflua
Li riodendron tulipifera
Magnolia grandi flora
Magnolia virginiana
Melia azedarach
Nyssa sylvatica
Ostrya virginiana
Pinus echinata
Pinus elliotii
Pinus taeda
Platanus occidental is
Prunus serotina
Quercus alba
Quercus falcata
Quercus hemisphaerica
Quercus laevis
Quercus lauri folia
Quercus marilandica
Quercus muehlenbergii
Quercus nigra
Quercus rubra
Quercus stellate
Buckeye
Chalk Maple
Box Elder
Red Maple
Silver Maple
Devil's Vlalkingstick
Hop Hornbeam
Bitternut Hickory
Shagbark Hickory
Mockernut Hickory
Hackberry
Buttonbush
Cliftonia
Dogwood
Alternate-leaf Dogwood
Titi
Persimmon
Beech
American Ash
Water Locust
American Holly
Black Walnut
Southern Red Cedar
Sweetgum
Yellow Poplar
Bull Bay
Sweet Bay
China Berry
Black Gum
Hop Hornbeam
Short-leaf Pine
Slash Pine
Loblolly Pine
Sycamore
Black Cherry
White Oak
Spanish Oak
Turkey Oak
Laurel Oak
Blackjack Oak
Yellow Chestnut Oak
Water Oak
Red Oak
Post Oak
B-E-31
-------
QUARRY SITE
Table B.E.3.
List of Plants Occurring on the Proposed Quarry Site,
Monroe County (Continued)
Scientific Name
Common Name
Woody Plants
Salix ni<
Taxodium
ira
distichum
Ti 1 i a americana
Ulmus americana
Vaccinium arboreum
Herbaceous Plants
Ampelopsis arborea
Arundinaria gig an tea
Asclepias lanceolata
Asplem'um platyneuron
Boehmaria cylindrica
Callicarpa americana
Campsis radicans
Cercis canadensis
Clethra alnifolia
Commelina spp.
Chi dose plus stimulosus
Cyperus spp.
Euonymus americanus
Eupatorium rotundifolium
Duchesnia indie a
Euonymus americanus
Eupatorium album
Eupatorium capiHi folium
Eupatorium rotundi foli urn
Hexastylis sp.
Hyperi cum stans
Ipomoea purpurea
Ipomoea sagittata
Liatris grami ni f ol i a
Lonicera japonic a
Panicum anceps
Panicum ssp.
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Phytolacca americana
Plantago spp.
Polygonatum ssp.
Polystichum acrostichoides
Rhexia al if anus
Rhus radicans
Black Willow
Bald Cypress
Redbud
American Elm
Blueberry
Pepper vine
Cane
Mi 1kweed
Ebony Spleenwort
False Nettle
French Mull berry
Trumpet Vine
Redbud
White Alder
Day Flower
Bull Nettle
Sedge
Strawberry Bush
Thoroughwort
Mock Strawberry
Strawberry Bush
Thoroughwort
Dogfennel
Thoroughwort
Wild Ginger
St. Peter's Wort
Common Morning Glory
Blazing Star
Japanese Honeysuckle
Panic Grass
Panic Grass
Vi rginia Creeper
Pokeweed
Plantain
Solomon's Seal
Christmas Fern
Meadow Beauty
Poison Ivy
B-E-32
-------
QUARRY SITE
Table B.E.3. List of Plants Occurring on the Proposed Quarry Site.
Monroe County (Continued)
Scientific Name Common Name
Herbaceous Plants
Rubus betulifolius Blackberry
Sabatia calycina Sabatia
Saururus cernuus Lizard's Tail
Screnoa repens Saw Palmetto
Smi 1 ax spp. Greenbrier
Soli dago sempervirens Go! den rod
Soli dago spp. Goldenrod
Strophostyles umbel!ata
Viola sp. Violet
Vitis aestivalis Summer Grape
Vitis rotundifolia Muscadine
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering. Inc., 1977.
B-E-33
-------
QUARRY SITE
Almost all of the pine-hardwood forest and bottomland hardwoods on the
site have been modified. For example, from 1968 to 1974. 634 hectares
(1,566 acres) of the total 1.633 hectares (4,035 acres) were managed.
ana 1,30U pine trees per year were removed. Pine-hardwood forest of the
uplands was thinned to favor pines, and cypress and the larger
commercially important hardwoods were taken from the bottomland
hardwoods, thus favoring yellow poplar, ash, gum. and various hardwoods.
Many of the forested areas are currently grazed by cattle.
The pine-hardwood forest on the uplands typically has a loblolly pine
overstory. with cedar and water oak the most common trees (Table B.E.4).
Because of frequent disturbances and even clearing in the past, all
succession stages from old fields to predominantly hardwoods can be
found on the site.
The bottomland hardwoods are typical of the vegetation described by
Gemborys and Hodgkins (1971) as "branch-bottoms." The mesic areas
generally contain oak saplings, basswood. hackberry. dogwood, sweet gum.
and hickories, with lianas such as grapes and cross vine prevalent in the
understory. The more hydric areas contain maple, French mulberry, and
cane. Ground cover in the bottomlands includes pepper vine, Virginia
creeper, poison ivy. greenbrier, Japanese honeysuckle, oak seedlings.
mushrooms, and mosses, with various grasses also important in open
areas.
Along the river bluffs there are microhabitats characterized by cooler
air, higher humidity, ana lower illumination. These areas support
luxuriant growths of a variety of ferns and may offer habitats for some
specialized plants.
Animal Communities
The lower coastal plain, as defined by Imhof (1976). includes the quarry
site and contains a lower diversity of vertebrate animals than the Gulf
Coast areas of Alabama. The major factor in determining the structure
of the animal community at the quarry site is the plant community type.
B-E-34
-------
QUARRY SITE
Table B.E.4 Quantitative Characteristics of Overstory Plants at the
Quarry Site
Species
Importance
Relati ve
Dominance
(Percent)
Densi ty/
Acre
Quercus nigra
Liquidambar styraciflua
Carpinus carolini ana
Platanus occidental is
Juniperus silicicola
Ulmus americana var. americana
Fagus grandiflora
Pinus taeda
Celtis laevigata
Quercus stellata
Q
uercus hemisphaerica
Tilia americana
Carya tomentosa
Fraxinus americana
Juglans nji
Aesclulus
Ilex
Nyssa sylvatica
Liriodendron tulipifera
Acer rubrum
Acer negundo
Quercus 1aevi s
Taxodium distichum
Quercus
Quercus
rubra
laurifol i a
Cornus alterniflora
Magnolia grandif 1 ora
Acer leucoderme
Carya sp.
Pinus elliottii
Acer saccharinum
Quercus falcata
Quercus muehlenbergii
Carya cordiformis
Carya
Ostryc
)strya Virginian a
Quercus marilandica
Pinus echinata
Carya ovata
Robinia pseudoacacia
13.43
12.33
4.40
4.
4.
4.
3.
3.
3.
3.
2.
2.
2.
40
19
07
82
81
24
20
75
71
58
2.42
.36
.32
,10
.80
.68
.65
.58
.37
.37
.28
.27
.07
1.06
1.06
1.05
1.02
0.99
0.95
0.93
0.89
0.82
0.77
0.53
U.44
0.39
2.
2.
2.
1,
1.
1.
1,
1.
1,
1.
1.
1.
17.62
11.70
2.13
8.31
2.00
2.78
5.19
4.80
1.95
2.53
4.64
1,
1.
3.
3,
3,
1,
64
78
04
68
33
32
0.94
.58
.25
0.82
.47
.25
.72
.55
0.35
1.14
0.53
1.12
0.95
0.86
0.52
0.98
0.55
0.33
1.77
0.32
0.80
0.12
20.95
24.38
9,
4.
9.
7.
4.
6.
6.
6.
3.
5.
52
19
14
24
95
10
48
86
05
33
4.95
3.
2.
3.
3.
3.
3.
2.
3.
1,
05
67
05
81
43
81
67
05
90
2.29
52
29
29
1.90
90
90
52
52
90
52
1.52
.52
.38
.14
0.38
0.76
B-E-35
-------
QUARRY SITE
Table B.E.4
Quantitative Characteristics of Overstory Plants at the
Quarry Site (Continued)
Species
Quercus virginiana
Diospyros virginiana
Pinus glabra
Melia azeaerach
Lindera benzoin
Fraxinus carol ini ana
Prunus serotina
Vaccinium arboreum
Importance
0.37
U.33
0.22
0.20
0.19
0.19
0.19
0.19
Relative
Dominance
(Percent)
0.06
0.24
0.12
0.06
0.03
0.05
0.05
0.05
Density/
Acre
0.76
0.76
0.38
0.38
0.38
0.38
0.38
0.38
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
B-E-36
-------
QUARRY SITE
Five plant communities have been identified; however, the presence of
forest or pasture vegetation is the primary determinant of the presence
or absence of various animal groups. The other major factors influ-
encing the diversity of the quarry site are its inland location, large
geographical area, and isolation from human activity. Table B.E.5 lists
the major species of vertebrates known or expected to occur in the
vicinity of the proposed quarry site.
Many of the animals inhabiting forested areas of the proposed quarry
site are the same as those found in the forested areas of the plant
site. The forests of the quarry site support a large number of squir-
rels and are characterized by the presence of deer and wild turkey. The
hardwood bottomlands and floodplain forest of the quarry site contain
barred owls, hooded warblers, southeastern shrews, cottonmouths,
southern dusky salamanders, and pickerel frogs, which are not present at
the plant site. Extensive and active beaver dams were found in the
lower reaches of Hoi linger Creek.
The faunal differences at the quarry site are indicative of open ver-
sus closed habitats rather than of specific vegetation types. The
characteristic exclusives of the forested (closed) areas are warblers,
chickadees, woodpeckers, squirrels, tree frogs, and skinks.
The pasture and cultivated fields of the quarry site are characterized
by cattle, songbirds, cattle egrets, cotton rats, and mice. Deer,
quail, mourning dove, and turkey also frequent these open areas. The
number of exclusive species (e.g., the meadowlark) are few.
B-E-37
-------
QUARRY SITE
Table B.E.5. Listing and Preferred Habitats of Vertbrates Known or Expected to Occur on or in the Vicinity of the
Proposed Quarry Site, Monroe County
Order
Family
Species Common Name
Caudata
Ambystomatidae
Ambystoma macula turn Spotted salamander
Ambystoma talpoideum Mole salamander
Ambystoma tigrinum trio- jm Tiger salamander
Salamandridae
Notophthalamus viridt.cens
louisianensis Central Newt
Plethodontidae
Desmognathus auric'ulatus Southern dusky salamander
Pseudotriton montanus Mud salamander
Plethodon glutinosus Slimy salamander
Eurycea bislineata Two-lined salamander
Amphiumidae
Amphiuma means mear" Two- toed conqo eel
Nee tur idae
Necturus punctatus Southern mud puppy
Anura
Pelobatidae
Scaphiopus holbrooki Eastern spadefoot toad
Ramdae
Rana catesbeiana Bullfrog
Rana cl ami tans Bronze frog
Rana palustri's Pickerel frog
Rana utricularia southern leopard frog
Microhyl idae
Gastrophryne carol inensis Eastern narrow-mouth toad
Bufomdae
Bufo quercicus Oak toad
Bufo terrestris terrestris Southern toad
Bufo woodhousei fowl en Fowlers toad
Hyl idae
Acris gryl 1 1 us gryllus Southern cricket frog
Hyl a crucifer crucifer Morthern soring peeper
Hyl a cinerea cinerea Green treefrog
Hyl a femoral is Pine woods treefrog
Hyl a gratiosa Barking treefrog
Hyl a squirella Squirrel treefrog
Hyl' .icolor Gray treefrog
Pseuriacris mgrita mgrita Southern chorus frog
Pseudacris ornata Ornate chorus frog
Testudines
Chelydridae
Chelyol ra serpent! na seroentina Snapping turtle
Kinosternidae '
Stenotherus odoratus Musk turtle
Stenotherus minor Loggerhead musk turtle
Kinosternon subrubrum subrubrum Common mud turtle
Emydidae
Terrapene carol ina triunguis Three-toed box turtle
Observed
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Pine Oak
Hardwoods
x
x
x
x
x
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Hardwood 1
Bottomland!
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
x
X
X
Floodplain
Forest
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
x
X
X
X
X
x
X
X
Pastures
& Fields
X
X
X
Alabama
River
X
X
X
X
X
X
I/I
c
o
a.
X
X
X
X
X
X
x
X
x
X
x
X
X
x
X
X
x
x
X
X
x
X
X
X
X
Streams
X
X
x
X
X
X
X
X
x
x
X
x
X
X
X
X
Developed
x
x
X
X
B-E-38
-------
QUARRY SITE
Table B.E.5. Listing and Preferred Habitats of Vertebrates Known or Expected to Occur on or in the Vicinity of the
Proposed Quarry Site, Monroe County (continued)
Oraer
Family
Species Common Name
Emydidae (continued)
Chrysemys floridana Florida cooler
Chrysemys scripta Yellow-bellied turtle
Deirochelys reticularia Chicken turtle
Testudimaae
Gopherus polyphemus Gopher tortoise
Trionychidae
Trionyx muticus calvatus Gulf coast smooth so ft shell
Trionyx spiniferus Gulf coast spiny softshell
Crocodyl la
411 igatoridae
All i gator mississippiensis American alligator
Squama ta
Iguanidae
Anolis carol inensis Green anole
Sceloporus undulatus Fence lizard
Scincidae
Leiolopisma lateral e Ground skink
Eumeces anthracinus pluvialis Southern coal skink
Eumeces fasciatus Five-lined skink
Eumeces laticeps Broad-headed skink
Eumeces inexpectatus Southeastern five-lined skink
Teiidae
Cnemidophorus sexlineatus Six-lined racerunner
Anguidae
Ophisaurus ventral is Eastern qlass lizard
Ophisaurus longicauda Slender glass lizard
Coluoridae
Matrix fasciata fasciata Banded water snake
Matrix erythrogaster flavigaster Yellow-bellied water snake
Matrix rigida Glossy water snake
Matrix rhomoifera rhombifera Diamond-backed water snake
Matrix septenwi ttata Queen snake
Tantilla cornata Southeastern crowned snake
Seminatrix pygaea Black swamp snake
Thamnophis sirtalis Garter snake
Thamnophis sauritus Ribbon snake
Virginia stritula Rough earth snake
Virginia valenae Smooth earth snake
Storeria occipi tomaculata Red-bellied snake
Storeria dekayi Brown snake
Heterodon platyrhinos Eastern hognose snake
Heterodon simus Southern hognose snake
Diadophis punctatus Ringneck snake
Farancia erytrogramma Rainbow snake
Farancia abacura Mud snake
Coluber constrictor Black racer
Masticophis flagellum Eastern coachwhip
Opheodrys aestivus Rough green snake
Observed
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Pine Oak
Hardwoods
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Hardwood
Bottomland
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Floodplain
Forest
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
1/1
Ul "O
01 —
t- 01
3 *-
4-> U.
l/l
03 «O
a.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Al abama
River
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
-------
QUARRY SITE
Table B.E.5. Listing and Preferred Habitats of Vertebrates Known or Expected to Occur on or In the Vicinity of the
Proposed Quoposed Qarry Site, Monroe County (continued)
Order
Family
Species Common Name
Colubridae (continued)
Elaphe guttata guttata Corn snake
Elaphe obsoleta Gray rat snake
Pituophus melanoleucus mugitus Southern pine snake
Drymarchpn corais couperi Indigo snake
LainpropeVti s calligaster Mole kingsnake
Lampropel tis getulus Speckled eastern kingsnake
Lampropel tis triangulum
elapsoides Scarlet kinqsnake
Cemophora cocci nea Scarlet snake
Elapidae
Micrurus fulvius fulvius Eastern coral snake
Viperidae
Agkistrodon contortrix Southern copperhead
Agkistrodon p'isciv'oriis conanti Florida cottonmouth
Sistrurus mill an us barboun Dusky pigmy rattlesnake
Crotalus horridus atricaudatus Canebrake rattlesnake
Crotalus adamanteus Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
Observed
X
X
X
X
X
Pine Oak
Hardwoods
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Hardwood
Bottomland
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Floodplain
Forest
X
X
X
X
in
at -o
0> •—
I- (0
^
IO 00
a.
X
Al abama
River
X
•o
c
o
a.
X
Streams
X
Developed
X
X
X
B-E-40
-------
QUARRY SITE
Taole B.E.5. Listing and Preferred Habitats of Vertebrates Known or Exoected to Occur on or in the Vicinity of the
Proposed Quarry Site, Monroe County (continued)
Order
Species Common Name
bavii formes
Gavia imrner Common loon
Podicipediformes
Pooiceps podilymbus Pied-billed grebe
Pel ecam formes
Peiecanus erythrorhynchos White pelican
Phalacrocorax auntus Double-crested cormorant
Anhinga anhinga Anhinga
Ciconi i formes
Ardea nerodias Great blue heron
Butondes stnatus Green heron
Florida caerulea Little blue heron
Buoulcus IDIS cattle egret
Casmeroaius albus Great egret
Egretta thula Snowy egret
Hydranassa tricolor Louisiana neron
Nyctanassa violacea Yellow-crowned night neron
Ixobrychus exilis Least bittern
Botarus lentiginosus American bittern
Mycteria americana wood storK
Plegadis falcinellus Glossy ibis
Eudocimus albus White ibis
An sen formes
Branta canadensis Canada goose
Dendrocygna bicolor Fulvous whistling duck
Anas platyrhynchos Mallard
Anas rubripes Black duck
Anas s'trepera Gadwall
Anas acuta Pintail
Anas c'recca carol inensis Green-winged teal
Anas discors Blue-winged teal
Anas americana American widgeon
Observed
X
X
X
X
X
X
Breeding
Species
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Pine Odk
Hardwoods
Hardwood
Bottomland]
X
X
c
-o
— *J
a. i/i
•O Q)
0 t-
o o
— LL-
U-
X
l/l
I/I -O
Cl i—
s- Ll_
I/I
10 »e
O-
X
X
X
X
(O
S 1-
<0 0
•^ >
Q f
<"
X
X
X
X
X
X
I/I
•o
c
0
CL
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
y
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Strt-dms
X
X
Developed
B-E-41
-------
QUARRY SITE
Table B.E.5. Listing and Preferred Habitats of Vertebrates Known or Expected to Occur on or in the Vicinity of the
Proposed Quarry Site, Monroe County (continued)
Order
Species Common Name
Anseri formes (continued)
Anas clypeata Northern shovel er
Aix sponsa Wood duck
Aytha americana Redhead
Aytha coHaris Ring-necked duck
Aytha valisineria Canvasback
Aytha mania Greater scaup
Aytha affims Lesser scaup
Bucephala clangula Common goldeneye
Bucephala albeola Bufflehead
Clangula hyemal i s 01 dsquaw
Soratena spectabilis King eider
Melanitta deglandi White-winged scoter
Melanitta perspicillata Surf scoter
Melanitta mgra Black scoter
Oxyura jamaicensis Ruddy duck
Lophodytes cucullatus Hooded merganser
Mergus serrator Red-breasted merganser
Falconi formes
Catnartes aura Turkey vulture
Coragyps atratus Bl ack vul ture
Elanoides forficatus Swallow- tailed kite
Ictinia misisippiensis Mississippi kite
Accipiter striatus Sharp-shinned hawk
Accipiter coopern Cooper1 s hawk
Buteo jamaicensis Red-tailed hawk
Buteo Hneatus Red- shouldered hawk
Buteo platypterus Broad-winged hawk
Buteo lag opus Rough-legged hawk
Hal iaeetus 1 eucocephal us Bald eagle
Aquila chrysaetos Golden eagle
Circus cyaneus Marsh hawk
Pandion haliaetus Osorev
Falco peregrinus Peregrine falcon
Falco columbarius Merlin
Falco sparverius American kestrel
Gall i formes
Col inus virginianus Bobwhi te
Meleagris qallopavo Turkey
Grui formes
Rail us elegans King rail
Rail us 1 iimcola Virginia rail
Porzana Carolina Sora
Fulica americana American coot
Cha'radri i Formes
Charadrius vociferus Kill deer
Pluvial is dominica American golden plover
Philohela minor American woodcock
Actitis macularia Spotted sandpiper
Tringa solitaria Solitary sandpiper
Cal idris melanotos Pectoral sandpiper
Observed
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
CT* W
c Ol
Ol O.
i- IS>
CO
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Pine Oak
Hardwoods
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Hardwood
Bottomland
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
c
ID
,_ 4-»
O. I/I
•o 01
0 <-
0 O
•— ti-
ii.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
in
-0
01 —
i. Ol
3 F-
<-> U_
a at
.a >
•— C£
-X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
•o
c
o
a.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Streams
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Developed
X
X
X
X
X
B-E-42
-------
QUARRY SITE
Table B.E.5. Listing and Preferred Habitat of Vertebrates Known or Expected to Occur on or in the Vicinity of the
Proposed Quarry Site, Monroe County (continued)
Order
Species Common Name
Charadrn formes (continued)
Larus argentatus Herring gull
Larus delawarensis Ring-billed gul .
Col umbi formes
Columba livia Rock dove
Zenaida macroura Mourning dove
Columbina passerina Ground dove
Cuculi formes
Coccyzus amencanus Yellow-billed cuckoo
Coccyzus erythropthalmus BiacK-oilleo cuckoo
Strigi formes
Tyto alba Barn owl
Otus asio Screech owl
Bubo virgimanus Great horned owl
Nyctea scandiaga Snowy owl
Strix varTa Barred owl
Asio otus Long-eared owl
AsTo TTammeus Short-eared owl
Aegolius acadicus saw-wnet owi
nmulgi formes
Caprimulgus carol inensis Chuck-will's widow
Caprimulgus vociferus' Whip-poor-will
Chordeiles minor Common nighthawk
Apodi formes
Archil ochus colubris Ruby-throated hummingbird
Coracn formes
Megaceryle alcyon Belted kingfisher
Pi ci formes
Col aptes auratus Common flicker
Dryocopus pileatus Pileated woodpecker
Centurus carol inus Red-bell led woodpecxer
Melanerpes erythrocephalus Red-headed woodpecker
Sphyrapicus van us Yellow-bellied sapsucker
Picoides villous Hairy woodpecker
Picoides pubescens Downy woodpecker
Picoides boreal is Red-cockaded woodpecker
Passeri formes
Tyrannus tyrannus Eastern kingbird
Tyrannus vertical is Western kingbird
Myiarchus crimtus Great crested flycatcher
Empidonax virescens Acadian flycatcher
Contopus virens Eastern wood pewee
Iridoprocne bicolor Tree swallow
Riparia riparia Bank swallow
Stelgidopteryx ruficollis Rough-winged swallow
Hirundo rustica Barn swallow
Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Cliff swallow
Progne subis Purple martin
Cyanocitta cristata Blue jay
Corvus brachyrhynchos Common crow
Parus carol inensis Carolina chickadee
Parus bicolor Tufted titmouse
Observed
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
at in
c 01
•5 G
Ol Ol
01 a.
V. 10
00
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Pine Oak
Hardwoods
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Hardwood
Bottomland
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
c
-------
QUARRY SITE
Table B.E.5. Listing and Preferred Habitat of Vertebrates Known or Expected to Occur on or in the Vicinity of the
Proposed Quarry Site, Monroe County (continued)
Order
Species Common Name
Passeri formes (continued)
Sitta canadensis Red-breasted nuthatch
Si tta pusilla Brown-headed nuthatch
Certhia familiar is Brown creeper
Troglodytes aedon House wren
Troglodytes troglodytes Winter wren
Thryothorus luoovicianus Carolina wren
Cistothorus palust'ris Long-billed marsh wren
Cistothorus platensis Short-billed marsh wren
Minus polygl ottos Mockingbird
Dumete 1 1 a carol 1 nensi s Gray catbird
Toxostoma rufum Brown thrasher
Turdus migratori us American robin
Catharus guttatus Hermit thrush
Catharus ustulatus Swainson's thrush
Catharus mi ni mu s Gray-cheeked thrush
Catharus fuscescens Veery
Hylocichla mustelina Wood thrush
Sialia sialis Eastern bluebird
Polioptila caerulea Blue-qray gnatcatcher
Regulus satrapa Golden-crowned kinglet
Regulus calendula Ruby-crowned kinglet
Anthus spinoletta Water pipit
Bombycil la cedrorum Cedar waxwing
Lamus ludovicianus Loggerhead shrike
Sturvus vulgar is" Starling
Vireo griseus White-eyed vireo
Vireo flavifrons Yellow-throat vireo
Vireo soli tan us Solitary vireo
Vireo olivaceus Red-eyed vireo
Vireo philadelphicus Philadelphia vireo
Mmotilta van a Black and white warbler
Protonotaria citrea Prothonotary warbler
Limnothlypis swainsonii Swainson's warbler
Helraitheros vermivorus Worm-eating warbler
Vemnvora chrysoptera Golden-winged warbler
Vermivora pinus Blue-winged warbler
Vermivora bachmami Bachman's warbler
Vermivora peregrina Tennessee warbler
Vemnvora celata Orange-crowned warbler
Parula americana Northern parula
Dendroica petechia Yellow warbler
Dendroica magnolia Magnolia warbler
Dendroica coronata Yellow-rumped warbler
Dendroica virens Black-throated green warbler
Dendroica demimca Yellow- throated warbler
Dendroica pensylvamca Chestnut- sided warbler
Dendroica striata Blackpoll warbler
Dendroica pinus Pine warbler
Oendroica castanea Bay-breasted warbler
Dendroica discolor Prairie warbler
Dendroica pal ma rum Palm warbler
Observed
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Breeding
Species
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Pine Oak
Hardwoods
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Hardwood
Bottomland
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Floodplain
Forest
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
u.
l/>
ia oo
a.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
to
E w
10 01
.a >
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
•o
c
o
a.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Streams
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Developed ]
X
X
B-E-44
-------
QUARRY SITE
Table B.E.5. Listing and Preferred Habitat of Vertebrates Known or Expected to Occur on or in the Vicinity of the
Proposed Quarry Site, Monroe County (continued)
Order
Species Common Name
Passeri formes (continued)
Seiurus aurocapillus Ovenbird
Seiurus no'veboracensis Northern waterthrush
Seiurus motacilla Louisiana waterthrush
Opororms formosus Kentucky warbler
Geothlypis trichas Common yellowthroat
Icteria virens Yellow-breasted chat
Wilsoma citrina Hooded warbler
Setophaga ruticilla American redstart
Passer domesticus House sparrow
Dolichpnyx oryzivorus Bobolink
Sturnella magna Eastern meadowlark
Agelaius pheomceus Redwing blackbird
Icterus spyrius Orchard oriole
Icterus gal bul a Northern oriole
Euphagus carol inus Rusty blackbird
Euphagus cyanoce'ph'alus Brewer's blackbird
Quiscalus quiscula Common grackle
Molothrus ater Brown-headed cowbird
Piranga rubra Summer tanaqer
Cardinal is cardinalis Cardinal
Guiraca caerulea Blue grosbeak
Passerina cyanea Indigo bunting
Passerina ciris Painted bunting
Hesperiphona vespertina Evening grosbeak
Carpodacus purpureus Purple finch
Phecticus ludovicianus Rose-breasted grosbeak
Spiza americana Dickcissel
Pipilo erythrophthalmus Rufous-sided towhee
Passerculus sandvicensis sandvicensis Savannah sparrow
Ammodramus savannarum Grasshopper sparrow
Amnodramus henslown Henslow's sparrow
Ammospiza caudacuta Sharp- tailed swallow
Ammoxpiza leconteii LeConte's sparrow
Pooecetes gramineus Vesper sparrow
Aimophila aestivalis Bachman's sparrow
Junco hy emails hyemalis Dark-eyed junco
Spizella passerine Chipping sparrow
Spizella pusilla Field sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys White-crowned sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis White-throated sparrow
Passerella iliaca Fox sparrow
Melospiza georgiana Swamp sparrow
Melospiza melodia Song sparrow
Observed
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Breeding
Species
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Pine Oak
Hardwoods
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Hardwood
Bottomland
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
c
£
r- 4->
Q. in
•O 01
0 !-
O O
r— U.
U.
X
X
X
X
X
X
(/I
V) T3
Ss
<-> iZ
(A
<0 <*
a.
X XXX XXXXXX X XXX X XX XX X
Alabama
River
Ul
•o
c
0
a.
X
X
X
X
Streams
X
X
Developer1
X
X
X
X
B-E-45
-------
QUARRY SITE
Table B.E.5. Listing and Preferred Habitats of Vertebrates Known or Expected to Occur on or In the Vicinity of the
Proposed Quarry Site, Monroe County (continued)
Order
Family
Species Common Name
Marsupialia
Didelphidae
Didelphis marsupial is Opossum
Insecti vora
Soricidae
Sprex longirpstris Southeastern shrew
Blarina brevicauda Shorttail shrew
Cryptotis parva Least shrew
Talpidae
Scalopus aquaticus Eastern mole
Chiroptera
Vespertil iomdae
Myoti s austroriparius Mississippi myotis
Myoti s lucifugus Little brown myotis
Pipistrellus subflavas Eastern pipistrel
Eptesicus fuscus Big brown bat
Lasiurus boreal is Red bat
Lasiurus seminolus Seminole bat
Lasiurus in termed! us Yellow bat
Lasiurus cinereus Hoary bat
Nycticeius humeral is Evening bat
Plecotus rafinesquei Big-eared bat
Molossidae
Tadarida brasiliensis Mexican freetail bat
Edentata
Dasypodidae
Oasypus novemcinctus Nine-banded armadillo
Lagomorpha
Leporidae
Sylvilagus floridanus Eastern cottontail
SylvilaguT aquaticuT" Swamp rabbit
Rodentia
Sciuridae
Sciurus carol inensis Gray squirrel
Sciurus mger Fox squirrel
Glaucomys volans Southern flying squirrel
Castoridae
Castor canadensis Beaver
Cricetidae
Oryzomys palustris Rice rat
Reithrodontomys humulls Harvest mouse
Peromyscus leucopus White- footed mouse
Peromyscus gossypinus Cotton mouse
Peromyscus nuttal 1 i Golden mouse
S i gmodon hispidus Cotton rat
Neotoma floridana Eastern woodrat
Pitymys pinetorum Pine vole
Muridae
Rattus norvegicus Norway rat
Rattus rattus Black rat
Mus musculus House mouse
Observed
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Pine Oak
Hardwoods
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Hardwood
Bottomland
XX XXX X XXX X X X XXXXXXXXXX X XX X
c
IB
I— 4->
0. in
T3 Ol
§£
•— u.
Ik
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Pastures
& Fields
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Al abama
River
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
I/I
•o
c
o
Q.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Streams
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Developed
X
X
X
X
X
B-E-46
-------
QUARRY SITE
Table B.E.5. Listing and Preferred Habitats of Vertebrates Known or Expected to Occur on or in the Vicinity of the
Proposed Quarry Site, Monroe County (continued)
Order
Family
Species Common Name
Carmvora
Canidae
Vulpes fulva Red fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus Gray fox
Cams familiar is Feral dog
Procyomdae
Procyon lotor Raccoon
Mustel idae
Mustel a frenata Longtail weasel
Mustel a vi son Mink
Smlogale putorius Spotted skunk
Lutra canadensis River otter
Felidae
Lynx rufus Bobcat
Felis catus Feral cat
Artiodactyla
Cervidae
Ococoileus virgimanus White- tailed deer
•o
0)
>
i.
V. O
to ca
z
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
c
ID
f— +J
CX Ul
•o o
o t-
o o
•— Lk.
LL.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
I/I
in -a
£ai
5,1
4/1
a oa
a.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
£
IB L.
J3 3i
>a >
< K
•o
c
0
a.
X
X
X
X
X
X
I/I
E
H3
V
u
<->
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
•o
at
a.
o
"3
>
V
c
X
X
X
SOURCE- Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977
B-E-47
-------
QUARRY SITE
A large number of ubiquitous types, such as crows, foxes, raccoons,
shrews, rabbits, and box turtles, are commonly found in both forested
and unforested areas. At the interface of the forest and pasture, an
edge community provides cover, food, and nesting for a large variety of
species. Some wildlife species utilize edges to such an extent that
they are not often found in more uniform habitats (Johnston, 1947;
Johnston and Odum, 1956). Quail and dove were quite common in the
forest edges and remnant forest edges.
Seasonal patterns at the proposed quarry site include spring and fall
increases of migratory species of birds and spring and summer increases
in all resident populations.
Functional Aspects
Energetics
The productivity of southern mixed hardwood forests is considered in the
mid-range for forests (Olson, 1971; Monk, et a±., 1970). The produc-
tivity of forest systems is proportional to the quantities of annual
litterfall. Wells, et al_. (1972), found that litterfall for hardwood
stands was 25 percent higher than for pine stands. Pine needles
accounted for 70 percent of the litterfall in pine stands. Non-woody
litter production shows little variability year to year but shows great
seasonal variability; woody litter is highly variable from site to site
(Sykes and Bunce, 1970). Communities occupying sites of recent logging
are in a high net production phase. The older forests are expected to
have lower productivity rates because there is a progressive decline in
the net production to biomass ratio as succession proceeds.
Cycles
The exchange of nutrients and essential chemical elements between living
organisms and inorganic pools is about evenly balanced in most stable
ecosystems (see Figure B.E.9). Input of nutrients by an ecosystem
B-E-48
-------
AVAILABLE
INORGANIC
NUTRIENTS
EROSION
SEDIMENTATION
RUNOFF
Figure B.E.9
GENERALIZED DIAGRAM OF NUTRIENT CYCLING
REGION IV
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
SOURCE: Environmental Science and Engineering. Inc., 1977.
PROPOSED CEMENT MANUFACTURING
PLANT THEODORE INDUSTRIAL PARK
AND PROPOSED GAILLARD QUARRY
B-E-49
-------
QUARRY SITE
occurs through substrate weathering, precipitation, or atmospheric
assimilation. In forests, rainfall can contribute from 30 to 75 percent
of the macronutrients (N, P, Ca, Mg). In southern forests no differ-
ences have been found in the amount of throughfall in pine and hardwood
forests (Henderson, et al_., 1977). However, the timing of nutrient
cycling differs with forest type. More macronutrients are cycled in the
dormant season in pine forests than in hardwoods. The numbers of kinds
and the abundances of soil litter fauna are lower in pine plantations
than in the hardwood areas (Cornaby, et al_., 1975). Thus, one might
expect slower turnover of nutrients in the pine communities compared to
the hardwood communities. This slower turnover may explain the higher
carbon storage values in pine than in hardwood litter (Yount, 1975).
Throughfall and stemflow carry nutrients toward ground level. The
litter and soil materials may be decomposed by fungi, bacteria, or soil
arthropods. The released nutrients are leached by runoff water or
absorbed by plant root systems. Various chemical changes may take place
in the soil, including nitrification-denitrifi cation (Todd, et al_.,
1975) and salt formation of nutrients in the soil.
The floors of temperate forests store the major reservoirs of elements
required for ecosystem metabolism and structural maintenance.
For example, in the deciduous forests of North Carolina and probably at
the Alabama quarry site, most of the nitrogen is associated with soil
organic matter or vegetation pools (Mitchell, et al_., 1975). Litterfall
accounts for approximately 60 percent of internal nutrient input (P, K,
Ca, Mg) to forest floor (Carlisle, et al_., 1967).
The pastures and old fields of the quarry site lack the nutrient
reservoirs of forest systems (deep litter and woody structural
material). Thus, in pastures and old fields, there is a rapid turnover
of nutrients and a greater loss of nutrients. The loss may be twice as
much as in forests (Reichle, 1975).
B-E-50
-------
QUARRY SITE
The present quarry site system Is in a state of nutrient cycling Imbal-
ance because of the current activities on the site (see Figure B.E.10).
There Is large loss of nutrients and other elements through erosion. The
burning of forest materials on the site released large quantities of
stored nutrients, and there Is also a significant input of nutrients es-
pecially nitrogenous compounds because of the use of the area by cattle.
Uses and Ecological Value of the Ecosystems
Forest Products
Monroe County had 206,000 hectares (508,800 acres) of commercial forests
in 1972 (approximately 75 percent of the total area of the county).
Of this area, 45,060 hectares (111,300 acres) were in loblolly-shortleaf
pine, 55,789 hectares (137,800 acres) in oak-pine, and 60,081 hectares
(148,400 acres) in oak-hickory (Hedound and Earles, 1973). Monroe
County was the second largest hardwood producing county, eighth largest
sawlog producer, and the ninth largest veneer log producer in Alabama in
1971 (Bertelson, 1972). The northern two-thirds of Monroe County,
including the site, is considered best suited for forest product
production (Harper, 1977). Pines, oaks, gums, and hickories occur at
the site and are important forest product species. Approximately 60
percent of the site was forest but is now being logged. Current
management practices involve non-forest uses.
Soil and Water Conservation and Flood Control
In addition to the commercial value, the forest ecosystems of the site
provide important services in soil retention and erosion control for the
area. Monroe County is considered to be a high erosion area. The
forest slows the movement of rainfall through the system and provides a
more even flow in the streams. The upland and floodplain forests
contribute to the flood control of the Alabama River. Agricultural
watersheds have significantly higher runoff and nutrient loads than
forested watershed (Omernick, 1976).
B-E-51
-------
DO
I
m
i
ui
rvs
AVAILABLE
INORGANIC
NUTRIENTS
LUMBERING
CLEARING
ROAD BUILDING
ALABAMA
RIVER
Figure B.E.10
GENERALIZED DIAGRAM OF NUTRIENT CYCLING IN THE ECOSYSTEM OF THE
PROPOSED QUARRY SITE
SOURCE: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
REGION IV
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
PROPOSED GAILLARD QUARRY
MONROE COUNTY, ALABAMA
-------
QUARRY SITE
Wildlife Production
The proposed quarry site has a potentially high productivity for small
game species such as bobwhite quail, mourning dove, and cottontail
rabbit. Quail and rabbit will be common where about half the ground is
exposed and the other half has abundant growth of herbaceous and woody
plants (Sprunt, 1954). Present conditions in some areas offer good
habitat for both species (see Figure B.E.ll). Current agricultural
practices, along with forestry management, provide good quality habitat
for mourning dove. The quarry site offers a diversity of cultivated and
forested lands, and deer inhabit most of these lands. A harvestable
population of deer occurs on the site. Turkey and squirrel populations
are declining and will continue to do so throughout the area because of
the conversion of hardwood forest to pasture land. Although limited
trapping occurs in this area of Alabama (Harper, 1977), some trappable
populations of upland, bottomland, and riverine species can be expected
on the site.
Recreational and Aesthetic Resources
The site is not unique in its recreational and aesthetic value; however,
it has a number of natural features which have recreational and aesthe-
tic importance. The area offers hunting for the species mentioned
above. In addition, the vistas from the bluff and the relatively natural
conditions of the lower reaches of Thompson Mill (also known as
Marshal Is), Hoi linger, and Randons creeks are scenic.
B-E-53
-------
MOST
FAVORABLE
HABITATS FOR:
SQUIRREL [\\\1
QUAIL AND RABBIT
TURKEY
Figure B.E.11
GAME SPECIES HABITAT MAP OF THE PROPOSED
QUARRY SITE
0 0.5 1
SCALE IN KILOMETERS
SOURCE: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
REGION IV
U.S ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
PROPOSED GAILLARD QUARRY
MONROE COUNTY, ALABAMA
B-E-54
-------
QUARRY SITE
PROJECTED ENVIRONMENT 1992
The 1992 projections Indicate that the entire quarry site will be
converted to Improved pasture, except for some of the hardwood bottom
lands along Randons and Thompson Mill (MarshalIs) creeks. Figure B.E.12
Indicates the general plant succession and the projected 1992
conditions, and Figure B.E.13 illustrates the present interactions and
the simplification of relationships when the site is converted to
pasture. The conversion of forest land to pasture will result in
increased erosion and consequent sediment loading to streams.
Agricultural watersheds have significantly higher runoff and nutrient
loads than forested watersheds (Omernick, 1976).
Conversion of forest to pastureland will reduce the diversity of
wildlife on the site (see Figure B.E.14). There will be a decrease in
forest and edge species; for example, the current turkey and squirrel
populations will continue to decline. There will, however, be an
increase in grassland species, such as mice, meadowlarks, and
grasshopper sparrows.
B-E-55
-------
MATURE CLIMAX
SOUTHERN MIXED
HARDWOOD FOREST
-H
1
-»—H
PINE-OAK FOREST
-I—I
HISTORICAL DISTURBANCE
LUMBERING. THINNING.
CLEARING. FIRE
.-J
I
'-t 1 1
EVERGREEN FOREST
(PINE PLANTATIONS)
I
•+•
FLOODPLAIN
FOREST
-t 1 I
FLOOD INFLUENCE OF
RIVER (EXTENDED
HYDROPERIOD)
I
H—r-
H I-
SHRUB
EDGE COMMUNITY
t
•+—I-
-»-
-H
HARDWOOD
BOTTOMLAND
-i 1 I >
GRASSES, OLD FIELD.
PASTURE
DRAINAGE AND STREAMS
(EXTENDED HYDROPERIOD)
F
MOSSES
\
ROCK,
BARE GROUND
SUCCESSIONAL STAGE
SUCCESSIONAL STAGE ON SITE
1992 DIRECTION
HISTORICAL DISTURBANCE
NATURAL SUCCESSIONAL DIRECTION
GENERAL PLANT SUCCESSION AND 1992 BASELINE
CONDITIONS OF THE PROPOSED QUARRY SITE
SOURCE: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc.. 1977.
B-E-56
-------
ATMOSPHERE
(WATER NUTRCEIVTSI
UPLAND FOREST
AMD EDGE ANIMALS
PINE OAK FOREST
HARDWOOD BOTTOMLANDS
RUNOFF /NUTRIENTS
INCREASED NUTRIENT
LOAD DUE TO CLEARING
AND LIVESTOCK WASTES
FLOODPLAIM FOREST
INCREASED NUTRIENT
LOAD DUE TO CLEARING
RUNOFrVlfUTIIIENTS
REMNANT FOREST
ALABAMA RIVER
INCREASED NUTRIENT LOAD
DUE TO LIVESTOCK WASTES
INCREASED NUTRIENT
LOAD DUE TO CLEARING
AND LIVESTOCK WASTES
PASTURE/OLD FIELDS
PASTURE/OLD FIELD ANIMALS
BIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS
ABIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS
FigureB.E.13
ECOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIP OF THE ECOSYSTEMS
OF THE PROPOSED QUARRY SITE
REGION IV
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
SOURCE: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
PROPOSED GAILLARD QUARRY
MONROE COUNTY, ALABAMA
B-E-57
-------
HIGH
RELATIVE
ABUNDANCE
k/V PRESENT STATE AND
I \ 1992 DIRECTION
HIGH
NUMBER
OF SPECIES
LOW
GRASSLAND SHRUB EVERGREEN OAK SOUTHERN MIXED
FOREST HARDWOODS
ECOLOGICAL TIME
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
NUMBER OF SPECIES
Figure B.E.14
GENERALIZED PATTERN OF BIRD AND MAMMAL
SUCCESSION IN SOUTHEASTERN FORESTS
(Adapted from Johnston and Odum, 1956; Hirth, 1959)
SOURCE: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
REGION IV
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
PROPOSED GAILLARO QUARRY
MONROE COUNTY. ALABAMA
B-E-58
-------
PLANT AMD QUARRY SITES
IMPORTANT SPECIES ANALYSIS
Introduction
This section discusses any commercially or recreationally important
plants and animals, as well as those plants and animals which affect the
well-being of some important species or are critical to the structure
and function of the ecological systems of the two sites. This analysis
is based on plant and animal surveys in the spring, summer, and fall of
1977. The surveys were supplemented by consultation with Mr. John Harper
of the Conservation Service (Monroeville) and with Alabama Department of
Conservation agents (Mr. William Boone and Mr. Jim Davis, Monroe
County). The discussion is presented as summaries of the important
species of the proposed plant and quarry sites followed by more detailed
accounts of these species.
Plant Site
Vegetation
The important commercial plant species of the upland area are pine and
oak; however, the most valuable pines and oaks have been removed. The
site is too small to allow efficient commercial forestry development.
Several of the marsh plants are important as indicator species. Juncus
roemarianus becomes established under brackish conditions, but may be
found in areas which have since become less brackish or even fresh.
Cladium jamaicense is associated with fresh or "intermediate" tidal
marshes. The freshwater marsh area separated from the Cladium marsh is
dominated by Typha latifolia. a plant which is intolerant to salinity.
Collectively the marsh plants are considered valuable for wildlife and
fisheries production (see section on wildlife production at the plant
site).
Animals
The important animals which occur or can be expected to occur on the
proposed plant site are fur-bearing animals (e.g., nutria, raccoons)
B-E-59
-------
PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
and game species (e.g., swamp and cottontail rabbit, bobwhite quail,
mourning dove, various rails, common snipe, and waterfowl). Raccoon
tracks were very common throughout the site and reflect the activity of
numerous individuals on the site. Nutria were observed in the upper
reaches of the freshwater marsh, as well as in the brackish marsh. Of
the game species, only the cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus florldanus),
bobwhite quail (Colinus virginlanus), and mourning dove (Zenaida
macroura) were abundant in the upland areas. Common snipe and the calls
of various rails (clapper, king, and sora rails) were heard in both the
fresh and brackish marsh. These species were particularly abundant in
the freshwater marsh. Quail call counts of singing males revealed a
substantial number of these birds. Likewise, calling mourning doves
were recorded throughout the upland area of the site. Several cotton-
tail and swamp rabbits were observed, as well as numerous rabbit signs
in the upland areas. A description of preferred habitat, potential
carrying capacity, and foods of these animals is presented in the indi-
vidual species accounts. Other species, which may be as important but
apparently do not occur in large numbers at the site, include mink,
otter, gray squirrel, and muskrat.
Past and present habitat manipulation over most of the upland area has
resulted in thick secondary growth of early stage longleaf pine forest.
This second growth has produced a number of plants important to game and
other wildlife species. These conditions would seem favorable for sup-
porting some populations of upland species. Evaluation of plant commun-
ities revealed that foods and cover were present in moderate to average
quantities. Food-producing species, which were found in abundance,
consisted mainly of fleshy fruits (Rubus spp. and Vaccinium spp.) and
grasses (Andropogon spp. and Panicium spp.) along with various other
trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants (see Table B.E.I). Although
Andropogon spp. are of some value as food plants, their main value at
the site is to provide cover for various small game species. In addi-
tion, good cover exists in the form of bushy thickets and blackberry
patches, and the water sources seem adequate to meet the needs of most
species.
B-E-60
-------
PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
Quarry Site
Vegetation
The commercially important species are pine and hardwoods which have
been discussed earlier in "Uses and Ecological Values of the Ecosystem-1-
Forest Products." There are numerous plants, such as oaks and hickories,
which are valuable food sources for wildlife. These are discussed under
individual game species. Cypress, which is an indicator of wetlands and
has commercial value, is found in the floodplain forest of Hollinger and
Randons creeks on the property.
Animals
Important species of the proposed quarry site include a large variety of
game and fur-bearing animals. Common small game species of wildlife
consist of bobwhite quail, mourning dove, and cottontail rabbit.
Abundant populations of whitetail deer are present in much of the quarry
site and on adjoining lands. Smaller populations of wild turkey and
gray squirrel are also present. The land seasonally attracts a few
migratory species, such as woodcock, various ducks, and rails.
Discussion of Individual Species
Important Game Species
Rails—Of the species of rails that frequent coastal Alabama (Table
B.E.2), only the sora (Porzana Carolina), Virginia rail (Rallus limicola).
clapper rail (Railus longirostris), and king rail (Rallus elegans) are
of economic importance. Many members of the family Rallidae have
extensive migrations; however, some population of king rails and clapper
rails have limited seasonal movements (Sanderson, 1977). The Virginia,
king, and sora rails are found primarily in freshwater marshes except
during migration when they may utilize brackish and salt marshes.
Clapper rails are principally salt marsh birds. As one of the top
consumers in salt marshes, clapper rails are indicators of overall
conditions of the estuarine ecosystem (Day, 1973). In Georgia, Oney
(1954) estimated tidal marsh populations of rails at between 3.3 and 3.7
birds per hectare (1.3 and 1.5 birds per acre), and Day (1973) concluded
B-E-61
-------
PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
that fresh marshes contained an average of 5.2 rails per hectare (2.1
rails per acre) in the area of Airplane Lake, Louisiana. These
densities are likely to be found at the plant site.
Suitable habitat for both salt marsh and fresh marsh species is found in
the North Fork Deer River. The sora clapper and king rail were recorded
to be in the marshes of the plant site. Insects, crustaceans, and
spiders predominate in the diet of most rails. However, seeds of marsh
plants make up an appreciable portion of their diet (Martin, et al_.,
1951). Presently, the marsh is relatively undisturbed and provides
cover for migratory and resident birds. The ESE fall survey revealed a
substantial number of sora, clapper and king rails in both the fresh and
brackish marsh.
Waterfowl •-'-In Alabama, the bulk of the waterfowl winter in the Tennessee
Valley, on upper Mobile Bay, and on Mississippi Sound (Imhof, 1976).
Species known to use the Mobile Bay and the Alabama River drainage areas
as wintering grounds are mallard, black duck, canvasback, redhead,
common goldeneye, blue-winged teal, lesser snow-goose, hooded merganser,
and red-breasted merganser (Bellrose, 1976). Other species which occur
commonly as migrants are the gadwall, green-winged teal, and ring-necked
duck. Few waterfowl breed in Alabama. The wood duck is the only major
breeding waterfowl. There is scattered breeding of the mottled duck.
Aerial surveys in the winter show the duck population in Mobile Bay in
1974 to total 6,300 ducks and 21,800 coots (Swingle, et al_., 1975).
According to Bell rose (1976), wood duck breeding populations in Alabama
number 28,000. The heaviest concentration of these breeding birds
occurs along the Alabama and Tombigbee River. Summer brood surveys show
about 50,000 young wood ducks are produced annually in the state
(Beshears, 1974). Swamps and beaver ponds are probably the most utilized
habitat in Alabama. Two wood ducks were observed along a flooded
section of Randons Creek in the fall survey. Bird surveys along the
North Fork Deer River were conducted too early to record wintering
waterfowl on the site. Our habitat analysis indicates probable use of
the marsh and ship channel by wintering ducks and geese.
B-E-62
-------
PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
Turkey—Gone from most of its former range, the eastern wild turkey
(Meleagris gallopavo) has been reintroduced into much of the eastern
United States and some sections of the western part of the county.
Although no census of turkey populations was made, turkeys were seen on
numerous occasions at the quarry site. Davis (1977) estimated .15 birds
per hectare (.06 birds per acre) on most forested lands adjoining, the
proposed quarry site. In similar areas of Alabama, Speak, et al.
(1975), reported population densities of .12 birds per hectare
(.05 birds per acre). The home ranges for turkey in the spring-summer
was 790 hectares (1,951 acres) for hens and 474 hectares (1,171 acres)
for gobblers. Davis (1977) stated that a general reduction in the number
of turkeys has occurred on the proposed quarry site because of current
timber management practices. The primary reason for their decline is
the harvesting of most mature, mast-producing species of trees and the
conversion of hardwood forest to cleared pasture (areas with more than
30 percent cleared pasture will support few turkey).
Food sources are considered poor in quality. Well-formed, mast-
producing species are essentially absent except for a few large trees
along the floodplain area of Randons Creek and the upper slopes and
terraces of Thompson Mill Creek (MarshalIs Creek). Available food
(Table B.E.6) was rated as fair for most habitats. Currently, there are
well-distributed water sources over most of the area.
Generally, good turkey habitat contains natural stands of mixed hard-
woods, groups of conifers, relatively open understory, scattered
clearings (12 to 15 percent), wel 1-di stri buted water [at least two
sources every 260 hectares (640 acres)], reasonable freedom from
disturbance, and adequate area (U.S. Forest Service, 1971; Speak,
et al_., 1975). The present habitat of the quarry site is considered poor
for turkey. The low rating for habitats is partly due to the absence of
mature hardwood forest, the paucity of large well-formed oaks, the
continued encroachment by man, and the clear cutting of large acreages
of pine-oak forest.
B-E-63
-------
Table B.E.6.
Preferred Foods, in Relative Order of Abundance, of Important Game Species Occurring on the Proposed Quarry
Site, Monroe County
oo
I
CTi
Deer
***
*
***
***
**
*
*
*
****
****
*
*
*
Plant
Row Crops
Blueberry
Greenbrier
Maple
Dogwood
Grape
Black gum
Saw palmetto
Honeysuckle
Oaks
Black cherry
Pine
Blackberry
Edible Parts
f-gl
f-gl
f-gl-dl
gi
f-gl
f-gl
gi
f
gl-st+b
f-gl-dl
f
dl
f-gl
Turkey
Plant Edible Parts
**
**
**
*
**
*
*
****
*
*
****
***
*
*
*
*
Row Crops
Blueberry
Greenbrier
Hickory
Dogwood
Grape
Black gum
Honeysuckle
Poison ivy
Holly
Oaks
Beech
Black cherry
Ash
Panicgrass
Sedge
Animal Matter
f-gl
f-gl
f-gl
f
f-gl
f-gl
f-gl
f
f
f-gl
f
f
f-gl
f
f
Squi rrel
Plant
*** Hickory
*** Walnut
** Maple
* Hop hornbeam
* Sweet gum
**** Oaks
**** Buds and Flowers
*** Berries
Edible Parts
f
f
st + b
f
f
f
*** Grasshopper
* Butterfly
* Spi der
Key: f = fruit; gl = green leaves; dl = dry leaves; st + b = succulent twigs and buds.
Notes: 1. Plant species are listed in order of frequency of occurrence at the site.
2. Asterisks indicate the preferences of the animals for these food items, with one asterisk indicating the
least preferred food and four asterisks indicating the most preferred food.
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering. Inc. 1977.
73
70
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
Quail—The bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) is found throughout
Alabama, mostly around farmlands, forest fringes, and old fields. Quail
populations over most of Monroe County and southwestern Alabama are
fairly small (Davis, 1977). Clear-cutting and clean farming methods
have left little suitable habitat for these birds. Some sections of the
proposed quarry site offer some of the best quail habitat in Monroe
County (Davis, 1977). Good quail habitat may contain one bird per
0.4 hectare (one bird per acre) (Rosene, 1969).
Quail were commonly seen throughout the quarry site. Population counts
were not made, but potential habitat and probable carrying capacity were
evaluated. The best habitat occurs on the central portion of the quarry
site (Figure B.E.9). In these areas a fairly good ratio of mixed
grassland, grain cropland, brush, and mixed woodlots was observed. The
area consists of approximately 1,146 hectares (2,833 acres) with a
potential carrying capacity of one quail per 1.6 hectares (4 acres).
Within this area a good blend of escape, nest, brood, and forage cover
exists. In many cases the scattered woodlots provide preferred edge
communities. In areas where grazing by cattle has not been extensive,
there is ample food supply in the form of insects, seeds, and plant
parts of legumes and grasses.
Mourning Dove—The mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) is an abundant and
widely distributed species throughout the United States and southern
Canada. This species does well in suburbs and farmlands and also
frequents forested areas. Doves are year-round residents in Monroe and
Mobile counties with the greatest numbers occurring in the fall and
winter because of migration from the northern states (Imhof, 1976).
Dove hunting is the most popular form of bird hunting in Alabama. About
3.25 million doves are taken each year in Alabama by over 100,000
hunters. Currently, some of the best dove habitat in the Monroe County
area is found around croplands and remnant forest and cleared pasture on
the central portion of the proposed quarry site. Marginal habitat
exists in some sections of those cleared areas formerly occupied by
pine-oak forest. No estimates were made of current mourning dove
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
populations at either site. However, doves were abundant in both the
summer and fall surveys. Breeding dove densities of nine pair per
4.5 hectares (11 acres) are common in excellent habitat (U.S. Forest
Service, 1971).
Woodcock and Common Snipe—The woodcock (Philone!a minor) is primarily
restricted to the eastern part of North America, while the common snipe
(Capella gallinago) may be encountered over most of North and Central
America (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1975). The woodcock inhabits
moist woodlands and the common snipe frequents marshes and bogs. Both
species breed in the northern part of their range with many birds
wintering in the Gulf states (Rue, 1973). Of the two species, the
woodcock is more likely to occur in the moist woodlands and swamps of
Randons Creek and the Alabama River. Additional habitat for woodcock is
found surrounding the lower portion of Thompson Mill Creek (MarshalIs
Creek), but this is of limited acreage. In the fall, numerous common
snipe were sighted in the old fields at the quarry site and the fresh
marsh at the plant site.
Deer-'-The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virgim'anus) is quite abundant
at the quarry site and occurs throughout Alabama. During the 1975
hunting season in Alabama, an estimated 210,556 hunters harvested
approximately 155,625 deer (Alabama Department of Conservation, 1976).
The preferred habitat of deer is the brushy stages of second-growth
deciduous forest. Deer, however, are adaptable and can survive in a
multitude of forested and nonfcrested communities. According to
Marchington (1968) and Byford (1970), the home range for most south-
eastern deer varies from roughly 60 to 100 hectares (150 to 250 acres),
usually averaging 80 hectares (200 acres). In the Southeast, population
densities average approximately one deer per 8 hectares (20 acres).
According to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources there is an estimated one deer per 5 to 6 hectares (12 to
15 acres) on most land adjoining the quarry site. Environmental Science
and Engineering population censuses indicated between 115 and 200 deer
on the quarry site or one deer per 14 hectares (35 acres).
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
Our habitat evaluation indicates that forage is of average quantity on
the proposed quarry site. Available browse foods are sparse in most
forest types except those portions of the pine-oak forest which are
being logged (Figure B.E.7). On these lands, current timber management
practices in the form of clear-cutting of 160 to 200 hectares (400 to
500 acres) are temporarily making large amounts of browse available to
deer; however, these actions will eventually reduce a major portion of
the pine-oak community along with its associated forage plants.
Grasses, weeds, and row crops supply a large portion of the dietary
needs of deer on the southern half of the site. In the remnant forest
and cleared pasture communities, grazing cattle have significantly
reduced available foods. Mature soft mast species of trees were
generally few in number and insufficient in size for producing
substantial mast crops (Table B.E.6).
The various water courses provide good water sources and excellent
cover. Many of these waterways are of good quality and flow throughout
the year. Good cover exists in the form of hardwood bottomlands and
dense stands on the slopes and terraces of streams.
Squirrel--Three species of squirrel inhabit the forest communities of
Alabama: gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). fox squirrel (S_. niger).
and southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans). Of these three, only
the gray squirrel and fox squirrel are significant as a hunting
resource. The gray squirrel is an inhabitant primarily of southern
mixed hardwoods, whereas the fox squirrel generally prefers open
woodlands and field-forest edges. Average densities for squirrels in
the area of the Tombigbee Waterway ranged from 5 to 12 per hectare (2 to
5 per acre) in good habitat (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile
District, 1974). The home range of gray squirrels varies from .6 to 3.2
hectares (1.5 to 8 acres) and that of the fox squirrel from 2 to 4
hectares (Uhlig, 1956). Age, sex, and population densities have
significant influence upon home range.
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
Currently, the habitat conditions in most plant communities of the plant
and quarry sites are not supportive of large numbers of either gray
squirrel or fox squirrel. Relative carrying capacity is determined by
such heavy-seeded species as: oak (Quercus spp.); hickory (Carya spp.);
walnut (Juglans m'gra); and beech (Fagus grandiflora) (U.S. Forest
Service, 1971).
Clear-cutting has eliminated many of the high quality mast-producing
oaks and beeches in most forested communities of the plant and quarry
site. The most productive systems were those areas located on the
slopes and terraces associated with various water courses. Food sources
in these systems consisted mainly of various hickories and black walnut
(Table B.E.6).
Population censuses of squirrels at the quarry site show that squirrel
populations are low in most areas of the property. Densities in the
pine-oak forest, and remnant woodlots were less than .6 squirrels per
hectare (.24 per acre). Those forest communities adjoining the stream
banks of Hollinger Creek, Randons Creek, Thompson Mill Creek (Marshalls
Creek), and the Alabama River are the most productive with an average of
6 squirrels per hectare (2.4 per acre). Davis (1977) reported squirrel
population at the quarry site to be very low because of the lack of
mature hardwood forest.
Only one squirrel was observed at the plant site. No nests were found
on the property. The recent logging of the site has reduced the
population of squirrels.
Rabbit—Two species of rabbit which commonly occur in the coastal plain
of Alabama are the eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) and the
swamp rabbit (S. aquaticus). Rabbit populations may reach densities of
0.75 rabbits per hectare (0.3 per acre) in good habitat and 1.5 rabbits
per hectare (0.6 per acre) in excellent habitat (Willis, 1975). The
entire upland area of the plant site provides good rabbit habitat.
Rabbits and signs of rabbits were common throughout the site.
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
Approximately 1,143 hectares (2,833 acres) of cleared pasture, remnant
forest, grassland, and brushy thickets at the quarry site are currently
good habitat for the eastern cottontail rabbit (Figure B.E.ll).
Food, mainly grasses and legumes, was abundant in most ungrazed sections
of the cleared pasture and remnant forest community. Suitable habitat
for the swamp rabbit, which consists of wooded swamps, wet bottomlands,
and marshes, occurs along the floodplain of Randons Creek and certain
areas of the Alabama River. Food was abundant on the more upland slopes
of the floodplain areas adjacent to Randons Creek and in those lands
near the confluence of the Alabama River and feeder streams.
Fur-Bearing Mammals
Raccoon—The range of the raccoon (Procyon lotor) extends from southern
Canada to Panama. In mixed woodlands, raccoons prefer bottomlands for
denning sites. They forage in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats
(Golley, 1962). The home range of raccoons is about 81 hectares
(200 acres). Spring population densities average between one raccoon
per 2 to 4 hectares (5 to 10 acres) in hardwood bottomland and swamps.
Raccoons which were found to be common at the plant site use both the
marsh and upland areas. Evidence of feeding on blue crabs was found in
the brackish marsh. The quarry site has suitable habitat for
maintaining a relatively large population of raccoons. The most
favorable denning sites are located in hardwood bottomlands of Randons
Creek, Thompson Mill Creek (MarshalIs Creek), and the various feeder
streams of the Alabama River.
Opossum—The Virginian opossum (Didelphis marsupialis) is abundant in
the Southeast. This species is common in nearly all wooded areas and
coastal marshes. In coastal Florida (Ehrhart, 1976), the minimum
densities varied from 5 per hectare (2 per acre) in the spring, to 1.9
per hectare (.8 per acre) in the winter. Habitat conditions are
favorable for supporting populations of opossum at both sites.
Deciduous forest of bottomlands and along streams will contain the ;
greatest densities (Golley, 1962).
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
Red Fox and Gray Fox—The red fox (Vulpes fulva) and the gray fox
(Urocyon cinereoargenteus) occur over large portions of North America.
According to Golley (1962), the red fox prefers more open habitat,
whereas the gray fox is more often found in lowlands adjacent to dense
bottomland forest. There is, however, much overlap in home range and
both species may occur together. Areas with the greatest diversity of
fields and woods probably would support the greatest density of either
species. Currently, the habitats at the quarry site are suitable for
both the red fox and the gray fox. Although not observed in this study,
both species are reported in the area (Harper, 1977).
Bobcat--Lynx rufus occurs across southern Canada and south over the
entire United States, except for the midwestern corn belt, to southern
Mexico. This species is primarily found in hardwood bottomlands and
swamps as well as in forested areas next to these systems. Bobcats are
likely throughout the plant site. The preferred habitat at the quarry
site is located in the lowlands of Randons Creek, Thompson Mill Creek
(MarshalIs Creek), and surrounding the Alabama River.
Beaver, Muskrat. Mink, and River Otter—Other fur-producing mammals of
the lower coastal plain of Alabama are the beaver (Castor canadensis),
muskrat (Ondatra zibethica). mink (Mustela vison). and river otter
(Lutra canadensis). Beavers and muskrats are associated with ponds,
marshes, and streams. An active beaver dam system was found near the
mouth of Randons Creek at the quarry site. Signs of beaver were
observed on the other creeks and the Alabama River. No signs of beaver
were found at the plant site. Otters are primarily a riverine and salt
marsh species. Mink are usually found in close association with various
waterways. These species were not observed during the study but are
reported to occur on both sites (Harper, 1977). Densities of beavers
are not definitely known for this area. Beshears and Haugen (1953)
report Alabama farm ponds have densities of 22 muskrats per hectare
(9 per acre) of pond. In the salt marsh of Louisiana, Day (1973)
calculated an average of one muskrat per 3.2 hectares (8 acres). In
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
these same systems otter and mink are reported at densities of
approximately one mink and one otter per 16 hectares (40 acres).
Nutri a—Myocastor coy pus is native to temperate South America, and has
been introduced widely in the United States and western Europe (Lowery,
1974). In Alabama it is found in the coastal estuaries and on the
Tombigbee, Alabama, and Escambia drainages. Habitats of the nutria
consist of salt marsh, fresh marsh, swamps, ponds, and lakes; however,
nutria are more abundant in brackish and fresh marshes (Day, 1973). Day
also stated that nutria average one per 0.4 hectare (one per acre) in
saline marshes. Vegetation used by the nutria include pickerelweed,
cutgrass, Sagitaria. alligator grass, and some cattail (Lueth, 1957).
Lueth also stated that tidal marshes containing an abundance of cutgrass
and alligator grass were the preferred habitat. Suitable habitat and
forage foods (Table B.E.5) were found in the marshes of the North Fork
Deer River. Nutria"were observed in both the freshwater and brackish
marsh of the plant site. Nutria do not occur at the quarry site.
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
RARE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES ANALYSIS
Introduction
In 1972 and 1975 the State of Alabama developed and formalized a list of
rare and endangered species for the state (Boschung, 1976). Three major
groups were defined and identified:
1. Endangered Species (E)--those species in danger of extinction
throughout all or a significant portion of their range in
Alabama.
2. Threatened Species (T)—those species which are likely to become
endangered in the foreseeable future throughout all or a
significant portion of their range in Alabama.
3. Species of Special Concern (SC)--those species which must be
continually monitored because of imminent degrading factors.
Their limited distribution or biological characteristics may
cause them to become threatened or endangered in the foreseeable
future.
In historical times one fish (hairlip sucker), two species of birds
(passenger pigeon and Carolina parakeet), and two species of plants
(Linum macrocarpum. a flax, and Hell anthus smithii, sunflower) formerly
found in Alabama have become extinct. Other species of animals no
longer exist in Alabama although they occur elsewhere. Today there are
several hundred plants and animals that are considered threatened by
habitat destruction, competition from introduced species, pesticides,
and other forms of human interference. This analysis is based on direct
observations by Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., personnel
and local governmental agencies, on the Habitat Association Analysis
(Willis, 1975), and on literature sources. Consideration is given to
only those species which are listed by the Department of Interior and
the State of Alabama and which have ranges that include the plant and
quarry sites.
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
Plant Site1--Summary
A total of 29 species of animals considered endangered, threatened, or
of special concern (Table B.E.7) have ranges which include the plant
site. One threatened species (the American alligator) and two species
of special concern (merlin and little blue heron) were observed on the
plant site. These species were found in the marsh areas. Twelve
species are likely to be found on the site; these are either birds with
less restrictive habitat requirements or animals associated with
marshes. The disturbed nature of the upland forest lowers the probabil"
ity of occurrence of most of the rare and endangered species associated
with forest communities.
There are four endangered species and eleven threatened species of
plants which are known to occur in Mobile County habitats similar to the
proposed plant site (Table B.E.8). None of these species was observed
on the plant site. Their probability of occurrence is low due to past
disturbance and habitat destruction in the areas.
Quarry Site—Summary
Fourteen species of plants and animals which are endangered, threatened,
or of special concern (Tables B.E.8 and B.E.9) have ranges that include
the quarry site. Several of these species'—American alligator, bald
eagle, red shouldered hawk, little blue heron, and the wood stork—-have
been observed on or near the site. The present conversion of the quarry
site from forest to pasture will not affect the alligator, but will not
increase and may diminish the occurrence of the herons and the wood
stork.
Isotria verticellata is the only plant species of special concern found
on the Monroe County proposed quarry site (Table B.E.8). Present
clearing of the hardwood forest will reduce this species.
B-E-73
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Table B.E.7. List of Vertebrates (Endangered. Threatened, or of Special Concern) Which Are Known or Expected to Occur on or in
the Vicinity of the Proposed Plant Site. Mobile County, with their Preferred Habitats and Likelihood of Occurrence
(Tentative)
Scientific Name Common Name
Likelihood
Status Habitat of
Occurrence
CO
Rana heckscheri
Rana areolata sevosa
Ambystoma cingulatum
Alligator mississippiensis
Pi tuophus melanoleucus
lodgingi
Rhadinaea flavilata
Crotalus adamanteus
Chrysemys alabemensis
Gopherus polyphemus
Pelecanus occidental Is
Anas fulvigula
Aceipi ter striatus
Accipiter cooperii
Buteo lineatus
EJanoides fprficatus
Haliaeetus leucocepHalus
Aqui 1 a ehrysaetos
Falco columbarius
PandiotThaliaetus
Laterallus jamaicensis
Florida coerulea
Nycticorax nycticorax
Mycteria americana
Dendrpcppos boreal is
ATmophi 1 aaesti val i s
Lasiurus floridanus
Sylvilagus palustris palustris
Seiurus carolinensis
fuliginosus
River frog
Dusky gopher frog
Flatwoods salamander
American alligator
Black pine snake
Pine woods snake
Eastern diamondback rattler
Alabama red-bellied turtle
Gopher tortoise
Brown pelican
Mottled duck
Sharpskinned hawk
Cooper's hawk
Red-shouldered hawk
Swallow-tailed kite
Bald eagle
Golden Eagle
Merlin
Osprey
Black rail
Little blue heron
Black-crowned night heron
Wood stork
Red'-cockaded woodpecker
Bachman's sparrow
Yellow bat
Marsh rabbit
Bayou grey squi rrel
Special Concern
Threatened
Endangered
Threatened
Endangered
Special Concern
Special Concern
Threatened
Threatened
Endangered
Threatened
Special Concern
Special Concern
Special Concern
Special Concern
Endangered
Endangered
Special Concern
Endangered
Special Concern
Special Concern
Special Concern
Special Concern
Endangered
Special Concern
Special Concern
Special Concern
Special Concern
Swampy margin of small streams Likely
Pine flatwoods Marginal
Pine flatwoods Marginal
Fresh and brackish marsh Positive
Longleaf pine and Marginal
sandhill communities
Deep pine flatwoods Marginal
Pine flatwoods Marginal
Fresh marsh Likely
Pine-oak and sandhill communities Marginal
Brackish marsh Likely
Fresh and brackish marsh Likely
Any habitat Marginal
Pine-oak hardwood Likely
Wooded areas Likely
Rivers and swamps Marginal
Rivers and lakes Marginal
Wooded areas Marginal
Beaches, marshes, and open areas Positive
Fresh and brackish marsh Likely
Brackish marsh Likely
Swamps and fresh marsh Positive
Salt marsh Likely
Swamps and marshes Likely
Pine flatwoods Marginal
Pine hardwoods Likely
Wooded areas Marginal
Marshes Likely
Wooded areas Marginal
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering. Inc.. 1977.
-------
Table B.E.8. List of Plants (Endangered, Threatened, or Species of Special Concern) Which Hay Occur on the Proposed Plant
or Quarry Sites
CD
i
m
i
—i
in
Scientific Name
PLANT SITE
Epldendrum cpnopseum
Ilex amelanchier
Psora! ea simplex
Rhyncospora crinlpes
Canna flacclda
Cleistes dlvaricata
Coreopsis gladiata
Hyper i cum nitidum
Ludwigia arcuata
Scutellaria alabamensls
Marea sessiliflora
Eriocaulon texense
Habernaria Integra
Lycopodlum f label lifarme
Sabatia foliosa
QUARRY SITE
Isotrla spectabilis
Common Name
Tree orchid
Spreading pogonia
Skull cap
Pipewort
Yellow fringeless orchid
Running pine
Pogonia
Status
Endangered
Endangered
Endangered
Endangered
Threatened
Threatened
Threatened
Threatened
Threatened
Threatened
Threatened
Threatened
Threatened
Threatened
Threatened
Special Concern
Habitat
Rich bottoms
Swamp woodland
Low, wet plnelands
Flatwoods
Pine savannah
Bogs, open low woods
Bogs
Low plnelands
Marshes
Moist clearings In oak-pine flats
Plnelands
Bogs
P1ne barrens
Dry slopes
Sandy, peaty, low areas
Hardwood slopes
Likelihood
of
Occurrence
Marginal
Marginal
Marginal
Marginal
Marginal
Marginal
Marginal
Marginal
Likely
Marginal
Marginal
Marginal
Marginal
Marginal
Marginal
Positive
TO
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
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Table B.E.9. List of Vertebrates (Endangered. Threatened, or of Special Concern) Which Are Known or Expected to Occur on or in
the Vicinity of the Proposed Quarry Site. Monroe County, with their Preferred Habitats and Likelihood of
Occurrence
co
i
en
Scientific Name
Phaeognatus hubrichii
Alligator imssissippiensis
Crotalus adamanteus
Gopherus polyphemus
Accipi ter coopern
Accipiter striatus
Aquila chrysaetos
Butco lineatus
Elanoides forficatus
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Florida caerulea
Myctena antericana
Aimophila aestivalis
Sorexl longirostris
My otis lucifugus
Common Name
Redhills salamander
American alligator
Eastern diamondback rattler
Gopher tortoise
Cooper's hawk
Sharp- shinned hawk
Golden eagle
Red-shouldered hawk
Swallow-tailed kite
Bald eagle
Little blue heron
Wood stork
Bachntan's sparrow
Southeastern shrew
Little brown bat
Status
Endangered
Threatened
Special Concern
Threatened
Special Concern
Special Concern
Endangered
Special Concern
Special Concern
Endangered
Special Concern
Special Concern
Special Concern
Special Concern
Speci a) Concern
Habitat
Streambanks
Ponds and fresh marsh
Pine flatwoods
Pine-oak and sandhill
communities
Pine-oak hardwoods.
hardwood bottomlands,
pastures
Any habi tat
Wooded areas
Wooded areas
Rivers and swamps
Rivers and lakes
Swamps, ponds, and
bottomlands
Swamps and marshes
Pine hardwoods
River, floodplaln. and
swamps
Culverts and beneath
Likelihood
of
Occurrence
Marginal
Positive
Likely
Marginal
Likely
Likely
Marginal
Positive
Marginal
Positive
Positive
Posi ti ve
Likely
Likely
Marginal
O
c
50
jo
-<
in
M
m
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering. Inc.. 1977.
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
Individual Species Discussion
Plants
Large Whorled Pogonia (Species of Special Concern)1--Isotria verticellata
is a yellowish green and purple wild orchid. It is found on moist
hardwood slopes and stream margins.
Birds
Bald Eagle (Endangered)---Haliaeetus leucocephalus was a common breeding
winter resident on the Gulf Coast. Wintering eagles are found along
rivers and near bodies of water; however, since 1960 the populations
have declined because of pesticide poisoning, illegal shooting, and
human disturbance.
The bald eagle is likely to occur in the vicinity of the plant site and
along the Alabama River at the quarry site; however, no nests were found
at the plant or quarry site. A recent killing of a bald eagle near the
quarry site was reported.
Golden Eagle (Endangered)-^Al though numbers of golden eagle
(Aquila chrysaetas) are low, they are regularly sighted in Alabama
during the winter. Occasionally the birds occur in more settled areas
where there are livestock and waterfowl. Illegal shooting and
pesticides have contributed to their decline. Their occasional presence
at the proposed plant and quarry sites is possible.
Osprey (Endangered)1—Pandion haliaetus which lives near water and feeds
on fish, was a common migratory species throughout Alabama and was also
a fairly common breeding species on the Gulf Coast. The primary cause
for its decline is pesticide poisoning. Although nests were not found
on either site, ospreys have been seen in the vicinity of the plant site
but are unlikely to occur on and around the quarry site.
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
Wood Stork (Species of Special Concern)---Mycteria americana is the only
American representative of the stork family (Ciconiidae). It is a large
white bird locally common in southern swamps, freshwater marshes, and
ponds; especially in the coastal plain of Alabama. The present
population appears to be declining throughout Alabama (Imhof, 1976;
Keeler. 1976). The wood stork has been frequently reported in both
Monroe and Mobile counties. It is likely to occur at the plant site,
although it was not seen. A wood stork was observed in the hardwood
bottomlands of the quarry site, and is likely to occur in and around the
ponds.
Red-Shouldered Hawk (Species of Special Concern)--Buteo lineatus is a
permanent breeding resident throughout Alabama (Imhof, 1976). Breeding
pairs are usually found in large tracts of forested lands, with more
pairs frequenting tracts of bottomland hardwoods. The reasons for the
decline of this species include habitat destruction and pesticide
poisoning. One red-shouldered hawk was observed at the quarry site and
they are likely to occur in the vicinity of the plant site.
Cooper's Hawk (Species of Special Concern)—Accipiter cooperii was a
common permanent breeding resident throughout Alabama in moderately
wooded areas. It nests in secluded woods, more often in pine than in
hardwoods. Its preferred habitats are pine hardwoods and the edges of
other woods. Its food is primarily birds, including robins, townees,
and meadowlarks; it will also prey on poultry. Since 1955 its numbers
have been decreasing rapidly, probably because of pesticide poisoning.
It is more likely to be found on the proposed quarry site than the plant
site.
Merlin (Species of Special Concern)—Fa! co columbarius i s an uncommon
migrant and winter resident throughout Alabama, with most birds
wintering near the Gulf Coast (Imhof, 1976). Shooting, pesticide
poisoning, and other human disturbance are probably the major limiting
factors. Suitable habitat (relatively open areas) is found in and
around the plant. One merlin was observed in the marsh area at the
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
plant site during the fall survey. It is unlikely to occur at the
quarry site.
Sharp Shinned Hawk (Species of Special Concern'—Accipiter striatus is a
small hawk which is found in almost any habitat. During breeding season
it prefers wooded hilly areas, and it builds large nests in pines. This
species feeds primarily on small birds. Its numbers have declined,
probably because of pesticide poisoning. The sharp shinned hawk is
likely to occur at the quarry site and is unlikely to occur at the plant
site.
Swallow-Tailed Kite (Species of Special Concern)—Elanoides forticatus
is a large black and white hawk with a swallows-like tail. It is an
inhabitant of rivers, swamps, open forests, and freshwater marshes. Its
primary foods are insects, snakes, frogs, and other small animals. The
decline of the swallow-tailed kite is attributed to pesticide poisoning
and the decline of available river swamps. This hawk is unlikely to
occur at either the plant or quarry site.
Black-Crowned Night Heron (Species of Special Concern)--Nycticorax
nycticorax. one of the stockier herons, frequents salt marshes and feeds
on crawfish, crabs, frogs, mice, grasshoppers, and other insects. It
breeds in the Mobile Bay area and may utilize the marshes of the plant
site. It frequents the same habitat as the yellow-crowned night heron
(Imhof, 1976) seen at the plant site. Loss of wetlands in the coastal
areas of Alabama has restricted the habitat of this species.
Little Blue Heron (Species of Special Concern)—Florida caerulea i s a
medium-size heron that frequents lake shores, swamps, bottomlands, and
islands. It nests in colonies in these same habitats, and it feeds
primarily on aquatic animals. This heron was observed in the marshes
of the proposed plant site and in the ponds of the quarry site. It is
also likely to occur in the floodplain forest and hardwood bottomlands
of the quarry site.
B-E-79
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
Black Rail (Species of Special Concern)—Lateral!us jamaicensis is a
secretive bird inhabiting wet meadows ana salt marshes of coastal areas.
Destruction of wetland habitats has been the major factor in its
decline. Suitable habitat exists at the plant site.
Red-Cockaded Woodpecker (Endangered)--Dendrocopus boreal is is confined
to mature pinelands and nests only in living pines which have been
infected by a fungal disease known as "red heart." This bird is
resident in southern pine forest throughout much of the southern
Atlantic and Gulf states, including most of Alabama south of the
Tennessee River. The decline of this species is due to its specialized
habitat requirements conflicting with current widespread forestry
practices such as intensive even-aged management in pine forests and
culling of substandard trees (Imhof. 1976). If the nest trees are left
undisturbed, the survival of the red-cockaded woodpecker will continue.
Monroe County is not known to contain any red-cockaded woodpecker
population. Although no evidence of this bird has been observed on the
proposed quarry site, likely habitat does occur in some of the more
mature pine forest.
Mottled Duck (Threatened)—Anas fulvigula maculosa closely resembles the
black duck in appearance and is one of the few non-migratory ducks. The
mottled duck occurs in the Gulf coast areas of Mexico, Texas, Louisiana,
and Alabama, with accidental distribution in Florida, Kansas, and
Colorado. Its main breeding range is located in Texas and Louisiana and
includes fresh, brackish, and salt marshes as favored habitats.
Additional breeding areas include scattered locations around Mobile Bay
(Imhof, 1976).
The preferred nesting sites for the mottled duck are coastal marshes in
Spartina grasses. The bowl of the nest, which may be several inches
above the ground and is usually raised above inundating waters, is
concealed overhead with grasses or baccharis bush. Protection of
B-E-80
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
nesting areas and preservation of wetlands are the best means to insure
the survival of this species.
Although these ducks have never been reported near the plant site, Imhof
(1976) reported them from several nearby locations. Likely habitat
occurs along the lower portions of the North Fork Deer River.
Backman's Sparrow (Species of Special Concern)---Aimophila aestivalis 1 s
a permanent resident in suitable habitat in Alabama. It breeds in pine
and scrub-oak woods. Habitat destruction and human encroachment have
contributed to its decline. There is suitable habitat for this sparrow
at both the plant and quarry site.
Mammals
Southeastern Shrew (Species of Special Concern)'-- Sorex longirostris
longirostris is a small insectivorous mammal found in river floodplains
and swamps with an abundance of litter and thick understory. It is
likely to occur in the floodplain forest and hardwood bottomlands of the
quarry site.
Little Brown Bat (Species of Special Concern)—Myotis lucifugus is a
medium-sized bat which ranges down to south central Alabama. It is a
cave bat of forested areas but it also uses attics, old houses, and
other cave substitutes. Loss of suitable habitat is major reason for
concern. It may occur in the old buildings and other structures of the
quarry site.
Florida Yellow Bat (Species of Special Concern)—Lasiurus floridanus i s
a tree bat whose primary range is in Florida. One specimen has been
found in Mobile County (Dusi, 1976). Little information is available on
its occurrence in other parts of Alabama.
Bayou Gray Squirrel and Marsh Rabbit (Species of Special Concern)---Both
the bayou gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis fuliginosus) and the marsh
rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris) have limited occurrence in southern
B-E-81
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
Alabama. The bayou gray squirrel Is found throughout southern Louisiana
(Lowery. 1974). It may occur in southern Mobile County and is usually
found in close association with hardwood swamp forests. Because of the
recent logging of the plant site, its likelihood of occurrence is
marginal.
The limited range of the marsh rabbit in Alabama extends from the south-
eastern corner of the state westward to Mobile Bay. This species is an
inhabitant of wet bottomlands, swamps, and marshes. As with the bayou
gray squirrel, the status of the marsh rabbit in Alabama is uncertain
(Mount, 1976). There is suitable habitat for the marsh rabbit at the
plant site.
Reptiles
American Alligator (Threatened)—Alligator mississippiensis inhabits
marshes and swamps throughout the coastal states in the southeast and
occurs regularly along the lower Alabama River. Although alligator
populations originally declined because of heavy poaching and habitat
destruction, populations in most of the southeastern United States have
recovered in recent times. Consequently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (1977) recently issued a rule reclassifying the alligator from
endangered to threatened for much of its range, including all of
Alabama.
General protective measures for the alligator include enforcement of
anti-poaching laws and preservation of wetland habitats. Currently,
stream channelization and other drastic alterations of natural waterways
and drainage of wetlands constitute one of the major limiting factors.
Alligators are rare in the sections of the Alabama River adjacent to the
proposed quarry site (Boone, 1977). A few alligators are sighted each
year near the confluence of Randons Creek and Lovetts Creek. At the
plant site the marshes offer suitable habitat. One alligator in the
18 to 24 decimeter (6 to & foot) class was sighted on several occasions
in the North Fork Deer River.
B-E-82
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
Gopher Tortoise (Threatened)--Gopherus polyphemus occurs commonly in the
lower Coastal Plain, which includes the two sites. Its preferred
habitats are pine-turkey oak or sandhill communities. A number of
factors, including habitat destruction for building purposes and
agriculture, have caused its decline. The range of this burrowing
animal included the two sites in the past (Mount, 1975), but recent
disturbances on the sites have lowered its likelihood of occurrence.
Alabama Red-Bellied Turtle (Threatened)—Pseudemys alabamensis is found
only in the lower Mobile Bay drainage, from Little River, Baldwin, and
Mobile counties southward. The optimum habitat is in fresh to
moderately brackish water with abundant submergent aquatic vegetation
(Mount, 1975). Although an occasional specimen is collected in
saltwater habitats, this animal is not primarily a salt marsh inhabitant
(Mount, 1976).
Currently, the North Fork Deer River offers some habitat for this
aquatic turtle. Preservation of marshes in the Mobile Bay area and
protection from trapping and shooting are the best protective measures.
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Species of Special Concern)—
Crotalus adamenteus occurs in the lower Coastal Plain and Red Hills. It
is found in a variety of terrestrial habitats, including pine-flatwoods,
longleaf pine-turkey oak associations, and scrub. Drier places are
preferred, especially forested areas interspersed with cropland and
oldfield.
Suitable habitat occurs at both the quarry and plant site. Residents
near the quarry site have observed this species. Its likelihood of
occurrence at the plant site is marginal because of the recent logging
and human activity in the area.
B-E-83
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
Black Pine Snake (Endangered)—Pltuophis melanoleucus lodingl is
confined to a small portion of southwestern Alabama and southeastern
Mississippi. In Alabama, this species occurs mainly in the lower
Coastal Plain and the Red Hills region west of the Alabama River. The
range includes Mobile, Clarke, and Washington counties and possibly the
southern portion of Choctaw (Mount, 1975). There is little known about
the habits of this sub-species but it is suspected to occur in proximity
to gopher tortoise burrows (Conant, 1975). As with other snakes
associated with tortoise burrows, the practice of snake collectors
pouring gasoline into these burrows would have deleterious effects on
black pine snakes. Clearing of forest land reduces the habitat for this
animal. An inhabitant of areas with sandy soils, it might occur on
upland habitats of the plant site, although recent logging reduces the
chance of its occurrence.
Pine Woods Snake (Species of Special Concern)--Rhadinaea flavilata
inhabits damp pine flatwoods on the lower Coastal Plain of the
southeastern states. It is usually encountered within or under rotting
logs, stumps, or some other sheltering object (Mount, 1975).
Destruction of its habitat is the greatest threat to the continued
survival of this snake. This species has been recorded in Baldwin,
Mobile, and Washington counties. Some areas on the north side of the
North Fork Deer River are likely habitat for the pine woods snake
although recent clearing of the area reduces the probability of its
occurrence at the plant site.
Amphibians
River Frog (Species of Special Concern)—Rana heckscheri inhabits mixed
swamp and streams on the lower Coastal Plain of southern North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, east Texas, and Florida.
Preferred habitat, at least in Alabama, is in the swampy margins,
especially titi swamps, of smaller streams and the edges of shallow
bodies of water (Mount, 1975). Land-clearing, drainage activities, and
pollution of waterways are major factors contributing to the demise of
this ranid.
B-E-84
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
This species has been recorded from localities in Baldwin, Mobile,
Escambia, and Covington counties. Although none was observed in the
Environmental Science and Engineering 1977 survey, it is possible that
the river frog occurs along the margins of the marsh at the plant site.
Gopher Frog (Threatened)—Preferred habitat of the Rana areolata servosa
includes the southern-most counties of Alabama. It is generally
associated with the gopher tortoise. Land clearing is one of the major
threats to this species. The recent logging and clearing of the plant
site has lowered its likelihood of occurrence.
Red Hills Salamander (Endangered)—Phaeognathus hubrichti is known to
occur in Butler, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, and Monroe counties of
Alabama (Schwaner and Mount, 1970). Typical habitat of this fossorial
species is found on the slopes of mesic ravines dominated by hardwood
forest. These shaded slopes have a relatively cool and moist
microclimate and a layer of loamy, friable topsoil. Clear-cutting of
these hardwood forests will eliminate these climatic conditions and,
apparently, the populations of Red Hills salamander (Valentine, 1963).
The quarry site is just south of the known range of the Red Hills
salamander but likely habitat does occur in some sections of the lower
portion of Thompson Mill Creek (Marshalls Creek). Limited habitat is
also found associated with Wolf's Creek and Milkhouse Branch. Field
reconnaissance of preferred habitat revealed no Red Hill salamanders nor
their characteristic burrows. The likelihood of occurrence is
considered marginal.
Flatwoods Salamander (Endangered)—Ambystoma eingulatum inhabits low
pine flatwoods dominated by slash pine and wiregrass. Important
breeding habitats are shallow flatwood ponds and swamp. This salamander
has been recorded in Mobile County. Suitable habitat exists at the
plant site, but recent logging has reduced the likelihood of occurrence
B-E-85
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PLANT AND QUARRY SITES
of this species. Clear-cutting and intensive mechanical site
preparation of forest lands has threatened this species.
B-E-86
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PLANT SITE
AQUATIC ECOLOGY
PLANT SITE
EXISTING ENVIRONMENT
The aquatic habitats at the plant site are North Fork Deer River and the
barge canal. The few bogs on the site and the flora of the wide band of
marsh along the creek are described in the Terrestrial Ecology section.
North Fork Deer River is a small meandering tidal creek about 6 meters
(20 feet) wide as it crosses the center of the plant site. Estimated net
flow is only 5.7 to 28 liters per second (.2 to 9 cfs). Nevertheless,
because the river is shallow, the waters probably remain well mixed.
Several industrial wastes are emptied into the upper reaches of the
river; however, due to a peculiar feature of the river, water in the
lower reaches is of relatively good quality. A raised area, of
undetermined nature but perhaps resulting from an abandoned logging road,
forms a small dam across the marsh as it crosses the Ideal Basic
Industries property. There is no channel, and water seeps through this
ridge which supports the low intermediate forest described in the
Terrestrial Ecology section. This seepage markedly cleans the water, and
the oil slicks and foul appearance prevalent in the upper marsh are
absent from the lower part of the river. This ridge also marks the
transition between brackish and freshwater marsh.
The straight barge canal was dredged through the marsh of the meandering
Middle Fork Deer River, and the complete drainage of the Middle Fork
flows through the barge canal. However, the depth of the canal prevents
mixing, and oxygen levels in the deeper parts of the canal become
especially low in summer (see Figure B.W.2 in Water Resources section).
While fish may use the entire water column during winter and spring,
stagnation develops in June or July after the spring rains. Duration of
the stagnant conditions is variable but probably extends well into
B-A-E-1
-------
PLANT SITE
October. Thus, for at least four months of the year, only the top 2 to
2.5 meters (6.6 to 8.2 feet) of the water column in the barge canal are
really useful for fish and wildlife.
The effects of this stagnation are especially clear in the distributions
of shrimp. In the spring brown shrimp (Penaeus aztecus) occur in Middle
Fork Deer River (Table B.A.E.l) and also in the Theodore Barge Canal
(Table B.A.E.2), although in reduced numbers. In the summer, brown
shrimp are replaced by white shrimp (£. setiferus) in Deer River, but
white shrimp do not appear in the barge canal.
Composition of trawl catches in Deer River (Table B.A.E.l) and the
Theodore Barge Canal (Table B.A.E.2) is similar to that for other parts
of Mobile Bay. Anchovies (Anchoa mitchilli). menhaden (Brevoortia
patronus), spots (Leiostomus xanthurus) and Atlantic croakers (Micropogon
undulatus) are abundant throughout Mobile Bay (Swingle, 1971) and have
high commercial importance (Chermock, 1974). Mullet and blue crabs are
other commercially important species common at the plant site
(Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977), but they are not
efficiently sampled by trawls. Gar and abundant killifishes were also
observed. These results are in general agreement with an independent
collection from the barge canal (Environmental Consultants International,
1976).
Mean monthly trawl catches were generally lower in the canal than in Deer
River, although more croakers were taken from the canal. Most of the
difference in mean monthly catches is explained by very low summer
catches when the canal has oxygen-deficient bottom waters.
A 5-hectare (12-acre) oyster reef exists north of the site at Hoi lingers
Island (May, 1971). Most of the oysters immediately south of the canal
were removed in 1967, in response to plans for expansion of the canal,
and no surveys have been conducted since then. Water pollution causes
periodic closure of all reefs in Alabama (May, 1972); and most of
B-A-E-2
-------
Table B.A.E.1. The More Abundant Fish Species in Monthly Trawl Catches from Middle Deer River, January, 1971, to May, 1972
CO
>
I
m
i
oo
Jan Feb
Salinity ppt 3.9 1.9
Temperature °C 9.0 16.2
SPECIES
Anchoa mitchilli
Brevoortia patronus
Penaeus aztecus
Leiostomus xanthurus
Micropogon undulatus
Penaeus seti ferns
Cynoscion arenarius
Palaemonetes vulgaris
Callinectes sapidus
Doroscma petenense
Rhithropanopeus harrisi
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
1
52
0
0
45
10
0
0
0
2
1
0
Mar
0.5
16.1
1307
954
0
73
39
0
0
0
1
15
0
Apr
2.9
25.1
495
770
271
170
27
0
2
0
0
0
1
1971
May Jun Jul
2.7 7.2 11.6
25.528.6 28.7
61
0
515
168
174
0
35
2
0
0
0
55 512
0 12
64 8
9 0
11 1
85 251
29 75
4 0
4 0
0 0
3 0
Aug
7.0
29.0
970
0
8
0
2
54
7
0
0
0
0
1972
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr
14.0 15.6 15.0 2.6 2.4 3.6 2.1 4.6
24.9 22.8 13.1 17.9 11.5 14.8 17.4 24.6
680
0
1
0
0
28
1
1
0
0
0
44
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
135
0
0
1
1
0
0
14
7
0
6
21
0
0
1
6
0
0
1
0
0
0
233
0
0
37
19
0
0
7
1
3
0
7
0
0
5
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
84 485
1175 160
131040
98 20
0 110
0 0
0 49
0 0
1 0
0 0
0 0
May
5.5
25.9
180
14
65
61
29
0
16
2
1
0
6
Mean
313.4
181.9
116.9
40.6
25.5
24.6
12.7
1.9
1.2
1.2
1.0
Source: Swingle and Bland, 1974.
-------
Table B.A.E.2. The More Abundant Fish Species in Monthly Trawl Catches from Theodore Barge Canal, February, 1971, to
May, 1972
Salinity ppt
Tenperature °C
SPECIES
Micropogon undulatus
Anchoa rnitdiilli
Leiostcmus xanthurus
Penaeus aztecus
Brevoortia patronus
Cynoscion arenarius
Chlonosccntus chrysurus
Palaanonetes vulgaris
Arius felis
Dorosoma petenense
Feb
2.1
15.2
34
315
58
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
Mar
1.8
15.0
1825
257
241
0
1G6
0
0
0
0
2
Apr
3.0
24.6
458
115
39
0
8
13
0
0
0
0
1971
May Jun Jul
3.313.4 13.3
26.1 27.7 29.3
215 0 0
80 0 17
21 0 0
7 66 0
1 0 0
50 0 0
000
000
1 1 1
000
Aug
8.3
29.9
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Sep Oct
13.4 16.8
27.3 23.9
0 0
78 1
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 9
0 0
0 0
0 0
Nov Dec
17.0 4.8
14.1 16.5
4 1
32 640
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
Jan
3.0
9.5
56
11
23
0
1
0
0
4
0
0
Feb
7.5
11.1
4
462
2
0
16
0
0
0
0
0
1972
Mar Apr
2.7 6.2
18.7 25.3
108 18
55 5
5 0
1 128
2 0
0 1
0 0
0 0
0 0
1 0
May
7.2
25.3
52
4
0
0
0
11
0
0
0
0
Mean
174.2
130.1
24.4
12.6
12.3
4.7
0.6
0.3
0.2
0.2
Source: Swingle and Bland, 1974.
-------
PLANT SITE
northern Mobile Bay, including the area of Deer River, is permanently
closed to shellfishing (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District,
1977).
Swingle (1971) and Christmas, et a].. (1973), have surveyed the
invertebrates of Mobile Bay, but sampling near the plant site
(Environmental Consultants International, 1976) was too cursory to allow
any comparison with other sites in Mobile Bay.
In summary, available data suggest that the aquatic fauna of Deer River
is comparable to that of other marshy creeks bordering Mobile Bay. The
Theodore Barge Canal has a reduced fauna, largely because low flow rates
relative to depth and inadequate mixing result in stagnation and oxygen
depletion during the summer.
B-A-E-5
-------
PLANT SITE
PROJECTED 1992 ENVIRONMENT
Marshes reduce water flow and cause deposition of sediment which fills in
the marsh and gradually converts it to dry land. However, this process
is slow enough that no marked changes from present conditions should be
noticeable by 1992.
Cumulative effects of the many pollutants presently released into North
Fork Deer River could lead to a deterioration of the river and marshes by
1992. However, the probability of this situation cannot be estimated,
especially without a detailed knowledge of the pollutants involved.
Construction of the Theodore Ship Channel and Barge Canal Extension
during the next few years will result in extensive dredging and deepening
of the canal bottom. The effects of this project should be to create a
larger and deeper region of low or no oxygen in the channel.
Barring any further developments affecting the Deer River or barge canal,
it is expected that the aquatic fauna in 1992 will be similar to existing
fauna.
B-A-E-6
-------
QUARRY SITE
QUARRY SITE
EXISTING ENVIRONMENT
Aquatic habitats at the proposed quarry site consist of the Alabama
River, which forms the western boundary of the property, and three main
permanent streams, which empty into the Alabama River. Water quality and
the streambeds have been described in the Water Resources section, and
the vegetation in the Terrestrial Ecology section. To summarize this
information, Thompson Mill Creek (also known as Marshal Is Creek)
(Figure B.A.E.l) and Hollinger Creek (Figure B.A.E.2) have good quality
hard water. The flow gradient is rather steep (approximately
0.9 percent), and streambeds consist of sands or coarser materials.
Randons Creek (Figure B.A.E.3) is the largest stream and has a flow
gradient of only 0.45 percent, with some silt near the mouth. Water is
soft and of generally good quality, but it shows some effects of runoff
from agricultural and urban development at Frisco City. It is expected
that the present rapid conversion of most of the site to improved pasture
will lead to some deterioration of water quality, especially in the two
smaller creeks.
The property is on the convex side of a bend in the Alabama River. High
bluffs overlook the river, and there is very little floodplain either on
the river or on the tributary creeks. There is no permanent standing
water on the site.
Aquatic Fauna
Fishes
Fishes of the lower Alabama River system are quite similar to those of
the Tombigbee/Mobile/Tensaw Rivers systems with the exception of those
marine or estuarine forms which inhabit the lower reaches. Like the
Tombigbee River, the Alabama is populated by larger current-loving spe-
cies in the main channel, numerous small fishes along the banks and in
sheltered locations, and a great number of small stream or brook forms
in the tributary streams. Normally many forms which inhabit tributaries
B-A-E-7
-------
Figure B.A.E.1
PHOTOGRAPHS OF HABITAT
(THOMPSON MILL CREEK)
REGION IV
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
SOURCE: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
PROPOSED GAILLARD QUARRY
MONROE COUNTY, ALABAMA
B-A-E-8
-------
Figure B.A.E.2
PHOTOGRAPHS OF HABITAT
(HOLLINGER CREEK)
REGION IV
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
SOURCE: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
PROPOSED GAILLARD QUARRY
MONROE COUNTY, ALABAMA
B-A-E-9
-------
Figure B.A.E.3
PHOTOGRAPHS OF HABITAT
(RANDOMS CREEK)
REGION IV
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
SOURCE: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
PROPOSED GAILLARD QUARRY
MONROE COUNTY, ALABAMA
B-A-E-10
-------
QUARRY SITE
such as those found on the quarry site are similar to headwater or upper
Alabama River forms. The mouths of all of the streams on the site could
have any of the listed species (see Table B.A.E.3) depending upon the
season and the existing water conditions.
Tributary streams to the Alabama at the level of the quarry site were
examined during a low water period following extensive spring flooding
and general high water conditions. Hoi linger and Thompson Mill
(Marshalls) creeks had insufficient water to maintain large riverine
species, and the young of larger river fishes, such as carp, carpsuckers,
catfish, buffalo, sturgeon, or drum, were not observed.
Data for these tributaries are quite limited for this stretch of the
Alabama River. Hoi ley Creek and several by-pass loops, as well as the
mainstream Alabama (several miles south of the quarry site), were ex-
amined as part of a special study of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway
(Shipp and Hemphill, 1974). The results of this rather exhaustive
sampling effort help to clarify the relative abundance of fishes which
might commonly be expected from the Alabama River below Claiborne Lock
and Dam (see Table B.A.E.3).
Numerical abundance for the 20 most prevalent species was examined for
both the unaffected portion of the river and the by-passed loops.
Minnows and shad dominate the top ten species, whereas catfishes and
centrarchids were the most significant contributors to the next ten
species.
Fishes collected from Hoi ley Creek, a larger tributary to the Alabama
River and similar to Randons Creek to the south of the immediate site,
are listed in Table B.A.E.3. In this creek there are an array of species
typical of moderate-sized, mid-south and southern streams. All trophic
levels are represented and every available creek habitat is used by such
an assemblage of fishes. With few exceptions, any of these fishes may
use the stream throughout their entire life history.
B-A-E-11
-------
QUARRY SITE
Table B.A.E.3. Relative Abundances of Fishes in Cutoff Oxbows and in
Adjacent Main Channel of Alabama River at I and II
Scientific Name
Ami a calva*
Lepisosteus oculatus*
Lepisosteus osseus*
Alosa chrysochloris
Dorosoma cepedianum*
Dorosoma petenense*
Esox niger*
Anchoa mite hi Hi
Hiodon tergisus
Anguilla rostrata*
Ericymba buccata
Hybognathus hayi
Hybognathus nuchal is
Hybopsis storeriana
Notemigonus crysoleucas
Notropi s atheri noi des
Notropi s edwardraneyi
Notropi s emiliae*
Notropi s longirostris
Notropi s sp.*
Notropi s texanus*
Notropi s venustus*
Pimephales vigilax
Carpi odes sp.
Carpiodes velifer*
Minytrema melanops*
Moxostoma ery thru rum
Moxostoma poecilurum*
Ictalurus furcatus*
Ictalurus punctatus*
Pylodictus oli van's
Aphredoderus say an us*
Strongylura marina
Fundulus olivaceus*
Gambusia af finis*
Labidesthes sicculus
Mugil cephalus*
Morone chrysops*
Morone mississippiensis
Morone saxatilis
Ambloplites rupestris
Lepomis gulosus*
I. Oxbow
0
35
0
3
33
320
0
53
6
12
2
1
3,093
223
0
163
307
3
0
631
351
330
4
3
36
1
1
14
52
242
29
1
6
0
3
1
15
1
6
1
1
3
I. Main
Channel
18
19
5
13
1
8
10
6
2
3
4
17
14
7
20
II. Oxbow
2
29
4
30
77
1,578
1
81
1
6
1
0
974
710
1
56
35
1
1
809
72
230
33
2
24
0
0
49
34
589
17
2
5
1
0
0
26
2
0
0
0
24
II. Main
Channel
12
1
11
2
4
15
18
3
14
6
20
16
19
5
B-A-E-12
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QUARRY SITE
Table B.A.E.3.
Relative Abundances of Fishes in Cutoff Oxbows and
Adjacent Main Channel of Alabama River at I and II
(continued, page 2 of 2)
in
Scientific Name
Lepomis mac roc hi r us*
Lepomis megalotis*
Lepomis microlophus*
Lepomis punctatus*
Micropterus salmoides*
Pomoxis annul aris
Pomoxis nigromaculatus*
Ammocrypta asprella
Ammocrypta beanii
Ammocrypta vivax
Percina caprodes*
Percina lenticula
Etheostoma nig rum*
Stizostidion vitreum
Aplodinotus grunniens*
Trinectes maculatus*
I. Oxbow
83
40
7
3
46
1
86
23
3
1
2
0
0
1
19
171
I. Main
Channel
12
16
15
11
9
II. Oxbow
136
121
21
4
76
0
134
5
8
0
7
2
1
0
36
120
II. Main
Channel
7
9
13
8
17
10
indicates species also found in Holley Creek, a tributary of the
Alabama River. Additional species in Holley Creek are:
Anguilla rostrata
Cyprinus carpio
Elassoma zonatum
Erimyzon tenuis
Esox americanus
Etheostoma fusiforme
Etheostoma proeliare
Fundulus notti
Labidesthes sicculus
Source: Shipp and Hemphill, 1974.
Notemigonus crysoleucas
Notropi s hypselopterus
Notropis roseipinnis
Notropi s signipinnis
Noturus funebris
Noturus gyrinus
Percina nigrofasciata
Poly don spathula
B-A-E-13
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QUARRY SITE
All of these fishes might be expected to be found in the lower reaches
of Randons Creek, and at high water conditions in Hoi linger and Thompson
Mill (Marshalls) creeks. Fishes actually observed or seined from these
last two creeks consisted of minnows, sunfish, bass, and darters. Under
observed streamflow conditions in June, there was not sufficient water to
support larger fishes.
The only species encountered which is not present in these lists was the
Alabama hogsucker, Hypentilinum etowenum. Other than numerous minnows,
the centrarchids, both bass and Lepomis sp., were the most prevalent.
Sunfish nests were observed in every suitable soft-bottomed habitat.
Although much of the habitat looked as if it would be suitable for
darters, these fishes were never very abundant in collections.
Rare and Endangered Fishes
Several species of fishes have been listed by the Alabama Committee for
the Identification of Rare and Endangered Species. While previously
listed, the Alabama shad, Alosa alabamae, and the blue-spotted sunfish,
Enneacanthus gloriosus. are no longer regarded as being in these
critical categories.
The following species of rare and endangered fishes may be found in the
vicinity of the quarry site.
Atlantic Sturgeon (Rare)—Acipenser oxyrhynchus is presently known from
the Mobile-Tensaw River system, Alabama River, Mobile Bay, and
Mississippi Sound. Limited data are available for this species, but
individuals are captured in both the Tombigbee and Alabama rivers.
Impoundments and hydrographic modifications of these two streams have
seriously limited this species and may ultimately lead to its
extinction.
Shovel nose Sturgeon (Endangered)—Scaphirhynchus platorynchus is habitat
specific in its adaptations for feeding and spawning on current-swept
B-A-E-14
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QUARRY SITE
sand and gravel beds. Limited populations currently exist in lower
portions of the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers. Completion of proposed
projects on both of these rivers may limit the species to the Cahaba
River (Alabama River System).
Blue Sucker (Status Undetermined)—Cycleptus elongatus is widespread in
the Mobile and Alabama river systems. Spawning success is based on
availability of clean swept substrates in larger rivers. Although this
species prefers flowing rivers, it can survive in diminished numbers in
reservoirs.
Crystal Darter (Threatened)—Ammocrypta asprella is regarded as having
been widely extirpated from the central United States. It is regarded
as being in serious trouble in the Alabama River in the vicinity of the
quarry site. It appears to be intolerant of siltation and eutrophication
(Boschung, 1976). This species is an inhabitant of large sandy creeks
and rivers and is usually collected in strong currents flowing over
gravel or sand bottoms (Smith-Vaniz, 1968).
Freckled Darter (Threatened)—Percina lenticula like the crystal darter,
sturgeon, and blue sucker, prefers strong currents over sand or gravel
bottoms. It has been reported from the lower Alabama River (Ramsey,
1975), and records suggest that the species may enter the lower courses
of larger tributaries at least temporarily. It could inhabit waters
adjacent to the quarry site. It is presently regarded as threatened and
on the verge of endangered status, although further work is required to
fix its status (Boschung, 1976).
Benthic Macroinvertebrates
Data concerning the aquatic invertebrate populations of the waters in
the vicinity of the quarry site are quite limited. Sample dredging
along the quarry site side of the Alabama River, as well as transects
across the river, failed to produce identifiable benthic macroinverte-
brates. Even though there were isolated pockets of finer materials,
B-A-E-15
-------
QUARRY SITE
species of the burrowing mayflies (such as Hexagenia sp.) were not
detected.
Benthic macroinvertebrates which might be expected from this level of
the Alabama River may be inferred from a previous study and compilation
of existing data from various sources for the Tombigbee and Mobile
rivers (see Table B.A.E.4). The apparently greater numbers and variety
of forms is a reflection of the finer substrates and pockets of fines
and mixed organic matter encountered in those streams as compared to the
Alabama River at the quarry site vicinity.
The animals tentatively identified in the field are common to woodland
gravel, sand, riffle/pool streams found throughout the midwest and
southeastern United States. Some expected forms were not found; how-
ever, it is possible that some forms were missed because not all sites
were sampled. It was expected that many more chironomids and annelids
and a different assortment of mayflies would be found. Experiences at
the same level on the Tombigbee River suggested that Sphareriid and
Corbiculid clams would be found, but these were conspicuously absent
from the samples. Gastropods were locally abundant, however.
Burrowing mayflies were not observed in the dredge samples; however,
they may be recovered from the artificial substrate samplers. The hep-
tageniid genus Stenonema, which is normally plentiful in these kinds of
streams, was not particularly abundant. Isonychia. however, was
extremely abundant at all stations where gravel was plentiful. This
finding probably reflects the substrate type because Stenomena prefers
larger rock, rubble, and current than Isonychia.
Hydropsychid caddisflies were rather spotty in their distribution but
were plentiful and probably reflect the finely divided particulate
organic matter which was prevalent throughout all systems. The absence
of larger rock and rubble prevented greater development of this group.
However, rock case building caddisflies were much more plentiful in
Thompson Mill Creek (MarshalIs) than in the others. This probably
B-A-E-16
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QUARRY SITE
Table B.A.E.4. Benthic Macroinvertebrate Collections (page 1 of 4)
L.
I. -r-
••- _| 10 CU i—
•*-* I VO Q. i—
tO "if) "CT> Q- +•> O
O l/> VO CO t-l =) c i «—
_j ro o ^H o ir> «* . .«-.
r»» •!- -t- ^o
•— CT> +*«4JOl OO% (U i— J^
I— w-t IO "— «O ^H C i—I > -r- O»
< I 4-> t. 4-> to - J- " cc: s-
" s. r*. > -—s*-. c<_>
O>0» CTl r- -i- f— J. ie L. «*— O
C> ^H i— Q£ r— O» _JO* ECU «/)«/»
••- -r < <> >«G+JCXC
•— OC •> •»— CU «—' -^ "O -i- ^ -i- E O
Q. «c >t-«o
•!- O)-i- C7>i— CU i— —• W —.^
JQ • c^ac-i-c-i- J-
cn^<.4nr ui o to •»- E ••- .a >»jQ uj :£ • xo so ffotoac^c
UJ<— => to I— tOSOQSLUO'UJrO
Hydroi da
Cordylophora lacustrls •
Nematoda • • •
Polychaeta • •
Nereis sp. •
Hypaniola sp. •
Ampharetid sp. •
Oligochaeta • • • •
Lumbriculus variegatus •
unidentified •
undetermined • • •
Hirudinea
Glossiphoniidae t
Gastropoda* • • • 3-6
Corticula mam'lens is • •
Physa heterostropha t
Physa sp. • •
Lymned sp. •
Sphaeriid sp. •
Isopoda 1-2 1-2
Cyathura polita •
Asellus sp. •
Amphipoda • • 1-3 1-2
Gammarus sp. • •
Corophium sp. •
Hyalleal azeteca • •
Decapoda
Palaemonetes paludosus •
Machrobronchium ohione •
Ephemeroptera • • 3-53-5
Stenonema proximum •
Stenonema smithae •
B-A-E-17
-------
QUARRY SITE
Table B.A.E.4.
Benthic Macroinvertebrate Collections (continued,
page 2 of 4)
c
o
•^
(0
0
0
_l
^~
^_
«c
•t
01
c
•r-
f—
•^
p^
Q>
,_—
•^
JO
^"^
ro
^ft
1— 1
C\J
f**fc
o^
«— 1
n
«c
Q-
LU
•
CO
•
=>
M
I/I
c
o
+J
*o
4^
CO
^i—
y.
^^
•^^>
01
01
f*
•5
co
VO
IO
t— I
LO
^^
T— I
A
^•i^
J-
Ol
>
•r-
^>**
Qi)
O>
.O
i«r—
_n
o
i—
•>
i/i
c
o
•^
^>
fO
CO
^~
f_
^^
^•^
01
"01
c
co
vo
vo
^^
,«(
|
LO
VO
(y\
i— i
M
j«i-*»
l_
(U
>
•f~
£y£
QJ
1 ^v
•^
0
S
(U
Q.
O.
13
^f
oi r^
o en
C i— 1
OI
&• n
^ *^^*
fO t.
_l OI
>
^3 "^
C fv^
(O
01
C -i-
J5"§
CO S
4->
10
«t
L.
O
>
n^
fO
E
-------
QUARRY SITE
Table B.A.E.4.
Benthic Macroinvertebrate Collections (continued,
page 3 of 4)
s
in
» VO
L.
O>
g.
o.
ss;
gg
.
QJ ^ r— r—
C -9 C '«
•r- E •!- -O
20 20
CO H- Z
S |g
55
s si
Tricoptera*
Cyrnellus fraturnus and sp.
Neureclipsis sp.
Polycentropis sp.
Hydropsyche orris
Cheumatopsyche sp.
Philaptomus sp.
Hydroptila sp.
Leptocella sp.
Diptera t
Chironomidae
Alluandomyia sp.
Ablabes.nyia janta
A. sp. 4 Smith
A. sp.
Pentaneurini undetermined
Psectrocladius sp.
Atherix varienata
Bezzia sp.
Coelotanypus concinnus
Coelotanypus sp.
Procladius culiciforim's
Procladius sp.
Nanocladias alternantherae
Cricotopus sp. 2 Roback
Cricotopus sp.
Stenochironomus hilaris
Stenochironomus sp.
Stictochironomus sp.
Pseudochironomus fulviventri
Parachironomus sp.
Paracladopelma sp.
Paralauterboniella sp.
Paratendipes sp.
5-8 5-8
•
•
•
•
t
•
• •
•
•
•
•
•
•
B-A-E-19
-------
QUARRY SITE
Table B.A.E.4.
Benthic Macroinvertebrate Collections (continued,
page 4 of 4)
UJ O
cos
n
VO
vo
-LO
I/) VO
C O»
o f— i
Ol
o ir>
-f-VO
oo «
> — •
UCTi O»
Cf-l>
a. ai
>or- uj •—
r— a: r—
••* O •— • -I—
a>
<— • O
a. ai .a a> •— ai ai >(—
-i- Or— O»i— - ^l- «—
• c ^a c -i- c ••- s-
«/) -i-E -i- .O >>^2 UJIO UJ
• so so «oo cos co
=) COt— CO SI COS UJOr UJ
«/>
J<
O»
-------
QUARRY SITE
reflects more stable substrate development and slightly better water
quality. In each of the streams, several species such as Plecoptera spp.
(stoneflies) show that water quality is good. Table B.A.E.4 also
presents a tentative list of taxa which might be expected from the
Alabama River and tributaries, based on existing literature and a
knowledge of these types of stream systems.
Freshwater Mussels (Naiads)
Several species of pearly naiads from the Alabama River system are listed
as rare or endangered. However, no beds or mussel shoals were found in
the immediate vicinity of the quarry site.
B-A-E-21
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QUARRY SITE
PROJECTED 1992 ENVIRONMENT
If the proposed facility were not constructed, the land would continue
to be cleared and developed for agricultural purposes. In 1974 the Soil
Conservation Service developed a Soil and Water Plan for the McWilliams
property. In that plan, 593 hectares out of 811 (1,465 acres out of
2,004) were slated for pastureland. Of the remaining 202 hectares (499
acres) of timber which were to be thinned to D+6 (pine) and D+10
(hardwoods), significant portions have already been clear-cut and seeded
to pasture. Only 0.8 hectares (two acres) were designated as wildlife
land (irrespective of the edge created by timbered drainages, swales, and
small woodlots).
Based on the Environmental Science and Engineering 1977 inventory, over
two-thirds of the northern property block has already been timbered, and
conversion to pasture is occurring at a rapid rate. Within 15 years it
is anticipated that the majority of the land will have been converted.
Due to serious slope constraints in this area, large portions may be left
timbered, or, if cut, will probably suffer serious erosional problems.
The original estimate of stock loading for the 811 hectares (2,004 acres)
was 752 animal units. Considering the practices that have been observed,
it is quite possible that the area is being planned and prepared for
1,500 to 2,000 animal units.
In 15 years it is expected that most of the two areas will have been
almost completely cleared of timber and will support a high density of
cattle [2.5 to 3.7 per hectare (1 to 1.5 per acre)]. With no further
constraints, both streams (Hoilinger and Thompson Mill) will continue to
experience sedimentation, and the problems associated with cattle
watering and wading (BOD and nutrients) will probably continue to degrade
the water quality.
If the quarry is not opened, the lands of the northern block may be sold
to other interests by Ideal Basic Industries, Inc. Although there is no
B-A-E-22
-------
QUARRY SITE
way of predicting a definite land use, conversion to pasture appears to
be most likely.
The runoff characteristics of the two possible land uses which are being
discussed—timber and pasture!and—are considerably different. Well-
established forests trap and hold rainfall on leaves, stems, and trunks
and in well-developed forest floor litter. Without contouring or terrac-
ing, gently sloping pastureland stores much less rainwater than timber.
This difference results in different runoff hydrographs for the two land
uses. A lower, more attenuated hydrograph followed by continued subsidy
(drip and seep) is characteristic of timber, whereas a sharper, higher,
and less attenuated hydrograph with relatively little subsidy following
rainfall events is characteristic of pastureland. Higher velocities
observed in the pasture (slope and length) tend to carry more sediment
and other pasture-generated solids to watercourses.
If good pasture management practices are not implemented on this piece of
property, the streams will experience sedimentation and increased BOD and
nutrient loading by the year 1992. Siltation can be expected to create
more soft-bottomed habitats which would favor burrowing forms (worms,
chironomids, burrowing mayflies) over roots, rubble, sand, or gravel
inhabitants. Filter feeders (Hydropsychid caddisflies, blackflies, etc.)
may be expected to prosper so long as available attachment substrate
remains exposed. The removal of trees and their detrital components,
such as leaves, twigs, and bark, may eliminate the larger grazers and
carnivores of the present system (mayflies, elmid beetles, stoneflies,
dragon and damsel flies, and members of the Megaloptera). General
decline in water quality as a result of BOD and/or nutrient loading can
be expected to result in more facultative and pollution-tolerant forms
replacing pollution-intolerant forms.
B-A-E-23
-------
SOCIOECONOMICS
-------
PLANT SITE
APPENDIX B. BASELINE
SOCIOECONOMICS
PLANT SITE: EXISTING ENVIRONMENT (1977)
REGIONAL ECONOMY
The socioeconomic assessment of the baseline environment will refer to
three different geographic regions, corresponding to different types of
assessment as follows:
Impact on economic conditions Mobile SMSA (Mobile and
Baldwin Counties)
Impact on community services, South Mobile County
public facilities, local govern- (Census Tracts 65-73)
ment revenue, generalized land
use
Localized impact on land use and Hoi lingers Island area, to
land value Theodore and
Bellefontaine.
The Mobile area in the past has been the subject of several major econ-
omic studies. The most recent and comprehensive of these is "The
Economy and Population of the South Alabama Region," published by the
Southwest Alabama Regional Planning Commission (SARPC) in mid-1975.
SARPC has also conducted additional analyses, and has forecast detailed
population and land use as part of the Section 208 water quality plan-
ning effort. An additional planning study conducted for SARPC by an
outside consultant has focused specifically on South Mobile County
(Community Development Consultants, Inc., 1976).
The present discussion will summarize this material and will provide
updated information where possible in order to focus upon recent trends
and developments.
B-P-S-1
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PLANT SITE
The Mobile economy historically has been linked to geographic factors
and natural resources, namely the Port of Mobile, the Alabama River
system, and the forest and agricultural resources of the hinterland.
The Alabama River system, flowing into the Mobile River and Mobile Bay,
includes the Tombigbee, Black Warrior, Coosa, Tallapoosa, and Alabama
Rivers. The role of Mobile as a gateway to Alabama began with the
construction of forts by the French in the early 18th century. Mobile
first became prominent as a port in the early to mid-19th century when
dredging operations by the U.S. government succeeded in deepening Mobile
Bay. The primary cargo at that time was cotton. A considerable variety
of commodities now pass through the Port of Mobile, which has linkage to
rail, highway, and air carriers as well as to inland waterway traffic.
The barge canal and dock areas are maintained at a depth of 12 meters
(40 feet), which allows access by most types of oceangoing vessels.
The functioning of the Port of Mobile is critically dependent upon two
public agencies: the Alabama State Docks Department and the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers. The State Docks Department is an agency of the
State of Alabama which was formed more than 30 years ago to serve as a
Port Authority, a port terminal operator, and an operator of railroads.
The facilities maintained by the State Docks include 28 general cargo
piers, a bulk commodity terminal, a public grain elevator, a dry bulk
materials handling plant, a cold storage plant, a cotton warehouse, and
14 terminals on the inland waterway system. The Docks Terminal Railroad
is operated as a link between the State Docks and four major trunk line
railroads. The State Docks Department is also actively engaged in the
promotion of industrial development, and has acquired substantial land
holdings in Mobile County for lease or sale to industrial firms. In
1975, Alabama voters approved the issuance of up to $45 million in bonds
for the improvement of State Docks facilities.- The State Docks
Department has recently released a 50-year plan which includes further
development at the Mobile waterfront, McDuffie Island, Brookley, and
Theodore, as well as improvement of the waterways linking these areas.
B-P-S-2
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PLANT SITE
The Corps of Engineers is important to the Port of Mobile because of its
responsibility for constructing and maintaining the waterways, locks,
and dams that make up the water transportation system. Two current
Corps of Engineers projects—the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and the
Theodore Ship Channel—are widely regarded as critical to the future
economic development of the Mobile area.
The Port of Mobile has generated a substantial volume of ancillary ac-
tivities in addition to the port operations per se. These port-related
activities have been examined in some detail in a recent study entitled,
"Economic Analysis of the Port of Mobile," which has attempted to estab-
lish the overall impact of the port on the Alabama economy (Dunphy and
Chiang, 1974). The direct employment effects estimated in this study
are presented in Table B.P.S.l. The total direct impact of the port in
1973 was approximately 42,000 jobs, of which slightly more than half can
be assigned to the Mobile SMSA (Mobile and Baldwin Counties). These
22,849 local jobs would amount to over 16 percent of the total 1973
resident employment in the SMSA. Along with its direct impact, the port
is responsible for very large secondary effects due to local purchases
by port-related firms and the spending and respending of income received
by their employees. The port study has estimated the long-term employ-
ment multiplier (ratio of total to direct employment impact of basic
industries) as being 3.0 for the State of Alabama as a whole. A some-
what lower value, on the order of 2.5, would presumably be appropriate
for the Mobile SMSA due to the greater economic leakages involved. Use
of this multiplier value leads to the conclusion that in 1973 the port
was directly or indirectly responsible for about 57,000 jobs in the
Mobile SMSA, amounting to 41 percent of all resident employment.
Roughly two-thirds of the direct impact attributed to the port consists
of employment by manufacturing firms. These include shipbuilding and
repair establishments and a variety of tidewater manufacturers utilizing
the port facilities for imports and exports. Many of these firms hold
land leased from the State Docks Department. Other standard categories
of employment affected directly by the port are transportation,
B-P-S-3
-------
PLANT SITE
Table B.P.S.l. Estimated Employment Impact of the Port of Mobile, 1973
Number of
Workers
Employment Located Primarily in Mobile SMSA
Marine transportation
Alabama state docks and steamship agencies 1,227
Piloting, launching, towing, and guard service 291
Stevedoring 2,840
Auxiliary marine services 384
Inland transportation
Barge 156
Rail 840
Trucking, warehousing, and air transportation 368
Governmental and civic organizations
Federal government 1,894
Local government and Chamber of Commerce 104
Tidewater industries
Shipbuilding and repair 4,571
Tidewater manufacturers 10,174
(SUBTOTAL) (22,849)
Employment Primarily Outside Mobile SMSA
Non-tidewater manufacturing industries
Agriculture
(SUBTOTAL)
TOTAL, STATE OF ALABAMA
16,003
3,142
(19,145)
41,994
Source: Dunphy and Chiang, 1974.
B-P-S-4
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PLANT SITE
government, trade, and to a small extent finance and other professional
services. Port operations have expanded steadily over the years, with
total tonnage increasing from 13.7 million metric tons (15.1 million
short tons) in 1959, to 26.4 million metric tons in 1973, to 29.5
million metric tons in 1975. The annual rate of tonnage increase has
been approximately 5 percent per year. Traffic on the Gulf Intracoastal
Waterway, which passes through Mobile Bay, also has increased very
rapidly, with the gains in tonnage between 1966 and 1975 amounting to 90
percent east of Mobile and 63 percent west of Mobile.
Table B.P.S.2 gives a detailed accounting of port tonnage in 1975, and
thereby provides some important insights into the economic structure of
Mobile and the hinterland which it serves. It is apparent that the port
tonnage consists largely of primary materials that serve as inputs to
industrial production, namely coal, metallic ores, petroleum, agricul-
tural products, nonmetallic minerals, and forest products. This pat-
tern is typical for water transportation as compared to rail, highway,
and air transportation, but it is especially striking in the case of the
Port of Mobile. Approximately 85 percent, by weight, of all imports
from abroad consist of iron ore and other metallic ores and concen-
trates. The other commodities imported in significant amounts include
coal, crude petroleum, chemicals, basic metal products, and bananas.
About half of all exports consist of coal, with agricultural and grain
mill products accounting for another 36 percent. Wood products, pulp,
paper, chemicals, nonferrous minerals, iron and steel products, and
miscellaneous machinery make up the remainder of exports. The volume of
domestic coastwise traffic is fairly small relative to both foreign and
internal traffic, and is accounted for largely by receipts of petroleum
products and shipments of crude petroleum. Internal (river) traffic is
quite varied, although petroleum products, iron ore, and agricultural
commodities predominate. Local traffic is limited largely to shipment
of marine shells. An overall characteristic of Port of Mobile cargo is
that finished machinery and consumer products, with the exception of
petroleum products, account for less than 1 percent of total traffic by
weight.
B-P-S-5
-------
Table D.C.S.2. MubilP Harbor Freight Traffic, llJ/b, in Thousands of Short Ions
CD
i
00
Foreign
Wheat
Corn
Soybeans
Other Agricultural and
Fishery Products
Marine Shells,
Unmanufactured
Iron Ores and Concentrates
Nonferrous Ores and
Concentrates
Coal and Lignite
Crude Petroleum
Sand, Gravel , Crushed Rock
Clay
Unworked Stone and Other
Nonmetallic Minerals
Flour, Feed, and Other Grain
Mill Products
Other Food and Kindred
Products
Logs and Pulpwood
Lumber, Timber, Posts, Poles
Furniture and Other Wood
Products
Pulp
Paper and Paper Products
Sodium Hydroxide
Other Chemicals and
Fertilizers
Gasoline
Jet Fuel
Distillate and Residual
Fuel Oil
Asphalt, Tar, and Pitches
Other Petroleum and Related
Products
Textiles, Apparel, Rubber,
Plastic, and Leather
Products
Building Cement
Total
663
1,037
1,086
313
1,491
7,180
2,042
5,941
4.959
1,810
124
20
417
47
119
171
58
171
54
144
511
1,050
351
1,133
646
32
4
124
Imports
..
«
79
—
4,781
1,946
371
189
—
1
3
27
19
—
54
16
50
5
—
121
__
__
30
..
__
3
—
Exports
241
646
632
205
—
—
34
2,746
—
60
16
__
231
19
—
60
23
78
40
..
56
__
__
__
..
._
1
—
Domestic
Receipts
6
—
—
—
_.
_.
__
—
__
__
—
2
3
__
—
._
__
_.
..
._
._
144
14
192
..
_•
__
—
Coastwise
Shipments
100
141
—
14
__
_.
__
—
2,409
__
..
__
88
1
_.
44
14
__
4
1
6
__
32
140
1
__
4
Domestic Internal
Receipts
303
190
312
7
196
—
54
2,489
22
1,305
105
12
43
5
119
6
5
36
3
144
57
849
— _
622
444
18
_ _
51
Shipments
5
—
3
8
263
2,399
8
335
2,302
359
2
3
25
3
__
7
..
7
2
__
275
48
337
239
62
13
_ _
69
Local
8
60
139
—
1,032
._
__
—
37
86
__
__
__
._
__
__
__
__
1
3
18
..
__
--
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Table D.P.S.2. Mobile Harbor Freight Traffic, 197b, in Thousands of Short Tons (Continued, page 2 of 2)
CD
i
GO
Foreign
Total
Other Glass, Clay. Stone,
and Nonmctallic Mineral
Products 91
Pig Iron, Ferroalloys,
Nonferrous Metals 114
Coke, Petroleum Asphalts,
Solvents 54
Iron and Steel Shapes 102
Other Iron and Steel Products 104
Iron and Steel Scrap 157
Machinery, Transportation
Equipment, Instruments, and
Miscellaneous Commodities 133
TOTAL 32,453
Imports
1
90
55
16
39
7.896
Exports
5
54
1
62
133
62
5,405
Domestic
Receipts
—
2
363
Coastwise
Shipments
1
11
1
2
3,014
Domestic
Receipts
85
9
29
13
11
15
7,559
Internal
Shipments
15
16
2
12
13
6,832
Local
--
--
1,384
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lower Mississippi Valley Division, 1975.
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The manufacturing activities in metropolitan Mobile which are not speci-
fically port-related tend to be linked closely to the region's natural
resources. These include chemical, pulp, paper, ferroalloy, and wood
products manufacturing firms, which together employ over 13,000 persons.
Other manufacturing activities in the Mobile SMSA involve food and
kindred products, textiles and apparel, machinery and various metal
products, and a small amount of refined petroleum. Fishing activities
in the bay and coastal waters, together with agriculture and forestry in
upland areas, account for about 3,000 of the region's employees. In
addition to these traditionally "basic" sectors, the Mobile economy
receives substantial support from service-producing activities such as
wholesale trade, finance, professional services, and state and federal
government operations. As is discussed below, the role of these sectors
in the post-1970 expansion has been particularly significant.
Table B.P.S.3 describes the Mobile SMSA employment by major industry
group in the years 1960, 1965, 1970, and 1976. The figures refer to
at-place employment (rather than employment of residents), and exclude
agricultural workers, domestic workers, and self-employed persons. A
significant aspect of Mobile's economic history indicated by Table
B.P.S.3 is the period of stagnation which occurred roughly between 1965
and 1970. The cause was the phase-out of Brookley Air Force Base, which
had been a major component of the region's economy. The roughly 15,000
civilian jobs which were lost at Brookley comprised more than 10 percent
of total SMSA employment, and amounted to between one-fourth and one-
third of the "economic base" of the region in the early 1960's. This
loss was nowhere near offset by the steady expansion in manufacturing
and port-related activities. The Brookley phase-out thus succeeded in
restraining the expansion of services-producing activities, which were
providing very large employment increases in most other Southeast metro-
politan areas. Wage and salary employment in the Mobile SMSA rose
dramatically after 1970, however. The 26 percent increase between 1970
and 1976 amounted to an annual compound rate of 4 percent per year.
Virtually all sectors of the economy have participated in this recent
expansion.
B-P-S-8
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Table B.P.S.3. Wage and Salary Employment in the Mobile Area
Non-Agricultural Wage and Salary
Employment, in Thousands*
1960
1965
1970
1976
Manufacturing
Lumber and Wood Products 2.4 2.3 1.9 2.1
Paper and Allied Products 6.2 6.9 7.7 7.6
Chemicals 1.8 2.2 2.6 3.3
Shipbuilding and Repair 2.8 3.6 4.2 3.8
Other Manufacturing 5.7 6.7 8.6 10.0
(Sub-Total) (18.9) (21.7) (25.0) (26.8)
Non-Manuf acturi ng
Construction
Transportation
Utilities
Trade
, Communications,
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate
Service and Mi
Government
scellaneous
TOTAL
5.3
10.4
21.6
4.3
11.4
26.7
98.6
6.6
9.5
23.3
4.3
14.7
25.9
106.0
6.6
9.9
25.5
5.0
16.3
16.7
105.0
10.8
9.9
32.0
6.0
25.9
21.3
132.7
* Excludes agriculture, forestry, and fishery employment, proprietors,
and other self-employed persons including workers in private
households.
Source: Alabama Employment Service, 1977
B-P-S-9
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The relationship between jobs and resident workers in the Mobile SMSA is
complicated by the fact that commuting into and out of the region is
fairly significant. Table B.P.S.4 describes the commuting patterns that
prevailed in 1960, 1970, and 1976. (In this and all subsequent tables
dealing with employment, the data are intended to be consistent with the
Census of Population employment definition, in order to facilitate anal-
ysis of worker/population relationships.) The major outside source of
jobs for workers living in the SMSA is the shipyard operated by the
Ingalls Division of Litton Industries, Inc., in Pascagoula (Jackson
County), Mississippi. Employment at the Ingalls facility currently is
well over 20,000 workers of whom an estimated 4,500 live in Mobile
County (King, 1977). The various explanations that have been offered
for this magnitude of commuting include: greater residential amenity
and housing choice in Mobile County than in Jackson County; better
access to major shopping facilities and other urban services; and better
schools. Two other major flows of workers indicated in Table B.P.S.4
are the worktrips by Baldwin County residents to Mobile County (internal
to the SMSA) and to the Pensacola area in Escambia County, Florida.
Commutation into the Mobile SMSA from elsewhere involves relatively
small numbers of workers from numerous counties in Alabama, Mississippi,
and Florida.
Total out-commutation from the SMSA has increased from 3,185 workers in
1960, to 4,639 in 1970, and about 8,400 in 1976. In-commutation has
remained fairly stable, from 2,000 to 2,500. Thus, the net volume of
out-commuting from the SMSA (which equals the difference between resi-
dent workers and jobs) increased by about 2,650 workers between 1960 and
1970, and by roughly another 2,400 workers during 1970-1976. The latter
increase was due primarily to expansion of employment at Ingalls. As
indicated by the bottom line of Table B.P.S.4, the total number of
employed residents in the Mobile SMSA was approximately 152,500 persons
in 1976, up from 126,660 in 1970.
B-P-S-10
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Table B.P.S.4. Commuting Patterns in the Mobile SMSA
Place of Residence
Place of Work
1960:
Mobile Co.
Baldwin Co.
Jackson Co. , MS
Escambia Co., FL
Elsewhere
Mobile Co.
103,747
285
606
72
1,501
Baldwin Co.
2,413
12,673
12
656
359
Elsewhere
1,959
312
Total SMSA
Jobs
108,119
13,270
Total Resident Workers 106,211
16,113
1970:
Mobile Co.
Baldwin Co.
Jackson Co. ,
Escambia Co.
Elsewhere
Total Resident
1976:
Mobile Co.
Baldwin Co.
Jackson Co. ,
Escambia Co.
Elsewhere
Total Resident
MS
, FL
Workers
MS
, FL
Workers
101
2
1
106
121
4
1
127
,781
483
,315
471
,141
,191
,000
600
,500
600
,200
,900
4
14
1
20
5
17
1
24
,241
,516
37
,351
324
,469
,500
,000
50
,750
300
,600
1,772 107,794
297 15,296
2,000 128,500
400 18,000
Sources: Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, Division of
Employment Security, 1977.
^Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
SARPC, 1977.
B-P-S-11
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POPULATION
The population of the Mobile SMSA has been linked closely to economic
trends during the period under discussion. Table B.P.S.5 shows the SMSA
population by county in 1960, 1970, and 1975, and indicates the portions
of population change in each interval which were due to natural increase
(births minus deaths) and net migration. Between 1960 and 1970, natural
increase alone would have produced a population gain of over 55,000 per-
sons in the Mobile SMSA. However, due to the standstill in employment
produced by the Brookley phase-out, there was a net out-migration from
the SMSA of over 42,000 persons. The resulting net population gain of
13,301 persons amounted to an increase of less than 4 percent. This
population increment was very unequally distributed among the two SMSA
counties. Baldwin County was affected by general suburbanization of the
Mobile area population, which was significant although small-scale
relative to many other metropolitan regions during the sixties. Baldwin
County thus experienced positive net migration, and an overall
population gain of over 20 percent. In contrast, the population of
Mobile County increased by less than 1 percent.
The migration trend was reversed after 1970. Between 1970 and 1975, the
rate of natural increase in the SMSA population averaged only about 1.0
percent per year, down from more than 1.4 percent during 1960 to 1970;
but improved economic conditions caused net migration to become posi-
tive. The SMSA population increased by about 27,600 persons^during the
1970-1975 period, from 376,690 to 403,341. In contrast to the 1960-1970
interval, Mobile County has received more than two-thirds of this recent
growth, although Baldwin County has maintained a higher growth rate in
percentage terms.
Table B.P.S.6 relates these population changes explicitly to employment
trends in the SMSA. Population figures for 1976 have been estimated by
assuming that the same annual growth rates prevailed during 1975-1976 as
during 1970-1975; the resulting 1976 population estimate for the SMSA is
B-P-S-12
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Table B.P.S.5. Components of Population Change in the Mobile SMSA
Population, 1960
Natural Increase
Net Migration
Net Change
Population, 1970
Natural Increase
Net Migration
Net Change
Population, 1975
Mobile
314,301
49,219
-46^212
3,007
317,308
17,100
860
17,960
335,268
Baldwin
49,088
6,400
3,894
10,294
59,382
2,600
6,091
8,691
68,073
Total
363,389
55,619
-42,318
13,301
376,690
19,700
6,951
26,651
403,341
Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1971; 1976.
Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, 1977.
B-P-S-13
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Table B.P.S.6. Relationships of Population to Employment in the Mobile
SMSA
Mobile Baldwin
County County Total
1960
Population 314,301 49,088 363,389
Resident Employment 106,211 16,113 122,324
Employment/Population 0.338 0.328 0.337
1970
Population 317,308 59,382 376,690
Resident Employment 106,191 20,469 126,660
Employment/Population 0.335 0.345 0.336
1976 Estimates
Population* 339,000 70,000 409,000
Resident Employment* 127,900 24,600 152,500
Employment/Population 0.377 0.351 0.373
* Estimated by extrapolation of population figures from Table B.P.S.5.
t From Table B.P.S.4.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1961; 1972.
SARPC, 1975.
Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
B-P-S-14
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409,000 persons. Table B.P.S.6 indicates that the ratio of employment
to population declined very slightly, from 0.337 to 0.336, between 1960
and 1970. This contrasted significantly with national trends, and could
be said to represent a failure of SMSA population to adjust fully to the
shortage of employment opportunities in the late 1960's. The employ-
ment-to-population ratio rose sharply after 1970, however, reaching a
value of 0.373 in 1976. This value (which was roughly equal to the
United States employment-to-population ratio in 1970) represents a
return to the normal long-term trend in employment participation. The
latest labor force data from the Alabama Division of Employment Security
indicate that the number of jobs held by SMSA residents is averaging
about 3 percent higher in 1977 than in 1976. An increase of this magni-
tude could be accounted for by a continued expansion of population at
its recent 1.4 percent annual rate, along with a continuation of the
upward trend in the employment-to-population ratio.
Despite the very rapid employment growth which has occurred since about
1972, there are few, if any, signs of an overall labor shortage in the
Mobile SMSA. The number of persons who consider themselves part of the
labor force has increased even more than resident employment, so that
the number of unemployed workers has actually risen somewhat. The unem-
ployment rate averaged about 5.5 percent during 1970-1974, versus 6.3
percent during 1975-1977. One explanation, which is consistent with
earlier discussion, is that the period around 1970 involved substantial
underemployment, involving persons who were willing to work but did not
enter the labor force due to lack of opportunity. This phenomenon
appears to have been particularly important for women and minority
groups. In 1970, 36.9 percent of women over 16 years old in the Mobile
SMSA were members of the labor force, as compared with 39.5 percent for
all other metropolitan areas in Alabama. The corresponding labor force
participation rates for the black male population were 63.8 percent
versus 66.4 percent. Although there is no firm substantiation as yet,
it appears that Mobile's recent economic expansion has reduced
B-P-S-15
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PLANT SITE
underemployment significantly, thereby producing a much-needed
improvement in labor force balance.
Another important factor is that tight labor market conditions have not
been required in order to induce migration into the Mobile SMSA from
elsewhere. The hinterland counties in Alabama and Mississippi tradi-
tionally have been characterized by lower wages and fewer economic
opportunities in general than the Mobile area (although this situation
is clearly changing in certain counties such as Monroe). Thus, there is
what could be described as a natural flow of population toward Mobile,
which was interrupted only temporarily during the 1960's. Insofar as
this trend produces net gains in personal opportunity and economic
efficiency, the role of Mobile as a population magnet can be considered
socially beneficial—unless the influx exceeds the rate at which the
necessary public services and facilities can be provided.
B-P-S-16
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FURTHER EXAMINATION OF RECENT TRENDS
During the years 1973 and 1974, industrial firms announced a total of
$615 million in capital investments for the Mobile SMSA, which would
amount to roughly three times the investment that took place in the
previous five years. Over two-thirds of this investment was announced
for sites in the Theodore Industrial Park area. Therefore, observers of
the local economy tend to stress the growth impetus provided by expan-
sion of manufacturing activity, and related developments such as oil and
gas exploration, the Theodore Barge Canal, the Tennessee-Tombigbee
Waterway, and potential petroleum-related developments (all discussed
below). It should be noted, however, that the bulk of employment
increases between 1970 and 1976 were not related to manufacturing.
Table B.P.S.7 presents an accounting, by major sector, of the employment
changes that occurred between 1970 and 1976. The 1,800 increase in man-
ufacturing jobs accounted for only 7 percent of the overall employment
increment. Roughly half of these manufacturing jobs could be attributed
to new manufacturing plants in the Theodore Industrial Park area, which
employed a total of about 1,000 workers as of mid-1977. An important
characteristic of these new facilities is that they are very highly
capitalized and produce extremely large dollar outputs per worker.
Thus, their overall economic impact is very large relative to their
direct effect on employment (as will be established in some detail for
the proposed Ideal Basic Industries facility). In spite of this fact,
it is apparent that manufacturing expansion, together with continued
growth in port-related activities, did not account either directly or
indirectly for more than half of the 1970-1976 employment increase in
the Mobile SMSA. The other responsible factors can be identified as
follows.
Out-Commuting—Increased commuting to other areas added 2,400 to the
number of employed SMSA residents during the 1970-1976 period. It
recently has been announced, however, that the completion of current
B-P-S-17
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Table B.P.S.7. Components of Change in Mobile SMSA Resident Employment,
1970-1976
Net out-commuting*
Wage and salary employment:
Durable goods manufacturing
Nondurable goods manufacturing
Construction
Trade
Finance and real estate
Services
Government
Proprietors, domestic workers,
agricultural workers, and
miscellaneous t
TOTAL*
Change,
Number
2,400
1,200
600
4,200
6,500
1,000
9,600
4,600
-4,300
25,800
1970-1976
Percent
9.3
4.7
2.3
16.3
25.2
3.9
37.2
17.8
-16.7
100.0
* From Table B.P.S.4.
t Obtained as a residual.
Source: Alabama Division of Employment Security, 1976.
B-P-S-18
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PLANT SITE
contracts at Ingalls Shipyard probably will result in substantial
layoffs by 1978. If the expected 25 percent reduction in the Ingalls
workforce applies proportionally to workers living in the Mobile SMSA,
there will be a net loss of between 1,000 and 1,500 resident employees.
Construction—The economic upturn which occurred after 1970 released
pent-up demands for new housing, particularly suburban housing, and for
other facilities requiring on-site construction. In addition, several
industrial development projects, such as the Degussa Alabama and
Kerr-McGee chemical plants in Theodore, involved massive construction
activity. The resulting addition of 4,200 construction workers between
1970 and 1976 accounted for 16 percent of the overall SMSA employment
increase.
Trade and Services—The gain of 17,100 employees in trade, finance, and
other services, which comprised fully two-thirds of the increase in res-
ident workers between 1970 and 1976, was far too large to represent
merely the multiplier effect of expansion in other sectors. The explan-
ation offered here is that the rapid growth in services-producing activ-
ity was in part a catching-up process involving Mobile's central area
functions. A nationwide trend during most of the postwar period has
been the allocation of an increasing share of economic activity to the
production of services, and the progressive concentration of service
functions in urban centers where they can be conducted most efficiently
and offer the greatest range of choice. The remarkable growth of
Atlanta, for example, has been related to this phenomenon. During the
1960's, Mobile largely failed to capitalize upon this potential economic
stimulus. The Mobile area's share of all trade, finance, and other ser-
vice employment in the southeastern states fell from 1.05 percent in
1960 to 0.87 percent in 1970. Even within the immediate economic region
centering upon Mobile, the proportions of wholesale, retail, and
selected service sales accounted for by the Mobile SMSA all declined
between 1963 and 1972 (Community Development Consultants, Inc., 1976).
Therefore, the rapid growth in these sectors since 1970 can be
B-P-S-19
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PLANT SITE
interpreted in part as a structural adjustment in which Mobile
reasserted itself as a regional center for service functions. This
growth impetus can perhaps be expected to taper off somewhat in the
future due to geographical and other limitations upon the hinterland
which Mobile can effectively serve.
The major determinants of regional growth patterns in the United States
prior to 1973 can be identified as the shift toward a service-based
economy, the existence of labor cost differentials, the distribution of
defense and aerospace expenditures, the decline of agricultural employ-
ment, and the attraction of certain "sunbelt" states. The overriding
factors in the present era could prove to be resource availability and
environmental constraints. As is discussed elsewhere, Mobile is
well-situated with regard to energy and other resources, and its posi-
tion will improve greatly with the opening of the Tennessee-Tombigbee
waterway. Ample growth potentials should therefore exist to offset
possible reductions in the factors which were important during
1970-1976.
B-P-S-20
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POPULATION AND HOUSING IN SOUTH MOBILE COUNTY
The discussion of potential community Impacts of the proposed Ideal
Basic Industries manufacturing plant (other than the consideration of
gross economic benefits) will focus upon South Mobile County, rather
than upon the Mobile SMSA as a whole, since there does not appear to be
a serious question as to whether the overall socioeconomic structure of
the SMSA can assimilate a project of this scale. It is safe to assume
that if any adverse social impacts occur as a result of the proposed
project, they will occur in South Mobile County. This area, as defined
in the Development Management Plan for South Mobile County Parts I, II,
III, and IV (SARPC, 1976), consists of the portion of Mobile County
bounded by the southern Mobile corporate limit and a line extending
westward along Cottage Hill Road, Highway 33, Johnson Road, Miller
Creek, and Big Creek. The area is made up of Census Tracts 65 through
73 (see Figure B.P.S.l).
South Mobile County consists of a roughly square-shaped mainland area,
and a separate strip of land--Dauphin Island—to the south. With the
exception of Theodore Industrial Park, the vast preponderance of land in
South Mobile County is either agricultural, vacant, or occupied by low-
density residential development. Dauphin Island is primarily a resort
area, with many seasonal cottages but a relatively low year-round popu-
lation. The overall pattern of development on the mainland can be
described fairly simply in terms of the location of transportation
routes and waterfront areas.
The three major highway corridors in South Mobile County, in descending
order of importance, are: the U.S. Route 90/Interstate 10 corridor, the
Dauphin Island Parkway, and Alabama Route 188. These highway corridors
form roughly a triangle, with U.S. 90 and Interstate 10 extending
together in a northeast-southwest direction, the Dauphin Island Parkway
running north-south along Mobile Bay, and Alabama 188 winding northwest-
southeast near Mississippi Sound. The U.S. 90/1-10 corridor and the
B-P-S-21
-------
BOUNDARY SYMBOLS
.' Census Tract Boundaries
0 20
SCALE IN KILOMETERS
FigureB.P.S.I
DEFINITION OF SOUTH MOBILE COUNTY
PLANNING AREA
SOURCE: Gulf South Research Institute for U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, 1974.
REGION IV
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
PROPOSED CEMENT MANUFACTURING
PLANT THEODORE INDUSTRIAL PARK
MOBILE, ALABAMA
B-P-S-22
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PLANT SITE
Dauphin Island Parkway link the City of Mobile to Pascagoula, Missis-
sippi, and Dauphin Island, respectively. Alabama 188 is basically a
connector between these other highways. All significant population
centers in South Mobile County, with the exception of Dixon Corner and
an area near the Mobile City limit, are located along the three corri-
dors just mentioned. Proceeding away from Mobile, the communities on
Route 90 are Tillman's Corner, Theodore, Irvington, St. Elmo, and Grand
Bay. The Dauphin Island Parkway runs through Hoi lingers Island, Belle-
fontaine, and Alabama Port. On Alabama Route 188, roughly midway
betv/een U.S. 90 and the Dauphin Island Parkway, are Bayou La Batre--the
only incorporated city in South Mobile County—and the small communities
of Coden and Heron Bay.
Since 1970, residential development in South Mobile County has occurred
primarily in two sectors: a band roughly 6.5 kilometers (four miles)
wide along the southern boundary of Mobile; and the U.S. 90/1-10
corridor, especially near Theodore and Grand Bay. Much of the
population growth in the Grand Bay area has been linked to employment at
the Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula. Residential construction was active
at one time in the Dauphin Island Parkway corridor, but has been
inhibited since the late 1960's by two factors. First, much of the
development along the Dauphin Island Parkway was clearly related to
Brookley Air Force Base, which was located on the Parkway a few miles
north of the Mobile line. The abrupt slowdown in building activity which
accompanied the Brookley phase-out is still evident in the number of
areas near the Parkway where streets were laid out but little subsequent
development occurred. Second, the opening of Interstate 10 gave the U.S.
90/1-10 corridor much better access to Mobile than possessed by points
along the Parkway. Residential growth in Bayou La Batre and other areas
on Alabama Route 188 has been limited by the distance of this district
from Mobile, and by the failure of the fishing industry—the traditional
economic support of these communities--to generate additional jobs.
B-P-S-23
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Table B.P.S.8 presents the 1960 and 1970 populations of the three Census
Divisions which comprise the South Mobile County area. The population
of the area as a whole increased by roughly 12,000 persons, or more than
50 percent, during this period. The greatest growth in both absolute
and percentage terms occurred in the Theodore division, which includes
the Tillman's Corner area and all other land between Fowl River and the
Mobile corporate limit. The Bayou La Batre division, constituting the
entire southeast corner of the planning area, experienced relatively
modest growth between 1960 and 1970.
The 1975 population of South Mobile County was estimated in the
Development Management Plan as 42,428 persons (Community Development
Consultants, Inc., 1976). The later, and presumably more definitive,
forecast series generated by SARPC places the 1975 South County popu-
lation at over 44,500 persons (SARPC, 1977). Both sets of projections
have been based on the "Population and Economy" study conducted in 1975,
and both assume the same total population for Mobile County. The SARPC
estimates have been examined in some detail, since there are some
apparent inconsistencies in the apportionment of Mobile county popula-
tion among component areas. Table B.P.S.9 presents population data for
all Census Divisions in Mobile County, grouped for convenience into four
categories: urban (Mobile, Prichard, and Chickasaw divisions); suburban
north; suburban west; and surburban south. The last coincides with the
South Mobile County area presently under discussion. Table B.P.S.9
includes the actual population counts for 1960 and 1970, and three
separate estimates of 1975 population, as described below. The 1960
data have not been adjusted to account for the changes in area defini-
tions which occurred due to annexation between 1960 and 1970, but the
figures are adequate to convey the trends which took place during this
interval.
The SARPC release of March 30,1977, gives 1975 population estimates for
census tracts, drainage basins, and incorporated and unincorporated
areas of Mobile County, along with projections for future years. The
B-P-S-24
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PLANT SITE
Table B.P.S.8. Historical Population Trends in South Mobile County
Theodore Division
Grand Bay Division
Bayou La Batre Div.
TOTAL
Popul
1960
10,068
6,174
6,604
22,846
at ion
1970
17,473
9,685
7,766
34,924
1960-1970
Number
7,405
3,511
1,162
12,078
Change
Percent
73.5
56.9
17.6
52.9
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1961; 1972.
B-P-S-25
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Table B.P.S.9. Population Estimates for Mobile County by Component Area
CD
i
co
i
r\j
(Ft
Mobile Division
Prichard Division
Chickasaw Division
(Total, Urban) (
Saraland and Eight
Mile Division
Citronelle Division
Mt. Vernon Division
(Total, Suburban North)
Semites Division
Tanner-Williams Division
(Total , Suburban West)
Bayou La Bat re Division
Grand Bay Division
Theodore Division
(Total, Suburban South)
(Total Suburban)
10TAL
1960
202,779
47,431
10,130
260,340)
11,233
4,230
6.881
(H.OT)
4,498
4.273
(M7T)
0,604
6,174
10,068
(?27?5?5)
(53.961)
314,301
1970
190.026
41,b78
8.447
(240,051")
18,349
4,60?
6,531
(2T,W)
6.991
1^860
02, err)
7,766
9.6U5
17,473
("3T;974~)
(77.257)
317,308
Computed From
SARPC Tract
Estimates*
195,927
39,676
7,540
(243.147)
18.786
5,325
4,538
(28,649)
9,481
8.951
(T874T2)
8,387
13,049
23,240
(«,6"76)
(91,757)
334,900
1975 Estimates
SARPC Series for
Incorporated
Areas
200,849
38,977
7,983
(2477509)
(25,049)
(17,521)
(44,517)1
(87,091)
334,900
U.S. Census
Bureau
196,441
39,319
7,664
(2137524 )
(91.844)
335,268
* Population estimates computed by Environmental Science and engineering, Inc. on tlie basis of 1975 SARPC Census Tract
estimates. The SAKPC estimate for each split tract (i.e., a tract overlapping a 1970 municipal boundary) would
be apportioned to the two or more component areas by assuming that the same percentage distiibution among areas
prevailed as in 1970. One exception was Census Tract 61 (1970 population- 9,140, SARPC estimate for 1975
8,887), in which Ilie entire population loss indicated by SARPC was assigned to Prichard Division.
t The deviation in estimates for the Suburban South sector may be due Lo the existence of a v»ry small area of land which
was annexed by Mobile prior to 19/0 but was not tabulated as part of a split tract in the 19/0 Census Iract
statistics. For present purposes, this area will be considered as part of South Mobile County.
Sources U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1961, 1972.
Mobile Area Chamber of foninerce, 1977.
SARPC, 197/.
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PLANT SITE
fourth column of Table B.P.S.9 summarizes the SARPC estimates for
incorporated and unincorporated areas. The third column presents a
comparable population series for 1975 which has been developed here by
aggregating the SARPC estimates for census tracts (with apportionment of
population in split tracts on the basis of the known population
distribution in 1970).
Comparison of the third and fourth columns of Table B.P.S.9 reveals
discrepancies between the estimates for incorporated areas and the
estimates based on tract data that are too large to be explained by
errors in aggregating the latter. Annexation of land by municipalities
between 1970 and 1975 does not appear to be a factor. As indicated by
the fifth column of Table B.P.S.9, the tract figures agree somewhat
better than the incorporated area series with the U.S. Census estimates
for municipalities in 1975 (which are intended to take account of
annexation).
The tract-based population estimates imply a reversal of earlier trends
in the Suburban North district. This district, consisting of Sara!and,
Eight Mile, Citronelle, and Mount Vernon divisions, increased in
population by more than 60 percent during 1960 to 1970, but the SARPC
estimates imply a slight decline from 1970 to 1975. The estimates for
individual tracts indicate that the population of Mount Vernon division
declined by 30 percent between 1970 and 1975, whereas there was only a 5
percent decline between 1960 and 1970. Also, virtually no population
growth has been assigned by the estimates to the outlying regions of
Eight Mile and Saraland divisions (consisting of Tracts 56 and 57, and
the portions of Tracts 38.02 and 61 located outside Mobile and Prich-
ard). SARPC forecasts that this region, which increased in population
by roughly 70 percent during 1960-1970, will gain population rapidly
after 1975.
These apparent inconsistencies primarily involve the populations of the
west and north suburban districts, rather than South Mobile County.
Therefore, the SARPC estimates for tracts in South Mobile County are
B-P-S-27
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PLANT SITE
retained as the basis for the forecasts utilized here. Table B.P.S.10
presents these 1975 populations for individual tracts, and provides
additional estimates for 1977. The latter have been obtained by assuming
that SARPC has forecast correctly the population increment for South
Mobile County as a whole between 1975 and 1980 (in the incorporated-area
tabulation), and by allocating 40 percent of this increment to individ-
ual tracts according to their shares of the 1970-1975 population gain.
This procedure is somewhat conservative, in light of recent events,
and thus compensates for the fact that the 1975 South County total may
be an overestimate.
The total population of the South Mobile County planning area as of mid-
1977 is estimated at roughly 47,400 persons. This implies a compound
growth rate of 4.5 percent per year since 1970, slightly above the aver-
age rate of 4.3 percent per year which prevailed during 1960 to 1970.
Population growth in the Grand Bay division, which includes the
U.S. 90/1-10 corridor southwest of the Fowl River, has accounted for
slightly more than one-third of the total population increase since
1970, as opposed to less than 30 percent during 1960 to 1970. The
fastest-growing areas in percentage terms have been Tracts 69 and 67,
which include the land lying north and south of the Fowl River/Inter-
state 10 crossing, respectively.
Observers tend to associate the recent population increases in South
Mobile County, and particularly in the Tillman's Corner area, with the
concurrent expansion of manufacturing employment at Theodore Industrial
Park. However, while the regional economic impacts of the Industrial
Park have been great, it is important not to exaggerate the respon-
sibility of the industrial area for population increases in South Mobile
County up to the present. Table B.P.S.ll provides some perspective on
this question by indicating the place-of-work in 1970 and 1977 of
employed persons living in the Tillman's Corner area and South Mobile
County as a whole. The 1977 figures are estimates based on the best
available information. It is assumed that, of the approximately 1,000
industrial workers in the Theodore Park area in mid-1977, one-third
B-P-S-28
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PLANT SITE
Table B.P.S.10. Current Population Estimates for South Mobile County,
by Component Area
Bayou La Batre Division
Tract 72
Tract 73
(Subtotal)
Grand Bay Division
Tract 65
Tract 66
Tract 67
(Subtotal)
Theodore Division
Tract 68
Tract 69
Tract 70
Tract 71
(Subtotal)
1970
2,945
4,821
(7,766)
3,384
2,928
3.373
(9,685)
3,542
4,035
3,697
6,199
(17^73)
1975,
SARPC
3,100
5,287
(8,387)
4,625
3,519
4,905
(1T^?9)
4,847
5,844
4,624
7,925
(23,240)
1977,
Estimated
3,144
5.418
(8,562)
4,975
3,686
5.337
(13,998)
5,215
6,354
4,886
8,412
(24^67)
Percent Change
1970-1977
6.8
12.4
OC^2)
47.0
25.9
58.2
(44T5)
47.2
57.5
32.2
35.7
(42T3)
TOTAL 34,924 44,676 47,427 35.8
Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1972.
SARPC, 1977.
Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
B-P-S-29
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PLANT SITE
Table B.P.S.ll. Sources of Employment for South Mobile County Residents
Till man's Corner Total, South
Area (Tracts 68 and 69) Mobile County
Total Population
Employment/Population Ratio
Resident Employees
Place of Work:
City of Mobile
Theodore Industrial Park
Rest of Mobile County
Jackson County, Mississippi
Elsewhere
1970
7,577
0.340
2,576
1,658
0
591
317
10
1977
11,569
0.375
4,340
2,500
330
900
600
10
1970
34,924
0.328
11,456
5,033
0
4,424
1,949
50
1977
47,427
0.365
17,310
6,900
660
6,100
3,600
50
Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1972.
Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
B-P-S-30
-------
PLANT SITE
lived in the vicinity of Till man's Corner and two-thirds lived in South
Mobile County as a whole. These estimates probably are high, given the
present residential distribution of industrial workers in the Mobile
SMSA. The number of commuters to Pascagoula (Jackson County),
Mississippi, is estimated by assuming the same areal distribution of
commuters from the SMSA to Pascagoula as existed in 1970. Finally, the
numbers of workers employed in Mobile and in the remainder of Mobile
County have been allocated using the same proportions in 1977 as in
1970.
Table B.P.S.ll indicates that industrial employment at Theodore has been
a significant but by no means dominant influence on residential growth
in South Mobile County. The Industrial Park has accounted for 11 per-
cent or less of the new workers living in South Mobile County, ranking
well behind employment in Mobile (32 percent); employment in the "
remainder of Mobile County (29 percent); and commutation to Pascagoula
(28 percent). For the Tillman's Corner area alone, it is estimated that
less than 20 percent of new employees work in Theodore Industrial Park.
This area is oriented heavily toward employment in Mobile, which
accounted for roughly half the increase in resident workers between 1970
and 1977. The point here is by no means to minimize the importance of
the Industrial Park, but only to establish that rapid population growth
in South Mobile County would have occurred with or without new indus-
trial development. This will remain true to a substantial extent in the
near future, although the relative influence of the Industrial Park can
be expected to increase. It should be noted that Table B.P.S.ll does
not deal explicitly with the very large numbers of construction workers
that are intermittently required for industrial development projects at
Theodore, since these workers are believed to be part of the general
labor pool in the metropolitan region rather than concentrated in South
Mobile County.
Tables B.P.S.12 and B.P.S.13 present estimates of recent household and
dwelling unit trends in South Mobile County census tracts. Population
in households as of 1977 is obtained from Table B.P.S.10 by assuming
B-P-S-31
-------
PLANT SITE
Table B.P.S.12. Household Estimates for Census Tracts in South Mobile
County
Population
In Households
1970
Bayou La Batre Division
Tract 72 2,814
Tract 73 4,813
(Subtotal) (77627)
Grand Bay Division
Tract 65 3,384
Tract 66 2,888
Tract 67 3,373
(Subtotal) (9,645)
Theodore Division
Tract 68 3,540
Tract 69 4,033
Tract 70 3,697
Tract 71 6,198
(Subtotal) (17,468)
TOTAL 34,740
1977
3,013
5,410
(8,423)
4,975
3,646
5,337
(13,958)
5,213
6,352
4,886
8,411
(24~862)
47,243
Population
Per Household
1970
3.428
3.555
(3.507)
3.760
3.693
4.001
(3.820)
3.684
3.752
3.465
3.740
(3.670)
3.672
1977
3.18
3.29
(3.25)
3.48
3.42
3.71
(3.55)
3.41
3.48
3.21
3.47
(3.41)
3.42
Number of
Households
1970
821
1,354
(27T75)
900
782
843
(2,525)
961
1,075
1,067
1,657
(4,760)
9,460
1977
947
1,644
(27591)
1,430
1,066
1,439
(3,935)
1,529
1,825
1,522
2,424
(77100)
13,826
Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1972.
Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
B-P-S-32
-------
Table B.P.S.13. Dwelling Unit Estimates for Census Tracts in South Mobile County
CD
I
CO
co
CO
Number of Year-
Round Dwelling Net Increase
Units in Dwellings
1970 1977 1970-77
Pre-1970
Dwellings
Lost
1970-77
New Units
Constructed
1970-77
Units Built
Per Year
1970-77
Bayou La Batre Division
Tract 72
Tract 73
(Subtotal)
Grand Bay Division
Tract 65
Tract 66
Tract 67
(Subtotal)
Theodore Division
Tract 68
Tract 69
Tract 70
Tract 71
(Subtotal)
TOTAL
942
1,430
(77372)
938
857
899
(17694)
1,013
1,104
1,149
1,780
10,112
1,068
1,720
(o "7QQ \
b • / OO J
1,468
1,141
1,495
(47104)
1,581
1,854
1,604
2,547
(773S6")
14,478
126
290
(716)
530
284
596
07410)
568
750
455
767
4,366
44
66
(TTO~)
43
40
42
(125)
47
51
53
83
469
170
356
(52T)
573
324
638
(T7535)
615
801
508
850
(27774)
4,835
24
51
(7B~)
82
46
91
(219)
88
114
73
121
cm)
690
.Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1972.
Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
co
-------
PLANT SITE
that the number of persons in group quarters is unchanged from 1970 (at
which time, it was 184 in South Mobile County as a whole). The number
of persons per household in each tract is assumed to decline at the same
percentage rate as forecasted by SARPC for all of Mobile County. The
resulting estimates of number of households, shown in the last two
columns of Table B.P.S.12, indicate that households have been increasing
faster than population by a considerable margin.
In Table B.P.S.13, the total number of year-round dwelling units in each
tract is estimated by assuming that the number of vacant units is
unchanged from 1970, and adding this to the number of households (which
equals occupied units). This assumption implies declining vacancy
rates, with the magnitude of decline linked to the rate of population
growth. Loss of dwelling units from the housing stock due to demolition
and abandonment is assumed to take place at a low rate during 1970-1977,
as during 1960-1970, because of the relatively small numbers of old
units present. When the estimated loss of pre-1970 dwellings is added
to the net increase in units during 1970 to 1977, an estimate is ob-
tained of the volume of new residential construction since 1970, which
is shown for each tract in the fifth column of Table B.P.S.13. The last
column of Table B.P.S.13 presents estimates of dwelling unit construc-
tion per year between 1970 and 1977, including installation of mobile
homes. The rates of construction are impressive, with the Theodore
Division alone accounting for nearly 400 units per year.
On the whole, the stress placed by new industrial development on the
supply of housing is not considered here to be a major problem, for two
reasons. First, the portion of South Mobile County near Mobile and the
Theodore industrial area is part of a large metropolitan housing market
which can supply new units at almost any rate demanded. It is important
that, despite the recent escalation in land values, housing in South
Mobile County has not been priced out of range for most workers in
modern manufacturing plants. Second, a very large housing stock exists
in nearby Mobile for any workers who are unable to find a suitable place
to live in South Mobile County. Therefore, the discussion in later
B-P-S-34
-------
PLANT SITE
sections will focus primarily upon ancillary aspects of residential
development, such as land use patterns and demand for public facilities,
rather than upon the availability of housing as a concern in itself. An
additional point is that the present tight housing market conditions in
South Mobile County should ease next year with the anticipated layoffs
at Ingalls shipyard, and should remain somewhat less tight in the future
due to the expected slowing of population growth (see Forecast Section).
Tables B.P.S.14 and B.P.S.15 provide additional insight into the com-
munity characteristics of South Mobile County. This information is from
the 1970 Census and is therefore somewhat dated, but still provides a
reasonably accurate description of the area. The upper portion of Table
B.P.S.14 compares the census tracts in South Mobile County with the
Mobile SMSA in terms of the distribution of resident workers among
occupational categories. The occupations have been arranged informally
into three groups, which represent high, medium, and low income levels,
respectively (although many individual cases deviate widely). A fact
which emerges from this tabulation is that only Census Tract 70 fits the
stereotyped description of an affluent, upper-middle-class, white collar
suburb. This tract, which extends along the Mobile city limit from
Mobile Bay to Interstate 10, contains many luxurious homes fronting upon
the Bay, Dog River, and tributary waterways. Tract 70 contains signifi-
cantly higher percentages of workers in professional, management, and
sales occupations than the Mobile SMSA. A large percentage of Tract 70
workers hold high-level industrial production jobs, but there are rela-
tively few "operatives" of machinery, and almost no laborers or custo-
dial workers. These characteristics are shared to a somewhat lesser
extent by Tract 69.
The remainder of Theodore and Grand Bay divisions, however, are solidly
middle-class. Resident employment is concentrated in industrial jobs,
and to a lesser extent in clerical and retail sales positions and
farming. There generally is an under-representation of the extremes, in
terms of earnings and status, with the exception of the low-paid workers
living in Tracts 67 and 71. The occupational structure of the resident
B-P-S-35
-------
Table B.P.S.14. Population Characteristics of Census Tracts in South Mobile County, 1970
Mobile
SMSA
ffi—
Theodore Division
69
70
71
Grand Bay Division
656667
Bayou La
Batre Division
72
73
CO
-a
i
CO
CTl
OCCUPATIONAL DISTRIBUTION
OF RESIDENT WORKERS
Professional, Technical
Managers and Administrators
Sales Workers, Ex. Retail
Craftsmen, Foremen
Teachers (Public)
Clerical and Retail Sales
Farm and Service Workers
Operatives
Laborers
Cleaning/Food Services, and
Private Household Workers
FAMILY INCOME
9.It
8.1
3.5
16.1
3.3
19.6
7.3
16.9
6.9
9.2
8.1*
9.1
2.8
19.6
11.3%
8.8
5.6
21.8
12.3%
10.4
6.1
24.3
7.3%
5.4
1.3
18.7
6. It
5.2
1.3
24.6
8.3%
8.1
1.0
24.6
4.8t
8.5
0.0
25.7
4.7t
6.0
6.5
16.7
2.6%
6.5
1.6
15.0
0.8
23.6
7.3
17.7
7.2
3.8
3.0
23.2
3.4
16.6
4.6
1.7
3.4
23.4
7.9
9.8
1.7
0.7
3.2
17.0
Jl.'O
20.1
8.2
7.8
0.9
8.0
18.6
24.5
5.8
5.0
6.7
9.8
8.9
21.9
5.9
4.8
0.5
10.4
5.8
25.5
10.1
8.7
2.1
15.1
2.3
22.5
14.3
9.8
2.1
12.3
4.9
26.7
23.2
5.1
100.01 100.0% 100.0% 100.01 100.01 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Median (in 1969)
Percent in Poverty
BLACK POPULATION (%)
$7,733
18.6%
30.0%
$8,785 $9,016 $9,482 $7,338 $7,649 $8,763 $6,572 $6,080 $6,177
4.7% 9.2% 11.2% 18.1% 14.7% 11.5% 32.6% 24.0% 22.0%
0.2%
0.3%
4.6% 29.5% 20.3% 14.6%
36.3%
7.6%
8.1%
PERSONS OVER 5 YEARS LIVING
IN SAME HOUSE AS IN 1965
White Population (%)
Black Population (%)
45.5% 45.1% 55.5% 57.8% 57.3% 42.2% 53.2% 52.6% 57.7%
69.7% 62.5% 41.4% 60.5%
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1972.
-------
Table B.P.S.15. Housing Cliaract eristics of Census TtPCts in South Mobile Count, v. 1970
00
i
1/1
co
Theodore Division
All Housing Units
Seasonal Units
Year-Hound Units
Single-hanuly Homes
and Mobile Homes
Multi-Unit Dwellings
Percent of Units
Built 1960-19/0
Vacancy Kates
Available Units
Other Units
Occupied Units
Owner-Occupied Units
Percent Owner-Occupied
Median Value of Owner-
Occupied Units
Renter-Occupied Units
Median Gross Rent
Percent of Renters Paying 25%
of Income or More
Percent of Units With
Publ ic Water
Publ ic Sewer
All Plumbing Facilities
f,8
1.014
1
1,013
1,002
11
56.3%
3.4%
2.0%
961
819
85.2%
$11,900
142
$112
23.3%
77.9%
11.6%
97.4%
69
1,105
1
1,104
1,086
18
53.7%
1.2%
1.5%
1,075
936
87.1%
$12,900
139
$98
12.7%
58.4%
8.1%
96.7%
/()
1,180
31
1,149
1,130
19
45.2%
3.3%
4.4%
1,067
895
83.9%
$17,000
172
$94
19.7%
37.6%
3.5%
96.1%
71
1,830
50
1,780
1,751
29
36.9%
3.3%
4.1%
1.C57
1,326
80.0%
$10,400
331
$86
23.3%
47.6%
0.7%
85.9%
Grand Bay Division
05
938
0
938
926
12
43.7%
1.1%
3.1%
900
750
83.3%
$10,200
150
$71
16.7%
1.3%
1.6%
85.4%
66
857
0
857
826
31
58.8%
4.5S
5.1%
782
658
84.1%
$13,700
124
$75
40.6%
62.1%
6.3%
90.5%
67
899
0
899
893
6
32.9%
1.4%
5.2%
843
718
85.2%
$7 ,800
125
$59
30.0%
7.2%
0.0%
74. 57,
Bayou 1 a
Batre Division
72
1,419
477
942
881
53
42.6%
7.7%
7.1%
821
626
76.2%
$9,000
195
$76
36.1%
25.2%
10.1%
85.4%
73
1,445
15
1,430
1,430
0
25.3
1.9
3.7
1,354
1,066
78.7%
$7,200
288
$80
37. 17
78.2%
1.5
85.6%
Source- U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1972.
-------
PLANT SITE
labor force in Bayou La Batre division is somewhat different, due to the
influence of commercial fishing activity and Dauphin Island. Crewmen of
the fishing vessels are classed as laborers, thus accounting for the
large percentages in that category in Tracts 72 and 73; and the resort
trade on Dauphin Island explains the substantial employment in sales and
food services in Tract 72. Perhaps the most important point to be
gained from this tabulation is that although residential growth in the
South County area has not been due primarily to the expansion of indus-
try at Theodore (as discussed earlier), this growth has been consistent
with industry in terms of the occupations represented, which would not
be the case if South Mobile County were emerging as a series of white-
collar suburbs.
The lower portion of Table B.P.S.14 deals with family income, race, and
residential mobility. Median family income is highest in the suburban
areas near Mobile and in the Grand Bay area, where it exceeds substan-
tially the median for the Mobile SMSA, and lowest in the southern and
eastern portions of the county. The percent of families in poverty is
roughly equal to or exceeds the SMSA figure in Tracts 67, 71, 72, and
73. Blacks comprise 20 percent or more of the population in Tracts 65,
67, and 71, reflecting the existence of several traditionally black
communities located in the central portion of the county. The relative
stability of these communities is indicated by the fact that higher
proportions of the 1970 black population had lived in the same house for
five years or more than was true for the white population.
The housing data presented in Table B.P.S.15 also reflect significantly
upon the structure of the South Mobile County community. In 1970,
virtually all dwelling units in all census tracts consisted of
single-family structures and mobile homes, rather than units in
multi-family structures (fourth and fifth lines of Table B.P.S.15).
Home ownership was remarkably high, exceeding 75 percent in all tracts
and 85 percent in three cases. This pattern was as strong for blacks as
for whites: home ownership for black households exceeded 75 percent in
all significant cases, and was 80 percent or higher in all but one of
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these. The high rate of home ownership for blacks is indicative of the
community stability mentioned earlier. With regard to the median value
of owner-occupied dwellings, Tract 70--containing the upper-income
communities along Dog River—was considerably higher than any other
tract; whereas Tracts 67 and 73, representing the south central portion
of the region, were low. The fourth line from the bottom of Table
B.P.S.15 presents a quantity which is often considered a good indicator
of housing shortage, namely the percentage of renter households for whom
gross rent constituted more than one-fourth of total income. The 1970
value of this index for the Mobile SMSA was 35.7 percent. The only
values in South Mobile County that were high relative to the SMSA were
for Bayou La Batre division and Tract 66; most others were very much
lower than the SMSA value. The conclusion would be that shortages of
moderately-priced housing did not exist in most of South Mobile County
in 1970. The next two lines of Table B.P.S.15 show the incomplete
coverage of public water and sewer facilities in 1970, particularly
sewer. Finally, the last line indicates that about half the tracts in
South Mobile County had significant numbers of dwelling units which
lacked complete plumbing facilities, the most outstanding case being
Tract 67 in the south central area.
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LAND USE AND LAND VALUE
Quantitative measurements of land use characteristics in South Mobile
County in 1968 and 1975 are available from SARPC planning programs. In
addition, a detailed land use map of the area immediately surrounding
the proposed Ideal Basic Industries facility has been prepared as part
of the current study; this is discussed in a later section. The quan-
titative descriptions for 1968 and 1975 are presented in Table B.P.S.16.
Since neither of these data sets pertained to the exact area under
consideration here, various adjustments have been required, but the
level of accuracy is sufficient for purposes of discussion.
About 14 percent of all land in South Mobile County consists of wetland,
or marsh, to which can be added substantial areas in which seasonal wet-
ness or flooding constitutes a barrier to most forms of development,
including agriculture. These areas are relatively concentrated in the
southern portion of the county and along streams and waterways. Roughly
another third of South Mobile County land was used in 1968 for resource
production, primarily farming. The amount of residential land in the
area was measured at nearly 7,700 hectares (19,000 acres) in 1968.
However, when large residential landholdings are deflated in order to
reflect the area of land actually occupied, the residential acreage is
reduced by more than half. The 1975 SARPC estimate of 2,946 hectares
(7,280 acres) amounts to only 4 percent of all land in the South Mobile
County area.
It is clear from the table that the amount of land devoted to retail and
wholesale trade increased greatly between 1968 and 1975, although the
300 percent growth indicated in the table may be an exaggeration. [The
1975 "Development Management Plan" report estimated only 69 hectares
(170 acres) of commercial land in South Mobile County.] Commercial
development in South Mobile County continues to be made up largely of
convenience establishments such as grocery stores, drug stores, and
eating places that cater to local communities. The breadth of facili-
ties is steadily expanding, however, as evidenced by the recent opening
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Table B.P.S.16. Approximate Hectares (Acreages) of Land in Various
Uses, South Mobile County, 1968 and 1975.
1968
Hectares (Acres;
1975
Hectares (Acres)
Wetland
Resource production land
Roads
Railroads
Residential land:
Single-family dwellings
Multi-family dwellings
Total
Trade:
Retail trade
Wholesale trade
Total
Services
Industrial land
Recreational land
TOTAL (APPROXIMATE)
10,608 (25,872)
26,953 (65,740)
1,503 (3,667)
102 (249)
85
21
354
*
*
*
(207)
*
(50)
(864)
2,972
13
2,985
292
45
362
9
461
(7,248)
(32)
(7,280)
(712)
(110)
(882)
(22)
(1,124)
76,260 (186,000)
76,260 (186,000)
* 1968 measurements of residential land and service land are not com-
parable with 1975 measurements.
Source: SARPC, 1968; 1977.
B-P-S-41
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of branch banks at Tillman's Corner. Other significant components of
commercial activity in South Mobile County are the following: (1)
retail establishments along Route 90 which sell high-bulk items such as
furniture, generally at discount; (2) facilities at the Dog Race Track
located southwest of Theodore; (3) a number of small marinas situated on
inlets off Mobile Bay; and (4) commercial facilities associated with the
resort trade on Dauphin Island.
The vast increase in industrial land shown on the next-to-last line of
Table B.P.S.16 has been due almost entirely to the Theodore Industrial
Park development. It should be noted that although the SARPC estimate
of 461 hectares (1,124 acres) of industrial land does not include all
holdings by current Industrial Park occupants, this figure still
overestimates somewhat the amount of land actually developed for
industrial use in 1975. Finally, the recreational land in South Mobile
County consists in large degree of private facilities, and is not evenly
distributed throughout the area. Over half of the 354 hectares (864
acres) cited in the bottom line of the table are located on Dauphin
Island.
Land values have been increasing rapidly throughout most of South Mobile
County, particularly along the U.S. 90/Interstate 10 corridor. Realtors
report increases of as much as 1000 percent, relative to the mid-1960s,
in the sale price of raw land suitable for residential development.
Speculators have become active in the land market; and substantial areas
in South Mobile County are now being held primarily for their investment
value. It is relevant, however, that these changes have taken place in
a context of initially very low land values, relative to other suburban
and exurban communities in the U.S. Thus, despite the rapid increases
that have occurred, land values still have not attained levels at which
development patterns might be distorted; i.e., at which it would be
infeasible to construct facilities similar to existing land uses. With
regard to industrial land, it remains possible to purchase large parcels
for $10,000 per acre or less, which is high relative to the recent past
B-P-S-42
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but not relative to other U.S. metropolitan areas with equivalent loca-
tional advantages.
The population growth and accompanying rise in land values in South
Mobile County can be related to documented evidence regarding the loca-
tional preferences of Mobile area residents. A household survey con-
ducted by SARPC in 1971 asked 448 respondents whether or not they
planned to move in the foreseeable future or would like to move, and
their preferred area of residence if they moved. Mobile, Baldwin, and
Escambia counties were partitioned into 15 zones, and the residential
preferences of respondents were coded and tabulated on this basis. It
was found that for only two zones did the proportion of respondents
preferring the zone greatly exceed the share of area residents currently
living in the zone. These were South Mobile County (including Tanner
Williams Division to the west of Mobile), which was preferred by
17.4 percent of respondents, and a section of Mobile near Dog River that
was chosen by 13.4 percent. Only 9.2 percent and 3.1 percent, respec-
tively, of respondents were currently living in these areas. Although
survey results of this type are by no means an adequate basis for popu-
lation forecasts, because respondents are often unrealistic, the find-
ings indicate that the escalation of land values in South Mobile County
is founded upon broadly-held preferences, rather than being simply the
result of speculation.
The present study gives special attention to land values in the central
portion of the Dauphin Island Parkway corridor, namely the area bounded
\
by Island Road (also known as Hamilton Road), Fowl River, and*Rangeline
Road (extended). This strip of land contains a number of small,
scattered residential communities, which are separated from the
residential areas to the west by a band of virtually unpopulated land
between Rangeline and Bellingrath roads. The central Parkway corridor
contains nearly all of the residences that might be impacted
environmentally by industrial development in the eastern portion of the
Theodore Industrial area. Also, this is perhaps the only district of
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South Mobile County at present that is specifically dependent upon
industrial development at Theodore for support of housing demand.
As indicated earlier, the housing market in the Dauphin Island Parkway
corridor has been adversely affected over the past decade by the phase-
out of Brookley Field. However, land values are now being affected by
the positive stimulus of nearby industrial jobs. For example, an
attractive development near the South Fork Deer River, which will
contain about 50 homes, currently is being marketed by Ladner and
Company at price levels which are appropriate for well-paid industrial
workers. Reportedly, about half of all sales have been to employees of
firms in the Theodore Industrial Park. Other plans discussed by
realtors suggest that the market can now begin to absorb the tracts of
residential land that were gridded in the 1960's but never developed.
The conclusion is that existing residents of the Parkway corridor who
occupy middle-income housing probably can sell their homes at a profit,
if they so desire, within a reasonable time interval. In the event that
future industrial development did have negative impacts on neighborhood
amenity, there would be an important distinction between these residents
and persons who could not sell at a profit, or were unable to secure
equivalent housing elsewhere. The latter conditions might hold for
owners of high-value homes, especially waterfront properties. The
breakpoint in terms of property value would be perhaps $40,000 in
current dollars. Translating this as $25,000 in 1970 dollars, the
census indicates that only 10 to 15 percent of all dwelling units in the
central Parkway corridor would fall in this category (as opposed to well
over 20 percent in the Dog River area farther north). Therefore, the
central Parkway corridor as a whole is not considered highly vulnerable
to negative land value effects resulting from industrial development,
notwithstanding the positive influence of such development on the value
of land for non-residential purposes.
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TRANSPORTATION
In South Mobile County, travel is synonymous with auto transportation
since there is no mass transit of any kind available in the planning
area. Some of the more pressing community needs in South Mobile County
involve transportation facilities, because existing roads and highways
have been subjected to rapidly increasing traffic flows. The extent of
these increases is dramatized in Table B.P.S.17, which gives average
daily traffic counts for the three major state-maintained highways in
1970 and 1976. The increases are striking, in terms of both absolutes
and percentages, for Interstate 10 throughout its length and for U.S.
90 north of Island Road (Hamilton Road). At all three points monitored
on Interstate 10, the increases during the six-year period amounted to
70 percent or more.
A general description of highway conditions and possible corrective
actions is contained in the Development Management Plan for South Mobile
County. Two of the traffic problem areas discussed in this study are
the five-point intersection at Till man's Corner (involving Three Notches
Road, Old Pascagoula Road, and U.S. Route 90), and the section of Theo-
dore Road between U.S. Route 90 and Interstate 10, for which widening
and realignment are recommended in order to form a cross-county arterial
with Island Road (Hamilton Road). The present discussion will focus
upon conditions east of U.S. 90 in the Industrial Park area, involving:
Rangeline Road, Island Road, Laurendine Road, the Dauphin Island
Parkway, and various proposed routes which would supplement these roads
in the future. A Transportation Plan was developed for the Mobile area
by SARPC in the late 1960's, but the plan no longer describes accurately
the highway improvements that realistically can be expected to occur.
The following paragraphs describe the conditions which presently exist
and the probable scheduling of future improvements as ascertained by
interviews with personnel at the Alabama Department of Highways, SARPC,
and the Mobile County Highway Department.
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Table B.P.S.17. Average Daily Traffic Counts for Points on Major
Highways in South Mobile County, 1970 and 1976
1970-1976 Change
1970 1976 NumberPercent
U.S. Highway 90*
West of Ala. Route 19 2,490 3,720 1,230 49.4
East of Ala. Route 19 3,550
South of Island Road 4,860 7,350 2,490 51.2
North of Island Road 10,700 16,920 6,220 58.1
South of Interstate 10 11,850 20,840 8,990 75.9
North of Interstate 10 11,600 20,670 9,070 78.2
Mobile City Limit 12,890 21,000 8,110 62.9
Interstate Route 10
Near Irvington 8,440 14,320 5,880 69.7
West of U.S. 90 9,380 17,240 7,860 83.8
Mobile City Limit 14,490 25,520 11,030 76.1
Dauphin Island Parkway
At Laurendine Road
At Island Road**
Mobile City Limit
2,460
3,010
5,210
2,840
4,340
6,930
380
1,330
1,720
15.4
44.2
33.0
* The locations shown are progressively closer to Mobile; and similarly
for the-ordering of locations on Interstate 10 and the Dauphin Island
Parkway.
** Island Road is also known as Hamilton Road.
Source: Alabama Department of Highways, 1977.
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Dauphin Island Parkway
The Parkway, also known as Alabama Route 163, extends from Government
Street in central Mobile all the way to Dauphin Island. The Dauphin
Island Parkway is presently four-lane north of Perch Creek, and two-lane
from Perch Creek to Dauphin Island. The condition of the roadway
through South Mobile County is generally good. The Alabama Department
of Highways has recently announced plans to extend the four-lane section
from Perch Creek to Island Road (Hamilton Road).
Range!ine Road
Other than Baker Sorrel 1 Road (the detour to the Dauphin Island Park-
way), Rangeline Road is the only public right-of-way providing access to
the interior of Theodore Industrial Park. Rangeline Road began as a
two-lane highway running north and south from Island Road (Hamilton
Road) to Baker Sorrel 1 Road. (A light-duty street which follows the
same course north of Island Road is also known as Rangeline Road.)
Recently, a new bridge was constructed over the Deer River to replace
the old Rangeline Road bridge, which would not have allowed westward
extension of the barge canal. An additional two-lane roadway which
parallels the older roadway from just north of the Deer River to Baker
Sorrel 1 Road has also been constructed. The new roadway then continues
south to provide access to Laurendine Road. Rangeline Road will be
upgraded in the near future to a four-lane facility from Island Road to
the Deer River bridge, and the Island Road intersection will be
improved. Long-term plans call for an extension of Rangeline Road south
of Laurendine to join the Dauphin Island Parkway near Fowl River.
Island Road (Hamilton Blvd.)
Island Road extends from U.S. 90 near Theodore to the Dauphin Island
Parkway at Hollingers Island after which it continues eastward for a
short distance as a local street. This two-lane road carries a
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PLANT SITE
substantial traffic load, which includes the Parkway detour traffic east
of Rangeline and virtually all vehicles traveling to and from the Indus-
trial Park area. The three major problem areas on Island Road are the
intersections with Rangeline Road and the Dauphin Island Parkway, and
the grade crossing with the Louisville and Nashville Railroad near
Theodore. Neither of the intersections is signalized at present.
Peak-hour congestion is particularly notable at the Rangeline Road
intersection, where ten minutes are often required to travel the 732
meter (800 yard) distance on Rangeline from the railroad crossing to the
intersection. A one-day count of vehicles approaching this intersection
from the four directions was conducted in the summer of 1977 by the
Mobile County Highway Department in order to study the signalization
question. The 24-hour one-way totals were: east (Island Road), 7,338;
west (Island Road), 6,676; south (Rangeline Road), 7,653; and north
(Rangeline Road), 595.
An overall traffic pattern for the Rangeline Road/Island Road inter-
section can be inferred from these data by assuming that: (1) the small
flow of vehicles from north Rangeline Road consists of equal numbers
heading east, south, and west through the intersection; and (2) each
flow through the intersection is equal to the flow in the opposite
direction (e.g., right turns onto Rangeline south are the same as left
turns onto Island west). The overall traffic pattern yielded by these
assumptions is shown in Table B.P.S.18. An interesting aspect of the
tabulation is the number of vehicles continuing straight on Island Road
without using Rangeline, which amounts to a two-way count of approxi-
mately 6,000. This would indicate the extent to which Island Road is
important as a connector between U.S. 90 and the Brookley/Dog River
area, in addition to its roles as an access road to the Industrial Park
and as part of the Dauphin Island Parkway detour. A second interesting
feature is that the eastern segment of Island Road apparently carries
more of the Rangeline Road traffic than the western segment. Since the
volume of through traffic using Rangeline Road as a detour does not
appear sufficient to account for this, the conclusion would be that a
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Table B.P.S.18. Traffic Flow through the Intersection of Island* and
Rangeline Roads, 1977
Direction Leaving Intersection
Direction
Approaching
Intersection
East (Island Road)
West (Island Road)
North (Rangeline Road)
South (Rangeline Road)
Total , One-Way
Total , Two-Way
East
(Island
Road)
3,081
—
4,058
199
7,338
14,676
West
(Island
Road)
—
3,081
3,397
198
6,676
13,352
South
(Rangeline
Road)
4,058
3,397
—
198
7,653
15,306
North
(Rangeline
Road)
199
198
198
__
595
1,190
* Island Road is also known as Hamilton Road.
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., (1977) based on
one-day traffic count by Mobile County Highway Department,
1977.
B-P-S-49
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PLANT SITE
significant proportion of trips to and from the Industrial Park utilize
the Dauphin Island Parkway corridor rather than the U.S. 90/
Interstate 10 corridor.
With regard to the grade crossing of Island Road and the Louisville and
Nashville Railroad near Theodore, the following comments were.offered in
the Development Management Plan for South Mobile County, p. 40:
At present, conflicts between rail and highway traffic within the
Planning Area are not critical, but more acute problems can be
anticipated Island Road will experience greatest conflicts as a
result of increasing automotive traffic generated by the Theodore
Industrial Park and the movement of rail traffic from the Park
along the State Docks Terminal Spur onto the mainline of the L and
N Railroad (SARPC, 1976).
Widening and other improvements to Island Road (Hamilton Road) have been
assigned a high priority by public agencies and will be undertaken in
the near future. These improvements, to be completed in 1979 or 1980,
will include the addition of a third lane to Island Road from the
Dauphin Island Parkway to U.S. Route 90 and upgrading of the inter-
section with Rangeline Road. These steps should greatly alleviate, if
not eliminate, the present traffic congestion and hazards on Island
Road.
Rangeline Expressway
When completed, the Rangeline Expressway will extend northwest from the
Island Road (Hamilton Road) intersection to link Rangeline Road with
Interstate 10 and U.S. Route 90. The portion between U.S. 90 and 1-10
already is under construction, along with the 1-10 interchange.
Contracts for the section to Island Road presumably will be let in 1978.
If more than two years are allowed for grading and drainage, and two
years for paving, the earliest feasible completion date will be mid-1982
according to the Alabama Department of Highways. This highway will
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PLANT SITE
initially connect with Island and Rangeline Roads at a grade
intersection, but "ultimate" plans call for Rangeline to continue south
as a limited-access expressway with service roads. The importance of
the Rangeline Expressway is obvious. Net reductions should occur in
Island Road traffic on both sides of Rangeline, since the saving of 3
kilometers (2 miles) to points north on 1-10 will attract some of the
Rangeline traffic that presently heads east to the Parkway corridor, as
well as traffic that already utilizes the I-10/U.S. 90 corridor.
Eslava Creek Freeway
The Mobile Area Transportation Study was somewhat optimistic regarding
the transportation facilities to be available by 1995. One of the
facilities envisioned in the MATS plan was the Eslava Creek Freeway,
which would form an inner loop roughly halfway between downtown Mobile
and 1-65. The Freeway would cross I-10 between 1-65 and the Dauphin
Island Parkway; head south on a course roughly parallel to the Parkway;
and then head west across Dog River to terminate at a point on Rangeline
Expressway roughly midway between 1-10 and Island Road. Planners at
SARPC now consider this project to be highly unlikely, at least insofar
as it involves a limited-access freeway. The elimination of this route
as a possibility by 1995 has major implications for the forecasted
traffic volumes on other highways, as is discussed in the baseline fore-
cast section.
Laurendine Road
This east-west route is important because industrial development is
likely to extend as far south as Laurendine eventually, although only
one land parcel that is officially part of the Industrial Park is
located less than one mile from this road. Laurendine Road is presently
in good condition and easily accommodates the existing traffic flows, in
part because virtually none of the frontage along Laurendine is
presently developed. The need for future improvements will depend
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PLANT SITE
primarily upon: (1) traffic generation by future industrial establish-
ments or residential development on Laurendine; (2) possible large-scale
residential growth in the Dauphin Island Parkway corridor; and (3)
residential development in the Bellingrath Road area if it is
specifically oriented to Industrial Park workers.
In summary, relief from existing traffic problems in the vicinity of
Theodore Industrial Park will come in two stages: with the widening and
signalization of Island Road; and with the completion of Rangeline
Expressway. Traffic conditions in the future should be satisfactory
unless one of these projects is delayed, or unless traffic flows
increase so rapidly as to make these improvements inadequate by 1990.
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EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES
The South Mobile county planning area roughly coincides with service
area "E" of the Mobile County public school system. Within this area,
the school system operates seven elementary schools, one middle school,
and three high schools. One of the elementary schools is at Hoilingers
Island and three are in the Theodore/Till man's Corner area (namely
Griggs, Davis, and Burroughs). The remaining elementary schools are
located in Grand Bay, Dixon's Corner, and Dauphin Island, with grades 1
through 6 also offered at the Alba High School in Bayou La Batre. Grades
7 and 8 are taught at St. Elmo Middle School, at the Mobile County High
School in Grand Bay, and at Alba. The location of St. Elmo school
roughly in the middle of the planning area is somewhat unfortunate, in
that it is off-center relative to the heavily-populated northeast area
which this facility must serve.
The total enrollment of public schools in South Mobile County has
increased at an average rate of about 1 percent per year, from 8,859 in
the 1970-71 school year to 9,416 in 1976-77. As is discussed in the
forecast section, this rate of increase is significantly lower than
would normally be expected given the 4 percent annual increase in pop-
ulation. Nevertheless, the expansion in enrollment since 1960 has cre-
ated some overcrowding problems in South Mobile County schools. This
circumstance is documented in Table B.P.S.19, taken from the "Develop-
ment Management Plan for South Mobile County." The estimates of class-
room capacity shown in the table indicate that 5 of the 11 schools were
operating over capacity in 1975. The problems of overcrowding and
obsolescence were cited as "critical" by the authors of the Development
Management Plan. Noted in particular was the lack of high school facil-
ities needed for a modern curriculum. In the two years since the Plan
was written, no new buildings have been constructed, but new facilities
have been provided in the form of portable equipment. There remains a
lack of vocational facilities in South Mobile County.
B-P-S-53
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Table B.I'.S.IQ. Public Schools Serving South Mobile County
Location
Site Size
(Acres)
Grader.
Supervised
Number of
Classrooms
estimated
Capacity
9/15/75
Enrollment
Excess
Enrollment
High Schools
Alba High
Mobile County high
Theodore High
Bayou La Batrp
Grand Bay
Theodore
32
19
?2
1 - 12
7 - 12
8-12
Gl
40
77
1830
1200
2156
1415
1047
1689
Middle Schools
St. Elmo Middle
St. Elmo
15
7 - 8
23
G44
1035
+391
DO
-o
GO
I
en
Elementary Schools
Burroughs El em.
Dauphin Island
Davis El em.
Dixon El em.
Griggs Eleni.
Grand Bay El em.
Hoi lingers Island
Theodore
Dauphin Island
Theodore
Oixon Corner
Theodore
Grand Bay
llollinyors Island
12
8
12
22
20
22
16
- 6
- 6
- 6
- 6
- 6
- 6
1 - 6
17
3
28
12
30
29
12
476
84
784
336
840
812
336
4?4
50
839
397
1026
918
305
+ 55
+ f>l
+ 186
•1106
Source. Community Development Consultants, Inc., 1976.
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PLANT SITE
Facility planning in the Mobile County school system, which serves the
entire county, has been hampered by several constraints. The school
board can issue bonds for school construction up to 80 percent of
borrowing capacity, which is based upon anticipated tax revenues. Nor-
mally, projects are not assigned priorities beyond the amount of money
available. Of the new schools that were on the first priority list in
1975, only the Pilling Middle School in Mobile has been built to date.
A major factor has been the existence of a 1961 court ruling pertaining
to racial balance in the Mobile County school system. Legal testing of
the consistency of proposed projects with this ruling has delayed new
construction significantly. As of the present writing, a bond issue has
been pending for two years awaiting court decision. The school board
has in the meantime emphasized renovation of existing buildings.
Although the legal questions could be resolved at any time, this factor
has had a significant impact on facility planning.
The only projects in South Mobile County which presently have top
priority are a new high school in Theodore, and possibly some vocational
facilities in the southern part of the county. The imminent projects
elsewhere in the county are Baker High School, to be located in the
western district near the airport, and new schools at Satsuma and
Toulminvilie/Shaw. Most of the plans for these facilities have already
been drawn. The school board presently can borrow approximately 15
million dollars, and is owed about 7 million dollars by the State on a
past bond issue. Assuming a minimum of 5 million dollars for a new
1500-student high school, the potentially available funds will perhaps
be sufficient for the four schools just mentioned. The expansion of
school facilities in South Mobile County beyond construction of the new
high school at Theodore is uncertain.
A fortunate circumstance regarding the school system is that the Board
of School Commissioners owns or controls over 9,300 hectares (23,000
acres) of land within Mobile County. In 1819, when the State of Alabama
was admitted to the Union, the Act of Congress specifying the admission
provided that each section numbered 16 in every township should be
granted to the inhabitants of the township for the use of schools. The
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PLANT SITE
courts have since established the right of the Board of School Commis-
sioners to direct and control the management of school lands in Mobile
County. Until recent years, these holdings were not managed efficiently
in terms of revenue production, but the income generated by school lands
has averaged about $700,000 per year over the last five years. The
major sources of revenue have been oil and gas royalties, the sale of
timber, and agricultural production. A recent internal study ("A Plan
for Reorganization of the Forestry Department," has proposed institu-
tional changes which would lead to other uses of the land as well, such
as long-term leases to commercial and industrial tenants {Mobile County
Board of School Commissioners, Division of Business Affairs, 1975). The
more valuable School Board holdings in South Mobile County include 150
hectares (370 acres) on Laurendine Road, bordering the Theodore Indus-
trial Park; 389 hectares (960 acres) on Bellingrath Road near Theodore,
which are highly suitable for residential or mixed-use development; and
324 hectares (800 acres) overlapping Interstate 10 north of St. Elmo.
Development of these lands would not only yield revenue directly to the
School Board, but would add significantly to the county tax base.
B-P-S-56
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PLANT SITE
WATER AND SEWER SERVICE
There are at present only two self-contained sewer systems within the
South Mobile County area, at Bayou La Batre and Dauphin Island. The
Bayou La Batre system, operated by the Bayou La Batre Water and Sewer
Board, is currently being expanded. Sewerage arrangements in the
northern portion of the planning area are presently in a state of flux.
Until recently, domestic sewer service has been provided only in the
Tillman's Corner area, by way of an interceptor sewer to the Halls Mill
Creek wastewater treatment plant operated by the Mobile Water and Sewer
Board. The Halls Mill Creek system is in turn linked by force mains to
the McDuffie Island treatment plant, which will receive all wastewater
flows from the Halls Mill catchment when the Halls Mill Creek plant is
phased out in 1978. This system also receives sanitary sewage (but not
industrial waste) from the Theodore Industrial Park.
Sewer service has recently been extended to areas southwest and south of
Tillman's Corner along old Pascagoula Road and U.S. 90; but most
dwelling units in the Theodore, west Theodore, and Hoi lingers Island
communities are still served by on-site septic systems. As was noted in
the Development Management Plan for South Mobile County, page 46, the
soil conditions in many parts of this area are poorly suited to the
healthy operation of septic tank fields (SARPC, 1976). The Board of
Water and Sewer Commissioners of the City of Mobile intends to deal with
present waste disposal problems and future residential growth in this
area by: (1) continued extension of sewer lines tying into the Halls
Mill/McDuffie system; and (2) construction of the proposed Theodore-Fowl
River wastewater treatment plant. Construction will begin shortly on
sewer lines to serve the Hoi lingers Island community north of Deer
River, so that the Water and Sewer Board should soon have the capability
to provide service to the entire area north of the State Docks terminal
railway. The Theodore-Fowl River plant will be constructed in 3 to 6
years, probably at a site on Rangeline Road in the Industrial Park, and
will serve an area extending as far south as Laurendine Road and as far
west as Irvington.
B-P-S-57
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PLANT SITE
Residential areas in South Mobile County are served by four public water
systems, which are operated by the Bayou La Batre Water and Sewer Board,
the Dauphin Island Property Owners Association, the Grand Bay Waterworks
Board, and the Mobile County Water and Fire Protection Authority (the
last serving the Tillman's Corner-Theodore-Hoi lingers Island area).
Information from tht Development Management Plan indicates that by 1975
public water was available to roughly half of all dwelling units in each
of the Theodore, Grand Bay, and Bayou La Batre census divisions. All
water provided by these systems is obtained from wells, numbering four
in the Theodore area, two in Grand Bay, one in Bayou La Batre, and three
in Dauphin Island. In addition to these water supplies, the Mobile
Water and Sewer Board has water mains and storage facilities in the
Theodore area to service the Industrial Park. The Water and Sewer Board
obtains water from a reservoir built by the City of Mobile on Big Creek,
and can fulfill any foreseeable demands for finished and raw water in
the Industrial Park.
Recent population increases in the Theodore/TilImans Corner area, and
extensions of water service to existing residents, have caused water
demand to approach the capacity of the existing wells operated by the
Mobile County Water and Fire Protection Authority. Thus, water supply
could possibly be constraining upon future growth. The anticipated
solution to this problem will be the purchase of the Authority by the
Mobile Water and Sewer Board, which already has facilities near the
Industrial Park and possesses the legal authority to serve residential
customers in the area as well. Based upon this possibility, plans have
been prepared by SARPC which show water service being extended outward
from Theodore in stages so that virtually the entire South County area
will have public water by the year 2000.
B-P-S-58
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PLANT SITE
HEALTH FACILITIES
Health services and facilities available within the area are extremely
limited and consist of three physicians practicing in the Theodore area,
a 53-bed nursing home in Grand Bay, and a mobile medical bus operating
out of the Theodore Neighborhood Service Building about twice a month.
As there are no hospitals or clinics within the planning area, residents
must use one of the six facilities elsewhere in the county. Information
regarding these facilities is presented in Table B.P.S.20.
Access to physicians is not highly favorable because of the shortage of
doctors in the planning area and the fact that there are inadequate
numbers of physicians within the Mobile SMSA. Compared to a national
average of 125 physicians per 100,000 population, the Mobile SMSA has
only 101 per 100,000. According to SARPC's Development Management
Program, there is also a shortage of dentists. The U.S. Department of
Health, Education, and Welfare defines a dentist-to-population ratio of
1:3,000 as critical; whereas the Mobile SMSA has 1 dentist per 2,859
persons.
There is only one nursing home in South Mobile County, a 53-bed facility
located in Grand Bay. This facility does not conform to minimum safety
standards set by the U.S. Public Health Service. The Mobile County Board
of Health offers a comprehensive program of health services. However,
virtually all of these services are offered at clinics in Mobile rather
than facilities in the suburban area.
B-P-S-59
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PLANT SITE
Table B.P.S.20. Existing Hospital Bed Capacity*, Mobile County, Alabama
U.S.A. Medical Center**
Mobile Infirmary
Providence
Doctors
Springhill Memorial
Suburban
Existing
Bed
Capacity
357
583
378
229
150
32
Licensed
Capacity
262
568
378
229
—
38
Occupancy
Ratet
82.8%
86.3%
77.5%
51.0%
68.4%
* Alabama Master Hospital Plan, 1975. Survey period October 1972-73.
t Computed on licensed capacity as reported in Alabama Master Hospital
Plan, as current 1975.
** Does not include 56 psychiatric beds.
Source: SARPC, 1975.
B-P-S-60
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PLANT SITE
POLICE AND FIRE PROTECTION
The Mobile Police Department serves the City of Mobile and a 3-mile
(4.8-kilometer) perimeter beyond the city limits. This area includes
Hollingers Island, the Theodore Industrial Park, part of the Theodore
community, and Tillmans Corner. The Mobile Police Department employs
319 full-time and 51 part-time officers. The other municipal police
department serving south Mobile County is at Bayou La Batre. A total of
10 police officers are employed to patrol Bayou La Batre and a 3-mile
perimeter area.
Police protection for most of the south county area is provided by
Mobile County Sheriff's Department, which works closely with the city
police. The Sheriff's Department employs approximately 85 deputies, a
number which has not increased in the past five years. The Sheriff's
Department is headquartered in downtown Mobile, but has recently opened
a new substation in the Theodore area. The county has just purchased 43
new patrol cars., some to replace existing equipment and some as part of
a conversion to the one man/one car concept of law enforcement. Since
1970, crime has increased at a moderate but significant rate in South
Mobile County. However, the Sheriff's Department is hopeful of achiev-
ing a reduction in crime for 1977.
Fire protection is provided in South Mobile County by the Mobile County
Water and Fire Protection Agency, the Bayou La Batre Fire Department,
and four rural fire fighting organizations. The Mobile County Water and
Fire Protection Agency has two fire stations in the Theodore area, one
on Highway 90 near the Old Theodore Community and the second on Admiral
Simmes Drive at Tillmans Corner. Both stations were constructed in 1967
and are presently in good condition. Each is equipped with a single
1,900-liter (500-gallon) pumper and manned by volunteer personnel. The
Bayou La Batre Fire Department is located at the City Hall in Bayou La
Batre. It is equipped with two 1,900 liter (500-gallon) pumpers, one
950-liter (250-gallon) pickup tanker, and an emergency rescue truck.
The station, constructed in 1975, maintains a staff of four permanent
personnel and 20 volunteers.
B-P-S-61
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PLANT SITE
The rural fire protection organizations serving the area are located at
Alabama Port, Fowl River, Grand Bay and Dauphin Island. Unfortunately,
there are no water lines throughout the Alabama Port and Fowl River ser-
vice areas so protection is limited. Grand Bay has water supply lines
extending north of the central community but these are not equipped with
regularly spaced fire hydrants. There are, however, flush hydrants on
dead-end sections of the water lines that can be used to refill the
pumpers. Dauphin Island water lines are equipped with hydrants to pro-
vide direct fire protection within much of the service area.
B-P-S-62
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PLANT SITE
RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE
In spite of expanding urbanization, South Mobile County has retained its
predominantly rural character. Although recreation and open space needs
have not received major attention, the recreational facilities available
in the planning area are rated as good by the Development Management
Plan, due in part to the presence of tourist-oriented activities. These
privately-owned facilities account for approximately 75 percent of all
recreational opportunities in South Mobile County. An inventory of rec-
reational facilities prepared by SARPC is presented here as Table
B.P.S.21.
B-P-S-63
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Table B.P.S.21. Inventory of Recreational Facilities in South Mobile County
PLANT SITE
00
Name of
Facility
Historic
Fort dames
Shell Banks
Battery Site
Fishing-Boating
Fishing Fleets
East Fowl River
Dog River
Gulf Fishing and
Boating Club
Bayley's Marina
Beachcomber Marina
Dog River Marina
Location
East end of Dauphin
Island
Alabama Marine Re-
sources Lab, Dauphin
Island
Bayou La Batre
Bayou La Batre,
Coden, Dauphin Island
Southeast corner
of county
East-central part of
county
Highway 168
East Fowl River
Dog River
Dog River
Description
Built in 1821; guarded
Mobile Bay during Civil
War
Aboriginal mounds
Historical site
Vessels used In fishing
industry
Year-round flow, minor
flooding, minimal
pollution
Year-round flow, minor
flooding, moderately
polluted
Fishing
1.2 hectares, 3 acres
17.4 hectares, 43 acres
7.3 hectares, 13 acres
Ownership
State
State
Private
Private
vessels
Private
shoreline
Private
shoreline
Private
Private
Private
Private
Activities
Museum,
sightseeing
Sightseeing
History
Sightseeing,
photography
Fishing, boating
Water skiing.
fishing, boating
Fishing, boating
Fishing, boating
picnicking
Sailing, boating
Sailing, boating
Estimated
Annual Visits
23,000
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
10,400
, 11,050
2,000
, 13,250
fishing
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Table B.P.S.21. Inventory of Recreational Facilities in South Mobile County (continued)
PLANT SITE
Name of
Facility
Frost Marina
Dauphin Island
Marina
Buccaneer Yacht
Club
Dauphin Island
Beach and Gulf
oo of Mexico
i Utopia Club
t/i
i
o>
01 Cadillac Square
Rolston Park
Nature-Sightseeing
Audubon Bird
Sanctuary
Bellingrath Gardens
Sports
Grand Bay Gol f
Course
Location
Dog River
Dauphin Island
Mobile Bay near Dog
River
Dauphin Island
Mobile Bay near
Highway 163
East Dauphin Island
Bayou La Batre
East end of Dauphin
Island
8 miles south of
Theodore, County
Highway 59
South of Grand Bay
Description
11.3 hectares, 28 acres
6.9 hectares, 17 acres
2.0 hectares, 5 acres
Beaches and shoreline
Recreation area
0.3 hectares, 0.8 acres
2.0 hectares, 5 acres
4.4 hectares, 11 acres
Public bird sanctuary
Floral gardens
28 hectares, 70 acres
6.4 hectares, 16 acres
Ownership
Private
Private
Private
Private and
publ ic
Private
County
City
County
Private
Private
Activities Estimated
Annual Visits
Sailing, boating,
fishing
Sailing, boating,
fishing
Sailing, boating,
swimming
Swimming, sunning,
surfing
Picnicking,
swimming, boating
Picnicking
Picnicking, tent
camping, swimming
Bird and animal
watching
Sightseeing,
photography
Golf
2,000
23,000
52,000
NA
600
20,000
10,000
NA
150,000
250
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Table R.P.S.21. Inventory of Recreational facilities In South Mobile County (continued, p^ge 3 of 3)
CD
I
I
00
cn
CT.
Name of
Facility
St. Elmo Improve-
ment Association
Irvington Civic
Athletic Association
Grand Bay Union
Ball Park
Theodore Athletic
Association
Mobile Drag Strip
Isle Dauphin Club
Driftwood Country
Club
Mobile International
Speedway
Mobile Greyhound
Park
Location
U.S. 9U, St. Elmo
Irvington
Grand Bay
Theodore
Highway 163, south
of Fowl River
South Dauphin Island
North of Bayou
La Batre
Cast of Irvington
Northwest of
Theodore
Description
Ball diamonds
Ball diamonds
1.6 hectares, 4 acres
Ball diamonds
1.6 hectares, 4 acres
Ball diamonds
3.6 hectares, 9 acres
64.7 hectares, 160 acres
Country club
39.6 hectares, 9B acres
56.6 hpctares, 140 acres
Oval track
24. 3 hectares, 10 acres
Ownership
Private
Private
Private
Private
Private
Private
Private
Private
Private
Activities
Baseball ,
Softball
Baseball ,
softball
Baseball ,
softball
Baseball , soft-
ball, football
Drag racing
Golf, tennis,
swimming
Golf
Auto racing
Pari -mutual
betting, dog
racing
Estimated
Annual Visits
3,000
3,500
25.UOO
10,000
7,000
6,600
NA
NA
NA
Source. SARPC, 1968.
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PLANT SITE
ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS SYSTEMS
Electric power is supplied to Mobile County by the Barry Steam Plant,
located 37 kilometers (23 miles) north of Mobile with a capacity of
1,583,000 kilowatts, and a 120,000 kilowatt steam plant at Chickasaw.
For peaking service, there are two combustion turbines located at Barry
with a capacity of 60,000 kilowatts. Additional electric power is
available through the Southern Company, an integrated power system made
up of the Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia power companies. A 230,000
volt transmission line linking to the Alabama and Mississippi power
companies passes through the planning area and connects to a 400,000-
kilowatt transmission substation in the Theodore Area. The Theodore
Industrial Park and surrounding areas are served by 115,000 volt lines.
Other developing areas are served by 46,000 volt lines. Supplementary
power can be made available to the Mobile area from two power plants of
approximately 870,000 kilowatt capacity each, one steam and one nuclear,
which have recently been constructed near Dothan, Alabama.
Natural gas is provided to the planning area by two distribution sys-
tems, both of which receive their supplies from the United Gas Pipeline
Company. The Mobile Gas Corporation serves a limited number of indus-
trial customers in Theodore Industrial Park, while residential areas of
Theodore and Bayou La Batre are served by the Mobile County Gas Dis-
trict. Although there are abundant natural gas reserves in the Mobile
region, both of the local gas suppliers are currently experiencing
shortages due to curtailment proceedings and therefore are limiting
further service connections.
B-P-S-67
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PLANT SITE
LOCAL LAND USE
Existing land uses within about 3 kilometers (2 miles) of the Ideal
Basic plant site have been surveyed intensively as part of the present
impact assessment. The resulting land use map is shown here as Figure
B.P.S.2. The areas covered include Theodore Industrial Park, the
Hollingers Island community, and the Dauphin Island Parkway corridor
from Deer River to Laurendine Road. A very large proportion of the land
in this section is currently vacant—i.e., not used for any purpose
other than possibly hunting and harvesting of forest products. Some of
this land has been disturbed by past activities, most notably a tract
exceeding 40 hectares (100 acres) near the State Docks terminal which
has apparently been used for disposal of dredge materials. The other
major land use categories are the following, arranged roughly in
decreasing order of importance.
Industry
Virtually all of the land within 3 kilometers (2 miles) west and south-
west of the Ideal Basic site is either held by manufacturing firms or is
being marketed actively for industrial use. Although well under half of
this land is actually occupied by industrial establishments at the pres-
ent time, industry far exceeds all other land uses, except residential
land use, in terms of area.
Residential Land
The area near the plant site is quite sparsely settled, relative to what
might be expected given its proximity to Mobile. In order to supplement
the information available from aerial photographs (which were approxi-
mately two years old), a field count of all dwelling units within 5
kilometers (3 miles) of the plant site was made as part of the present
study. The findings are summarized in Table B.P.S.22. The area within
5 kilometers (3 miles) is found to contain 974 dwelling units and
approximately 3,053 residents, amounting to about one dwelling unit for
every 7.7 hectares (19 acres) and one person for every 2.4 hectares
B-P-S-68
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LAURENDINE ROAD
Figure B.P.S.2
PRESENT LAND USE IN THE VICINITY OF THE
PROPOSED IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES PLANT SITE,
1992
PROPOSED CEMENT MANUFACTURING
PLANT THEODORE INDUSTRIAL PARK
MOBILE, ALABAMA
SOURCE: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
B-P-S-69
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PLANT SITE
Table B.P.S.22. Dwelling Units and Population Near the Proposed Ideal
Basic Site as of August, 1977.
Number
Distance from Center
of Ideal Basic Site*
Within 1 mile
Within 2 miles
Within 3 miles
Dwelling
Units
115
591
974
Residents
(approx.)
361
1,853
3,053
Number per Acret
Dwel 1 i ng
Units
0.063
0.075
0.054
Residents
(approx.)
0.196
0.236
0.170
* The central point was located in the southern portion of the site
where the actual development would occur.
t The acreage of the Ideal Basic property was omitted when computing
densities.
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
B-P-S-70
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PLANT SITE
(6 acres). The densities are slightly higher for the area within 1.6
kilometers (1 mile) of the Ideal Basic Industries site. These figures
are somewhat deceptive, in the sense that the residential population
actually is concentrated in a few areas rather than distributed widely
at low density. The important point is that the overall levels of
residential development are relatively low.
Residential land uses in the area tend to consist of two single-family
housing types, namely water-oriented homes and fairly modest middle-
income housing. The former dwellings are located in waterfront areas on
Alligator Bayou, Dog River, Deer River, and Mobile Bay. A substantial
number of these homes obtain water access by means of artificial
channels connecting to the rivers just mentioned. The waterfront and
adjacent areas account for the great majority of dwellings with present
market values exceeding $40,000. The inland areas contain a substantial
variety of structural housing types, including mobile homes. These
units are concentrated in the $20,000 to $30,000 value range, with the
exception of mobile homes, some relatively old units, and a few high-
value units on large lots. New residential construction is occurring
primarily in the portion of the Parkway corridor about 3 to 5 kilometers
(2 to 3 miles) south of the Ideal Basic Industries site.
Transportation Land
The area utilized for transportation includes street and highway rights-
of-way, the terminal spur railroad, and the Theodore Barge Canal. This
land use will increase very significantly with construction of the Theo-
dore Ship Channel, the extension of the barge canal west of Rangeline
Road, and the possible construction of bulk terminal facilities on the
canal and Mobile Bay waterfront. The ship channel right-of-way will be
between 200 and 300 meters (700 to 1,000 feet) wide over the 2.6 kilo-
meter (1.6 mile) distance from Mobile Bay to the turning basin; and the
turning basin will occupy some 17 hectares (42 acres) (see map of future
land use in the forecast section).
B-P-S-71
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PLANT SITE
Agriculture and Nurseries
The Dauphin Island Parkway corridor contains a number of plant nurser-
ies, by far the largest being an establishment at the Parkway/Island
Road intersection which covers nearly 80 hectares (200 acres). Other
agricultural land within 3 kilometers (2 miles) of the Ideal Basic
Industries site is limited to a few small fields and garden plots.
However, there is a large amount of agricultural land just beyond this
radius, to the west and southwest of the Industrial Park.
Industrial, Commercial and Recreational Land
The institutional land within the area under consideration is limited to
five small churches on Dauphin Island Parkway and the Hoilingers Island
Elementary School on Hammock Road. Commercial development consists of
fewer than ten retail establishments, several no longer operating, and
two marinas on Dog River. (Two other establishments providing boat
repairs are classed here as industrial.) The only land utilized
exclusively for recreation other than the elementary school grounds is
the park area on Bay Road belonging to the Hoi lingers Island Community
Association. However, a commercial campground and a Boys' Club of
America camp are located about 5 kilometers (3 miles) to the north of
the Ideal Basic site.
B-P-S-72
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PLANT SITE
GENERAL PLANNING ISSUES
In the past, there has not been a strong tradition of long-range
planning in Mobile County, except for the activities of SARPC. The
Development Management Plan noted in 1975 that county government was
somewhat fragmented, with insufficient coordination of agency programs.
County agencies tended to respond to public needs on an ad hoc basis
rather than as part of an orderly capital programming process. These
conditions reportedly have improved in recent years, however.
The county possesses very little ability to influence land development
patterns, due to the lack of zoning in unincorporated areas. Subdivi-
sion review is exercised by the City of Mobile for land within 3 miles
of the Mobile city limit, but is not required in other unincorporated
areas of the county. Building permits are required only for properties
that are wholly or partly contained in flood zone "A" (less than 10 feet
above mean sea level), as specified by the Federal Flood Insurance
Program. Mechanisms are therefore lacking to guide land use patterns so
that public services could be provided at minimal cost.
Some difficulties in providing adequate public services in rural areas
and new suburban areas of Alabama are due to general characteristics of
governmental structure in the state. The Development Management Plan
for South Mobile County. Part IV, Appendix A, has stated that:
Local governments may exercise only those powers affirmatively
conferred upon them by statute or constitutional provision. Powers
available to county governments in Alabama are not sufficient to
meet the needs of urbanization in unincorporated areas (SARPC,
1976).
To deal with this situation, the Development Management Plan has recom-
mended an amendment to the State constitution which would confer on
local government all powers not expressly denied or limited by State
law or constitution. An alternative solution—which has been utilized
extensively in Alabama—is the incorporation of areas subject to
B-P-S-73
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PLANT SITE
population growth, by annexing them to the central city or by forming
separate suburban towns.
Table B.P.S.23 demonstrates the extent to which incorporation was used
to deal with suburban growth in the four major Alabama metropolitan
areas between 1960 and 1970. In all four cases except Huntsville, there
were population declines within the 1960 boundaries of incorporated
areas, but the number of inhabitants increased substantially in the
remaining portion of each SMSA. The response in each case was the
incorporation of outlying areas containing substantial shares of the
suburban growth. In the Birmingham SMSA, the areas annexed between 1960
and 1970 contained a 1970 population equal to 48 percent of the overall
suburban population increase. The corresponding percentages for the
Huntsville SMSA and the Montgomery SMSA were 85.1 percent and 87.6 per-
cent, respectively. In the latter two cases, annexation was so exten-
sive that there was very little change in the number of persons residing
outside incorporated areas. The annexations in the Birmingham SMSA pri-
marily involved suburban towns, whereas in the Huntsvilie and Montgomery
SMSA's the central cities acquired the major shares of annexed
population.
The last column of the table indicates that annexation was less preva-
lent in the Mobile SMSA than elsewhere. Annexation "captured" only about
22 percent of the suburban population growth in the Mobile SMSA during
1960-70 (i.e., the population growth outside 1960 corporate limits). As
a result, the population of unincorporated areas—representing the bur-
den on county governments—increased by 21.2 percent between 1960 and
1970, as compared with 12.5 percent in the Birmingham SMSA, 5.4 percent
in the Huntsville SMSA, and 3.8 percent in the Montgomery SMSA.
Incorporation has been raised as an issue in South Mobile County on
several occasions but has been rejected for a variety of reasons. The
possibilities would include annexation of adjacent areas by the City of
Mobile, or formation of one or more new cities. Without commenting upon
the overall advantages or disadvantages of such a plan, it is clear that
B-p-S-74
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Table B.P.S.23. Annexation in Alabama Metropolitan Areas, 1960-1970
Total Population, 1960
Population Change, 1960-1970
Inside 1960 corporate boundaries*
Outside 1960 corporate boundaries:
Annexed by central city
Annexed by other cities
Other
(Subtotal)
Total population change
Percent Distribution of Population
Change Outside 1960 Corporate
Boundaries
Annexed by central city
Annexed by other cities
Other
Birmingham
SMSA
721,207
-39,441
2,470
25,129
29,909
(57,508)
18,067
4.3%
43.7%
52.0%
Huntsville
SMSA
153,861
48,168
17,366
4,933
3,911
(26,210)
74,378
66.3%
18.8%
14.9%
Montgomery
SMSA
199,734
-16,628
14,888
1,080
2,251
(18,219)
1,591
81.7%
5.9%
12.4%
Mobile
SMSA
363,389
-11,366
432
4,964
19,271
(24,667)
13,301
1.8%
20.1%
78.1%
* NOTE: Only incorporated areas with 1960 populations exceeding 2,000 persons were considered.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1971.
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PLANT SITE
incorporation would have benefits in terms of land use control and
perhaps other public functions.
B-P-S-76
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PLANT SITE
PROJECTED 1992 ENVIRONMENT
FUTURE POPULATION AND ECONOMY
The present study draws upon an up-to-date series of economic and demo-
graphic forecasts prepared by the regional planning agency, SARPC, as
input to the Comprehensive Water Quality Management Planning program and
other planning activities. This introductory section will discuss the
factors which are generally considered most important to the growth of
the Mobile area. The second section reviews and develops specific
forecasts.
Theodore Industrial Park and Ship Channel
Development of the Theodore Industrial Park located directly south of
Mobile has been a joint enterprise of the Alabama State Docks Depart-
ment and the Mobile Industrial Development Board. Most of the
1,780 hectares (4,400 acres) in the park were originally part of an
ammunition depot which was last used in World War II. This facility was
served by a rail line, a dock area, and a deepwater ship channel (the
Hollingers Island Channel) which has silted due to lack of maintenance
but which will still accommodate 3.7-meter (12-foot) draft barges.
Following acquisition of the depot land by State Docks, a barge canal
with 3.7-meter (12-foot) depth was driven inland along the course of the
Middle Fork Deer River to Rangeline Road. In the future, the canal will
extend further into the park to serve Kerr McGee and other properties.
Sales of Theodore Industrial Park properties to manufacturing firms,
followed by announcements of major investment plans, have occurred
rapidly. The facilities already in operation represent roughly one-
third of a billion dollars in investment and include the Degussa and
Kerr McGee chemical plants, Mobile Paint Manufacturing Company, Union
Carbide Corporation, AIRCO, Inc. (ferro-alloys), Marion Corporation
(refinery products), Barnett Millworks, and Hallmark Homes. However,
several very large investments that were planned as of 1973 or 1974 have
failed to materialize. The more than 360 hectares (900 acres) of
B-P-S-77
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PLANT SITE
land just outside the Theodore Industrial Park which were formerly con-
trolled by North Atlantic Oil are now being marketed to other potential
corporate buyers.
Future industrial development in the Theodore area has been closely
identified with construction of the Theodore Ship Channel by the Corps
of Engineers. The ship channel would bring deep-water access to the
Park area by means of a channel extending diagonally from the main ship
channel in Mobile Bay to the mouth of Deer River, and a land cut replac-
ing the present barge canal east of Range!ine Road. The project would
provide 12.2-meter (40-foot) depth and 91-meter (300-foot) width
throughout, with a 17-hectare (42-acre) turning basin located near the
western end of the land cut. The construction of the ship channel is
generally considered definite, although delays in the project are pos-
sible. One of the developments which have been linked with completion
of the ship channel is the construction of a proposed cargo handling
facility by State Docks, for which there is no timetable as yet.
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway
The construction of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, at a total project
cost exceeding $1 billion, will provide direct water access from the
Port of Mobile to the nation's interior via a channel extending from
Demopolis Lock and Dam on the Tombigbee-Black Warrior River to Pickwick
Reservoir on the Tennessee River. Channel depth will be 3.7 meters
(12 feet) in the Tombigbee River sections and 2.7 meters (9 feet) in the
divide cut. The ten locks will have a total lift of 104 meters
(341 feet). Completion of the project has been projected for 1981, but
possibly may not occur until somewhat later.
The potential importance of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway to port-
related economic activities in Mobile is based on the fact that the
project will shorten the water distance from Mobile and points east to
all locations on the Mississippi River and its tributaries above Cairo.
Although the ability of the new waterway to divert barge traffic from
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New Orleans will be somewhat limited by constraints on the size of tows
that can be accommodated, the waterway will be extremely important as a
slack-water shortcut to the Tennessee, Cumberland, and Ohio Rivers. An
early canvas of industrial firms by the Corps of Engineers, later up-
dated to 1971 by the Gulf South Research Institute, has indicated that
waterborne commerce along the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway would include
0.493 million metric tons (0.544 million tons) originating at Mobile
Harbor and 0.443 million metric tons (0.488 million tons) having a
destination there. The Corps has estimated conservatively that the
traffic occurring soon after completion of the waterway will increase by
roughly 2 percent per year over the following 50 years.
Planners at SARPC feel that the opening of the waterway will provide an
immediate stimulus to the Mobile area economy through the increase in
cargo-handling activities, followed by long-term effects upon
manufacturing employment.
Petroleum-Related Development
The potential influence of petroleum and natural gas upon the Mobile
economy involves both the extraction of oil and gas per se and the pos-
sibility of new refinery capacity in the area. Oil is presently being
produced in both Mobile and Baldwin Counties, and in Escambia County to
the east. The largest producer in the past has been the Citronelle
field in northern Mobile County, which has yielded more than 15.9 kilo-
liters (100 million barrels) of oil since 1955. Two recently discovered
fields in Mobile County (Chunchula and Creola) could possibly be more
lucrative. In Escambia County, a number of fields are now yielding
significant quantities of oil, natural gas, and gas condensate. The
array of processing plants, storage facilities, and pipelines serving
these fields now provide about 300 jobs. Similar facilities can be
expected to develop in Mobile County, adding to the economic stimulus
provided by lease payments to local landowners. In addition to these
onshore drilling activities, several major oil companies have conducted
offshore exploration in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
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The recoverable reserves of oil and particularly natural gas in the
Mobile region are potentially very large. However, the rates at which
exploration and production take place in the future will be highly
dependent upon such external factors as federal programs to limit oil
importation and the possible de-regulation of natural gas prices. If
large-scale increases in production do occur, the greatest economic
impacts are likely not to involve the extraction process per se but
rather the impetus provided for related activities such as oil refining,
and the general role of energy availability in stimulating industrial
growth.
In 1972 and 1973, the Ameraport Corporation of Alabama sponsored a major
study to determine the feasibility of locating a deep water port off
Alabama to service supertankers, whose drafts in excess of 27 meters
(90 feet) preclude entrance to most American ports. Tankers would dock
at a monobuoy located approximately 45 kilometers (28 miles) southwest
of the Mobile County coastline in the Gulf of Mexico, from which oil
would be pumped to receiving facilities onshore. The study by Batelle
Institute indicated that this facility would generate about $2 billion
in onshore investment, including perhaps four refineries and various
secondary industries. However, the prospects for such a development
have been lessened by political and economic circumstances, particularly
the Arab oil embargo and the subsequently announced intentions of U.S.
policymakers to attain energy independence.
Regional planners now tend to discount the possibility of a major oil
refinery complex in the Mobile SMSA, although new small-scale facilities
such as the Marion Corporation refinery of Theodore can be expected. It
is noted that there has not been major refinery construction in the U.S.
since 1973, and that U.S. refineries are presently operating below capa-
city. However, oil companies are reportedly still among the potential
buyers of industrial land in the Theodore area, so the possibility of an
economic stimulus of this type should perhaps not be ruled out.
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POPULATION FORECASTS
The economic factors discussed above appear to be a sufficient basis for
projecting sustained economic growth and population increases for the
Mobile SMSA. Table B.P.S.24 presents the most recent population fore-
casts for the area. Two of these forecasts have been prepared by SARPC
and one is the current OBERS projection released by the Alabama Devel-
opment Office. The lower portion of the table indicates the annual
percentage growth rates (compounded yearly) which are implied by each
forecast series in each time interval.
Referring first to the right-hand columns of Table B.P.S.24, which deal
with total SMSA population, the primary difference between forecasts is
that both of the SARPC series are somewhat higher than the OBERS projec-
tion. The current SARPC series is virtually the same through the year
1990 as the forecast prepared in the 1975 Population and Economy (P&E)
study. The projected 1990 populations are 471,900 persons and 470,600
persons, respectively; both figures are roughly 3 percent higher than
the OBERS projection of 457,900 persons in 1990. As the lower right-
hand portion of Table B.P.S.24 shows, the differences between the SARPC
and OBERS forecasts are due largely to differences in assumed growth
rates during the current decade. The SARPC projections imply annual
growth rates of 1.3 to 1.4 percent during 1970-1980, versus an average
rate of 1.01 percent in the OBERS series. Thereafter, the implied annual
growth rates are similar, amounting to about 0.9 percent per year during
the 1980-1990 decade and 0.3 or 0.4 percent after 1990. The overall
percentage change from 1980 to the year 2000 is in fact higher in the
OBERS series than in either of the SARPC projections.
The most recent census estimates of Mobile SMSA population would tend to
support the SARPC projections rather than OBERS. The estimated 1975
population of 403,341 represents an average annual growth rate since
1970 of 1.38 percent, which, if extended to 1980, would result in a
population of 431,900. This is slightly higher than either of the SARPC
B-P-S-81
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Table B.P.S.24. Projected Mobile SMSA Population, in Thousands of Persons
CO
-o
i
CO
CO
ro
Population
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
Annual Rate of
Increase (Percent)
1970-1975
1975-1980
1980-1985
1985-1990
1990-1995
1995-2000
Mobile
SARPC
317.3
334.9
358.8
379 5
391.2
397.3
403.8
1.1
1.4
1.1
0.6
0.3
0.3
County
OBERS
317.3
345.4
376.6
388.7
0.85
0.85
0.87
0.87
0.32
0.32
Baldwin County
SARPC
P&E
59.4
66.4
72.0
74 R
79.4
80.3
81.7
2.3
1.6
0.8
1.2
0.2
0.3
SARPC
Current
59.4
66.4
71.8
7fi n
/D «U
80.7
84.3
88.0
2.3
1.6
1.1
1.2
0.9
0.9
OBERS
59.4
71.1
81.3
88.0
1.82
1.82
1.35
1.35
0.80
0.80
SARPC
P&E
376.7
401.3
430.8
AI>A 3
H3H . 0
470.6
477.6
485.5
1.3
1.4
1.1
0.7
0.3
0.3
Total SMSA
SARPC
Current
376.7
401.3
430.6
A.tt R
H33 . 3
471.9
481.6
491.8
1.3
1.4
1.1
0.7
0.4
0.4
OBERS
376.7
416.5
457.9
476.7
1.01
1.01
0.95
0.95
0.40
0.40
Sources: SARPC, 1975; 1977.
CO
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projections for 1980, and substantially higher than OBERS. The overall
rate of population growth in the second half of the present decade could
easily equal the rate during the first half, for two reasons: (1)
resident employment has increased very rapidly between 1975 and 1977,
although a moderate slowdown can perhaps be expected in 1978 due to
layoffs at Ingalls; and (2) strong economic expansion did not take hold
in the first half of the decade until after 1972. Therefore, the SARPC
figures for 1980 are considered to be more reasonable than OBERS. If
the difference between these 1980 figures is considered to be a net gain
which is maintained in future periods, it is logical to utilize one of
the SARPC series rather than OBERS as the baseline forecast for present
purposes.
As the left-hand columns of Table B.P.S.24 indicate, the differences
between the two SARPC forecasts after 1990 are due entirely to revisions
in the Baldwin County projections. SARPC planners have reported that,
when allocating county populations to small areas as part of current
forecasting activities, it has not been possible to develop realistic
population distributions for Baldwin County after 1990 using the control
totals established by the Population and Economy study. Baldwin County
population has therefore been increased relative to the P&E series by
4,000 in 1995 and 6,300 in the year 2000, with minor increases also in
the years 1985 and 1990. The present study will utilize the current
SARPC forecast rather than the P&E projection, in the belief that these
changes are reasonable. The recent Census Bureau estimates indicate
that the SARPC series for Baldwin County may in fact be somewhat low.
Table B.P.S.25 presents population forecasts for four component
districts of Mobile County, obtained by aggregating the figures for
incorporated and unincorporated areas developed by SARPC. As in the
previous table, the lower portion of Table B.P.S.25 shows the annual
percentage growth rates implied by the forecasts for various time
intervals. The primary focus of attention here is the Suburban South
district, which SARPC projects to attain a population of roughly 70,900
persons in the year 2000.
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Table B.P.S.25. SARPC Population Projections for Mobile County
Population, in Thousands*
City of Mobile
North County Area (including
Prichard, Chickasaw)
Suburban West
Suburban South
TOTAL
1975
200.8
72.0
17.5
44.6
334.9
1980
212.3
75.0
20.1
51.4
358.8
Annual Rate
City of Mobile
North County Area (including
Prichard, Chickasaw)
Suburban West
Suburban South
1975-80
1.12
0.81
2.82
2.91
1980-85
0.31
0.47
3.43
4.27
1 985 1 990
215.6 218.
76.8 78.
23.8 25.
63.3 68.
379.5 391.
of Increase,
1985-90
0.30
0.45
0.97
1.68
2000
9 225.5
5 81.6
0 25.8
8 70.9
2 403.8
Percent
1990-2000
0.30
0.39
0.31
0.30
* Population figures are subject to rounding error, but annual rates of
increase have been computed using true figures.
Source: SARPC, 1977.
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Population in the City of Mobile is projected to increase at an annual
rate of 1.12 percent between 1975 and 1980, which appears somewhat high
unless annexation is expected. Population is assumed to increase
rapidly in the Suburban West and Suburban South districts between 1975
and 1985, with the growth rates for these areas much higher than the
rates for the North County area (dominated by slow growth in Prichard
and Chickasaw) and the City of Mobile. This pattern is expected in view
of past trends in the SMSA and the experience of other metropolitan
areas in the U.S. However, after 1990, the growth rates for the West
and South are projected to fall to roughly the same level as the rates
for Mobile and the North County. Given that the suburban areas will
still contain the preponderance of prime buildable land in the county,
and that population trends in Mobile and other established communities
must continue to be affected by thinning of population in existing
dwelling units, it is difficult to find justification for this growth
pattern.
The population forecast by SARPC for South Mobile County in the year
2000 appears reasonable, but the projected growth is somewhat front-
loaded. Therefore, an alternative allocation of the population growth
over time is presented in Table B.P.S.26, dealing with the years 1977,
1985, 1992, and 2000. In this case, assumed annual growth rates are
translated into population projections rather than vice versa, although
the rates have been chosen so that the projection for the year 2000
agrees With the SARPC forecast. It is forecast that the average annual
growth rate for the interval from 1977 to 1985 will be significantly
lower than the rate prevailing before 1977 for two reasons. First, the
impending layoffs at Ingalls could subtract between 2,500 and 5,000 per-
sons from the potential population of South Mobile County (although
employment trends at Ingalls beyond the 1978 readjustment are unknown).
Second, it is expected that the completion of Interstate 10 east of
Mobile will shift somewhat the balance of new suburban development
between Mobile and Baldwin Counties by increasing the attractiveness of
Baldwin County as a place of residence for persons working in the down-
town and waterfront areas of Mobile. (The opening of Interstate 65 to
the northeast could have a similar effect.) These factors will tend to
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Table B.P.S.26. Projected Future Population in South Mobile County
Interval
1960-1970
1970-1977
1977-1985
1985-1992
1992-2000
Annual Rate
of Change (%)
4.3
4.5
2.4
1.9
1.0
Change During
Interval
12,078
12,300
10,100
7,900
5,500
Population at
End of Interval
34,924
47 ,400
57,300
65,400
70,900
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
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compensate for the positive influence of Theodore Industrial Park on
South Mobile County population. The assumed annual rates of population
growth in the South County area are 2.4 percent between 1977 and 1985,
and 1.9 percent for the following 7 years. The assigned growth rate for
the interval between 1992 and 2000 is 1.0 percent, which is felt to be
the minimum rate consistent with any appreciable population growth in
the Mobile SMSA as a whole.
Table B.P.S.27 gives population projections for individual census tracts
in South Mobile County, which have been obtained by allocating the SARPC
tract forecasts over time in a manner consistent with Table B.P.S.25
(see notes to Table B.P.S.27). The growth patterns thus indicated dif-
fer in several important respects from past trends. The rates of popu-
lation increase in Tracts 68 and 69, representing the Tillman's Corner
area, are expected to be much lower than during the period between 1970
and 1977, when this area accounted for nearly one-third of the overall
population gain in South Mobile County. On the other hand, census
tract 71 is expected to dominate population growth in both absolute and
percentage terms, whereas the growth rate of this area was only average
for South Mobile County prior to 1977. Tract 71 contains Theodore
Industrial Park, and is bounded on the north by Island Road (Hamilton
Road) and the State Docks terminal railway; on the northwest by
Interstate 10; and on the southwest by Fowl River. SARPC has forecast
that the population of this area will double, from roughly 8,000 to
16,000, between 1975 and the year 2000. This forecast would require
large-scale residential development in at least two of the following
areas: (1) the Dauphin Island Parkway corridor between Deer River and
Fowl River; (2) the area immediately south of Laurendine Road; (3) the
Bellingrath Road corridor; and (4) the area west of Theodore, between
U.S. 90 and Interstate 10. At present only the West Theodore area is
undergoing rapid growth, although this situation could change quickly
following a few key decisions by developers.
The forecasts presented in Table B.P.S.27 indicate that Tract 70,
located between Tract 71 and the Mobile city limit, will increase in
population by only 28.6 percent over the next 15 years, or 1.7 percent
B-P-S-87
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Table B.P.S.27.
Population Projections for Census Tracts in South
Mobile County
1977
1985
1992
Change, 1977-1992
Number Percent
Bayou
La Batre Division
Tract 72
Tract 73
(Subtotal)
Grand
Bay Division
Tract 65
Tract 66
Tract 67
(Subtotal)
3
5
(8
4
3
5
,260
,440
,700)
,840
,690
,320
(13,850)
3
6
(9
5
4
6
(16
,830
,010
,840)
,640
,290
,830
,760)
4
6
(10
6
4
8
(19
,290
,470
,760)
,290
,790
,070
,150)
1
1
(2
1
1
2
,030
,030
,060)
,450
,100
,750
(5,300)
31.
18.
(23.
30.
29.
51.
(38.
6
9
7)
0
8
7
3)
Theodore Division
Tract 68
Tract 69
Tract 70
Tract 71
(Subtotal)
TOTAL
5
6
4
8
(24
47
,060
,210
,830
,750
,850)
,400
5
7
5
11
(30
57
,810
,530
,590
,770
,700)
,300
6
8
6
14
,430
,610
,210
,240
(35,490)
65,400
1
2
1
5
(10
18
,370
,400
,380
,490
,640)
,000
27.
38.
28.
62.
(42.
38.
1
6
6
7
8)
0
Source: Derived by Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., (1977)
as follows: the previous table, along with the 1975 SARPC
population estimate for South Mobile County, indicates that
10.4 percent, 48.2 percent, and 79.2 percent of the overall
population growth between 1975 and 2000 will occur by the years
1977, 1985, and 1992, respectively. These percentages have
been assumed to hold similarly for all census tracts, and have
been applied to allocate the 1975-2000 population increases
forecasted by SARPC for individual tracts.
B-P-S-88
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PLANT SITE
per year. The growth rate of this area between 1970 and 1977 was
approximately 4 percent per year. However, it could happen that some
of the residential expansion projected by SARPC for Tract 71 will occur
in Tract 70. There are three large parcels of land located north of
Island Road which would become eligible for large-scale development when
Island Road is improved and the Rangeline Expressway link to Interstate
10 is completed. Only one of the owners of these parcels is known to
have given active consideration to development possibilities. These
possibilities could eventually include commercial establishments on the
Island Road frontage, with a mix of high-density and low-density
residential development in the interior areas.
By providing estimates of the number of area residents working at the
Industrial Park and other locations, Table B.P.S.28 indicates the extent
to which population growth in South Mobile County will be linked to
employment at Theodore Industrial Park. The 1975 Development Management
Plan for South Mobile County predicted that total employment in the
Industrial Park would reach 7,950 workers by the year 2000, based on
SARPC forecasts of industrial employment in the region as a whole, and
the proportion of recently announced industrial investments which would
involve the Theodore area (SARPC, 1976). Table B.P.S.28 is based instead
on the assumption that new jobs in the Industrial Park and vicinity will
be provided at the recent rate of about 200 per year, making roughly
4,000 jobs in 1992 and 5,600 in the year 2000. On the other hand, 75
percent of these workers are assumed to live in South Mobile County,
which is probably an overestimate. Total resident employment in South
Mobile County is obtained in Table B.P.S.28 by extrapolating the
employment-to-population ratio; and workers are allocated to other areas
besides Theodore on the basis of best available knowledge. The table
indicates that the Industrial Park will employ only about 12 percent of
all workers living in South Mobile County in 1992; but it will provide
29 percent of the increase in resident employment during this 15-year
period. This tabulation does not include the very substantial secondary
employment impacts of industrial development at Theodore, since these
B-P-S-89
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Table B.P.S.28. Future Place of Work of South Mobile County Residents
1977
1985
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
1992
Total population
Employment/population ratio
Resident employees
Place of work:
City of Mobile
Theodore Industrial Park area
Rest of Mobile County
Jackson County, Mississippi
Elsewhere
47,427
0.365
17,310
6,900
660
6,100
3,600
50
57,300
0.38
21 ,800
8,400
1,900
8,400
3,000
100
65,400
0.39
25,500
9,400
3,000
10,000
3,000
100
Table B.P.S.29.
Household and Dwelling Unit Forecasts for South Mobile
County
1970
1977
1985
1992
Population (thousands)
Population in households
Persons per household
Number of households
Vacant dwellings:
Seasonal
Available
Other
TOTAL DWELLING UNITS
34,924
34,740
3.672
9,460
575
282
370
10,687
47,430
47,240
3.42
13,820
600
280
380
15,080
57,100
56,900
3.18
17,900
600
400
500
19,400
65,500
65,300
3.09
21,100
600
500
600
22,800
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
B-P-S-90
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PLANT SITE
are expected to be widely diffused throughout the Mobile economy rather
than specific to the South County area.
Rough forecasts of household and dwelling unit trends in South Mobile
County are presented in Table B.P.S.29. Assuming that the number of
seasonal dwellings does not increase significantly, and that'vacancy
rates return to more normal levels than in 1977, the total number of
dwellings units in the planning area is expected to increase from 15,080
in 1977 to 22,800 in 1992, a gain of over 50 percent. The expected rate
of new residential construction will remain similar to recent rates: 610
units per year during the period from 1985 to 1992, as opposed to an
average of 690 units before 1977.
B-P-S-91
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FUTURE LAND USE
SARPC has prepared aggregate forecasts of land use in the year 2000
for major drainage basins in the Mobile SMSA. The estimated totals
for the South Mobile County planning area are presented in Table
B.P.S.30. Single-family residential land, the dominant use category,
is projected to increase from 2,972 hectares (7,248 acres) in 1975, to
5,600 hectares (13,659 acres) in the year 2000, a gain of roughly 88
percent. All other categories of developed land other than wholesale
trade land are forecasted to increase by even greater percentages, due
to the expected broadening of economic activities in the South County
area. The projected increase in industrial land from 461 hectares
(1,124 acres) to 882 hectares (2,640 acres) is particularly notable.
A map of future land use in the vicinity of the proposed Ideal Basic
Industries plant is presented in Figure B.P.S.3. Area-specific pro-
jections of land use are highly subject to error, even if general
development trends are well-known, due to the large number of vari-
ables that affect the conversion of individual land parcels. The fact
that there is no zoning code to serve as a guideline adds to the dif-
ficulty of forecasting in the present case. Therefore, the 1992 land
use map is intended to be only a generalized representation of future
conditions. The map depicts few vacant areas in 1992, but it should
be understood that some of the land designated as residential and
industrial will not be developed during the forecasting period.
The entire area west of the proposed Ideal Basic Industries site and
south of Island Road (Hamilton Road) is mapped as industrial land in
1992. Industrial establishments are also projected to occupy most of
the ship channel frontage east of the turning basin and a portion of
the Mobile Bay waterfront just north of the Alabama State Docks
terminal facility. Some commercial development is expected to occur on
the north side of Island Road near the intersection with Rangeline
Road, which would include convenience-type stores, eating and drinking
B-P-S-92
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Table B.P.S.30. Projected Land Use in South Mobile County
Increase, 1975 to 2000
Land Use in Acres 1975 2000 Number Percent
Single-Family Residential 7,248 13,659 6,411 88%
Multi-Family Residential 32 93 61 191%
Trade:
Wholesale 110 181 71 65%
Retail 712 1,506 794 112%
Services 22 215 193 877%
Industrial 1,124 2,640 1,516 135%
Source: SARPC, 1977.
B-P-S-93
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PROPOSED
PLANT SITEj
> .;[ RESIDENTIAL
gig;] COMMERCIAL
i/A^j INSTITUTIONAL
'"'>,..| AGRICULTURAL
gjjg NURSERY
HI INDUSTRIAL
Figure B.P.S.3
PROJECTED LAND USE IN THE VICINITY OF THE
PROPOSED IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES PLANT SITE,
1992
0 0.5 1
SCALE IN KILOMETERS
SOURCE. Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
HEODORE SHIP CHANNEL
RIGHT-OF-WAY
MOBILE BAY
REGION IV
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
PROPOSED CEMENT MANUFACTURING
PLANT THEODORE INDUSTRIAL PARK
MOBILE, ALABAMA
B-P-S-94
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PLANT SITE
places, and perhaps some specialty retail establishments. Residential
land uses could also occupy the Island Road frontage, although a major
determinant will be whether or not the large tracts of land to the
north are opened to large-scale development.
The area northeast of Alligator Bayou, San Marino Drive, and Middle
Road is expected to be almost entirely residential in 1992, except for
the land occupied by nurseries and a few commercial and institutional
establishments. Some of the Island Road and Dauphin Island Parkway
frontage would possibly be utilized for high-density residential
development. Although this community will support convenience-type
establishments such as a new grocery and drug store, commercial land
uses will probably remain minor. Below Deer River, the ship channel
project and new industrial development will displace most residential
land uses as far south as Baker Sorrel 1 Road and Claudia Lane.
Residential land uses should predominate to the south of Claudia Lane.
As in the case of the Hoi linger Island community, new single-family
dwellings will tend to be constructed a few at a time and will
generally be priced within the means of higher-paid industrial
workers.
It is apparent from inspection of the present and future land use maps
that some land use conflicts exist in the vicinity of the proposed
Ideal Basic Industries facility. These conflicts involve proximity of
residential land to the Theodore Ship Channel and to areas where
industrial development is likely to occur. The residential parcels in
question are located on San Marino Drive, Middle Road, Deer River
Road, Claudia Lane, the south bank of Deer River, and adjacent por-
tions of the Dauphin Island Parkway. As is discussed below on a
case-by-case basis, moderate land use conflicts will exist whether or
not the proposed Ideal Basic Industries facility is built. At least
some responsibility for this situation rests with the lack of zoning
in Mobile County. It has been apparent for a decade that the Deer
River area would ultimately become industrial in character, but there
has been no mechanism whereby nearby land uses could be guided to
B-p-S-95
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PLANT SITE
conform with this fact. Fortunately, the number of dwellings involved
is relatively small, as established by the dwelling unit count.
The present discussion assumes that the Theodore Ship Channel will be
built concurrently with the Ideal construction project. Roughly,
12 to 15 dwelling units, located on both sites of the present barge
canal, will be taken as part of the ship channel project. In
addition, two small boatyards will be displaced. For the remaining
residential properties within a few hundred yards of the canal, the
character of the area as a place to live will be altered substantially
by the dredging of the ship channel and by the greatly increased
volume of waterborne traffic which will follow. The value of the
river/canal for recreation will be reduced significantly.
South Bank Area
A short road extending west from the Parkway provides access to a
number of properties (known as the "Richard Tipp Subdivision") which
will be affected greatly by land takings for the ship channel. The
land use forecasts assume that virtually all properties between Baker
Sorrell Road and the ship channel will be converted to industrial use,
along with most of the dwellings on the east frontage of the Parkway.
The dwellings remaining in this area will be primarily those on the
north frontage of Claudia Lane.
North Bank Area
The triangular area between the canal, the terminal railway, and the
Dauphin Island Parkway contains 18 occupied dwellings, of which 13
front on the south side of Deer River Road. All of these dwellings
except the three northernmost houses on the parkway have water access.
Six of these properties will be affected very significantly by land
takings for the ship channel project, and roughly 12 are likely to be
vacated over the next 10 years. Some of these are high-value proper-
ties that may be difficult to convert to industrial or commercial use,
and therefore may lose value as a consequence.
B-P-S-96
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Middle Road
There are about ten dwelling units on Middle Road, all west of Lake
Road, and two additional units at the south dead-end of Lake Road.
Industrial development on the Mobile Bay waterfront east of the State
Docks terminal could impact these units significantly, although the
degree of impact will depend upon whether an access route other than
Middle Road is constructed. The land use forecasts assume that these
parcels will stay in residential use, with the possible exception of
the two units on Lake Road, but that the presently-vacant properties
fronting on the south side of Middle Road will remain idle as a buffer
between the industrial and residential areas.
San Marino Drive
There are about sixty dwelling units on San Marino Drive between
Island Road (Hamilton Road) and the Parkway. These are almost the
only residential properties in the Industrial Park area that are more
susceptible to impact by the proposed Ideal Basic Industries project
than by the ship channel and other potential industrial development.
The following three circumstances relate to these properties:
1. The San Marine Drive properties are located between .8 and
1.6 kilometers (one-half and one mile away) from the Ideal
Basic Industries plant site. The intervening area consists
of woodland and the State Docks terminal railway.
2. The value range of these properties and their favorable
access to Mobile and the Industrial Park suggest that they
could be marketed successfully by any residents desiring to
move.
3. There is a high probability that the property now controlled
by Ideal Basic Industries (because of its high value for a
variety of industrial operations) will be in industrial use
by 1992, whether or not the cement manufacturing facility is
constructed as proposed.
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The no-project baseline forecast assumes that the advantages of the
area near San Marino Drive for residential occupancy will remain suf-
ficiently high to justify substantial new development.
B-P-S-98
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PUBLIC SEWERAGE
The proposed Theodore-Fowl River wastewater treatment plant is planned
as a 8.7 million liter (2.3 million gallon) per day facility which
would be constructed between 1980 and 1983. The site would be located
on Rangeline Road in the Industrial Park. Treated effluent from this
plant would be disposed in Mobile Bay by an outfall pipe which could
also be utilized for disposal of industrial waste and stormwater
runoff. (Plans for this "common outfall" are currently under review.)
A "Section 201" study has been in preparation for the Theodore-Fowl
River facility, as required for federal funding, but the final report
is not available at the present time. SARPC has published estimates
of the population to be served by this facility, which amounts to
approximately 15,300 persons in 1983 and 38,600 persons in the year
2000.
Table B.P.S.31 presents rough estimates of the populations served by
public sewer facilities in the three Census Divisions from 1970 to the
year 2000, based on data from the Census and SARPC. The SARPC fore-
casts for treatment facility catchment areas have been allocated to
Census Divisions and adjusted to conform to the overall population
projections utilized here. The increases in sewered population due to
service-area expansions between 1983 and 2000 have been assumed here
to occur gradually rather than abruptly. These forecasts indicate
that about half the South Mobile County population will be served by
public sewerage in 1992, and about two-thirds in the year 2000. In
the Theodore Division, public sewerage will be utilized by roughly
half of all persons in 1985, two-thirds in 1992, and 90 percent in the
year 2000. However, no more than about one-fourth of the population
in the Grand Bay Division will be connected to public sewers through-
out the planning period.
The extent to which a lack of public sewerage can inhibit land devel-
opment in an area is dependent upon: (1) the types of land use
demanded; (2) the suitability of soils for on-site septic systems; and
B-P-S-99
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Table B.P.S.31. Estimates of Population Served by Public Sanitary Sewer
Facilities in South Mobile County
Bayou La Batre Division
Sewered
Unsewered
Percent sewered
1970
350
7,416
5%
1975
1,600
6,787
19%
1985
4,000
5,840
41%
1992
5,500
5,260
51%
2000
7,000
4,390
61%
Grand Bay Division
Sewered 0 0 1,000 3,000 5,000
Unsewered 9,685 13,049 15,760 16,150 15,750
Percent sewered 0% 0% 6% 16% 24%
Theodore Division
Sewered 800 2,350 15,000 24,000 35,000
Unsewered 16,673 20,890 15,700 11,490 3,710
Percent sewered 5% 10% 49% 67% 90%
Total, South Mobile County
Sewered 1,150 3,950 20,000 32,500 47,000
Unsewered 33,774 40,726 37,300 32,900 23,850
Percent sewered 3% 9% 35% 50% 66%
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., (1977), based
on SARPC, 1977.
B-P-S-100
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(3) the stringency of regulations governing the installation of new
septic systems. It appears that the lack of sewer facilities in most
of South Mobile County has not had a major influence on land use pat-
terns up to the present, partly because most developments would have
consisted in any case of single-family housing at fairly low densi-
ties. The growth-directing influence of public sewerage may increase
in the future, however, due to the expanding role of multi-family
housing and mobile homes, and to the greater emphasis placed on water
quality protection. Sewerage may be particularly critical to the
future development of land along Bellingrath and Laurendine Roads.
B-P-S-101
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HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION
The substantial growth in population and employment forecasted for South
Mobile County will create rapid increases in the usage of transportation
facilities. Table B.P.S.32 presents a comparison of future traffic
flows near Theodore Industrial Park with existing conditions. The first
column lists the 1976 traffic counts available from the Alabama Depart-
ment of Highways, with ranges indicated in cases where the counts varied
significantly within a given highway segment. The figures in parentheses
are the one-day counts taken by the County Highway Department in the
summer of 1977, and thus must be regarded as approximate. The second
column presents SARPC forecasts of average daily traffic counts in 1995,
which are under revision at the present writing. Since SARPC planners
currently feel that these projections are generally about 10 to 15 per-
cent too high, the third column presents a somewhat scaled-down forecast
series. The only projection which has been lowered by more than about
12 percent is the figure for Interstate 10, west of U.S. 90, which was
indicated by SARPC to be a substantial overestimate.
Comparison of the forecasts in column three of the table with the data
in column one indicates that, although traffic flows will increase
rapidly overall, the highway system as originally proposed would provide
a large measure of relief for Island Road (Hamilton Road) and the
Dauphin Island Parkway. Increases in usage of the Parkway north of
Island Road, and Island Road east of Range!ine Road, would be moderated
by the fact that much of the traffic utilizing Rangeline as a detour
over Deer River could continue north on the new Rangeline Expressway,
rather than returning to the Dauphin Island Parkway via Island Road.
Flows on Island Road west of Rangeline would be influenced by the fact
that the Rangeline Expressway would provide a better route to Interstate
10 for trips originating or ending in the Theodore Industrial Park area.
The Rangeline Expressway would therefore keep traffic flows on both
sections of Island Road roughly near the present levels. The point of
greatest stress in the system as proposed would be farther north, on
B-P-S-102
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Table B.P.S.32. Traffic Korecasts for Highways Near the Theodore Industrial Area
CO
I
o
•JO
1995, Wfth Eslava
Creek Freeway
Dauphin Island Parkway:
Island Road to Dog River
Dog River to 1-10
Eslava Creek Freeway:
Rangeline Expressway to Dog River
Dog River to 1-10
Todd Road/Boulevard:
Island Road to Rangeline Expressway
Rangeline Road:
Expressway, Island Road to 1-10
Laurendine Road to Island Road
U.S. Route 90:
South of Bellingrath Road
Island Road to Mobile
Interstate 10:
West of U.S. 90
U.S. . 90 to Rangeline Expressway
Rangeline Expressway to 1-65
Island Road:*
U.S. 90 to Rangeline Road
Rangeline Road to Dauptiln
Island Parkway
Recent
1976 Estimates
4,000 - 7,000 12,000
11,000 - 23,000 18,000 - 20,
0 35,000
0 40.000
<1,000 10,500
0 36,800
(15,000) 28,000
4,000 9,000
17,000 - 21,000 28,000
17,000 40.000
50,000
26,000 70,000
(13,000) 16,500
(15,000) 16,500
Revised
Estimates
10,500
000 17,000
31,000
35,000
9,000
33.00U
25,000
8,000
25,000
30,000
44,000
62,000
15,000
15,000
1995. Without
Eslava Creek
Freeway
IB, 500
28,000
0
0
<3,000
48,000
25,000
8,000
25,000
30,000
44,000
77,000
15,000
23.UOO
* Island Road is also known as Hamilton Road.
Sources: Alabama Department of Highways, 1977.
Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
Mobile County Highway Department, 1977.
SARPC. 1977.
•o
r-
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PLANT SITE
Interstate 10 between Range!ine Expressway and 1-65, where the traffic
count would increase from an average of 26,000 at present to
approximately 62,000.
However, the figures in the third column of Table B.P.S.32 assume the
presence of the Eslava Creek Freeway, which now appears unlikely to
occur before 1995, if ever. The last column of the table presents traf-
fic forecasts without the Eslava Creek Freeway. Of the projected Freeway
traffic count of 31,000 vehicles at Dog River, 23,000 are assigned to
the two alternate pathways to Mobile: Interstate 10 (15,000 vehicles)
and the Island Road/Dauphin Island Parkway link (8,000 vehicles). In
addition, 3,000 of the 4,000 additional vehicles which would be acquired
by the Eslava Creek Freeway north of Dog River are assigned to the
northern section of the Dauphin Island Parkway. One outcome of this
adjustment is the finding that traffic on the Dauphin Island Parkway
would roughly triple between 1976 and 1995 in the segment below Dog
River, and would at least double in the section between Dog River and
Brookley. Traffic on Island Road east of Rangeline would increase by at
least 50 percent rather than holding fairly constant. The load carried
by Rangeline Expressway would be about 50 percent higher than without
the Eslava Creek Freeway, creating potentially serious problems at the
intersection with Interstate 10. Finally, the traffic flow on Inter-
state 10 north of Rangeline Expressway would be three times its 1976
level. The projected 1995 volume of 77,000 vehicles per day would
amount to a 24-hour average of nearly one vehicle per second. It would
exceed by more than 50 percent the present traffic volume on any highway
segment in the Mobile area, including the sections of Interstate 65 and
Interstate 10 in Mobile that are most noted for congestion. The figures
in the table are calculated with the assumption that without the Eslava
Creek Freeway, the construction of Todd Boulevard will not occur (to
replace the present unpaved and light-duty roadways), but this assump-
tion does not affect the other figures.
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These projected traffic volumes are, of course, rough estimates which
are subject to variation depending upon future land development patterns
and other factors affecting trip generation. A particularly important
factor in the Industrial Park area is the possibility of significant
commercial development, and perhaps high-density residential develop-
ment, on the north side of Island Road, which could raise traffic
volumes substantially above the future levels indicated here. Another
critical factor is the extent to which large-scale residential develop-
ment occurs south of Laurendine Road and in the lower Dauphin Island
Parkway corridor. Based on existing information, it appears very
important that Island Road be widened to at least three lanes all the
way from U.S. 90 to the Dauphin Island Parkway. The Rangeline
Expressway, when opened to traffic in approximately 1982, will initially
intersect Island Road at a grade crossing. However, a separated
cloverleaf will later be provided along with the four-laning of
Rangeline Road through the Industrial Park.
The proposed extension of Rangeline Road south of Laurendine Road, to
join the Dauphin Island Parkway near Fowl River, does not appear likely
before 1990. The SARPC traffic forecasts for 1995 have indicated a
daily volume of 12,500 vehicles on this link, which would imply a great
deal of new development in the area since the current volume carried by
the Parkway between Fowl River and Laurendine Road is only 2,500 to
3,000 vehicles. Regardless of when the extension is constructed, the
current completion of Rangeline Road to Laurendine Road is an important
step in that it provides an alternative to Baker Sorrell Road and shor-
tens the overall length of the parkway detour by about 0.32 kilometer
(0.2 mile) for trips originating south of Laurendine Road. There
appears to be a good probability that, unless a number of high traffic-
generating developments occur along Laurendine Road, traffic congestion
will not be a serious problem in the district between the Industrial
Park and Fowl River before 1992.
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FUTURE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES
Because of the Increase in total population, public school enrollment in
South Mobile County will rise substantially during the planning period.
Table B.P.S.33 presents enrollment estimates based on the population
forecasts discussed earlier, and various other assumptions. The per-
centage of the population consisting of school-age persons has been
estimated by utilizing the age-specific population forecasts for Mobile
County developed in the SARPC Population and Economy Study (with some
smoothing of trends and adjustment for special conditions in the South
County area). The number of school-age persons is expected to increase
from approximately 13,270 in 1977 to about 16,000 in 1992. In 1970,
8,635 of the 10,589 school-age persons residing in South Mobile County
were enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools, according to
the U.S. Census (which is corroborated by School Board statistics). Of
the remainder, 925 attended private schools, and 1,029 were either
attending college or were not enrolled in any school.
The estimates for 1977, shown in the second column of the table, are
somewhat surprising in that the number of persons aged 6 through 18 who
did not attend public school in the past academic year is found to be
about double the corresponding quantity in 1970. Since it is unlikely
that the proportion of persons seeking education is declining, the ex-
planation would be either a sharp increase in the enrollment of South
County residents in private schools or schools outside the area, or an
overestimation of the school-age population (with the sum of these
discrepancies equalling perhaps 1,500 to 1,700 persons). In any case,
the estimates of public school enrollment in future years assume that
the gap between this quantity and the number of school-age persons will
not widen appreciably.
The 12,000 public school students forecasted for the academic year
1991-1992 would represent an increase of 27.4 percent over 1976-77. The
annual rates of increase would be 1.8 percent between 1977 and 1985,
and 1.4 percent after 1985, as opposed to a recent rate of roughly 1.0
percent per year. In addition, these estimates do not cover children
B-P-S-106
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Table B.P.S.33. Projected Public School Enrollment in South Mobile
County
1970 1977 1985 1992
Total Population 34,924* 47,400 57,300 65,400
Population Aged 6 Through 18:
Percent of Total Population 30.3% 28.0% 26.0% 24.5%
Number 10,589* 13,270 14,900 16,000
Enrolled in Public School,
Grades 1 Through 12 8,635* 9,416t 10,900 12,000
Enrolled in Private School,
Or Not in School 1,954 3,854 4,000 4,000
* From U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1972.
t From Mobile County School Board, 1977.
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
B-P-S-107
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PLANT SITE
enrolled in the kindergarten program, which is not funded at the present
time but which is included in school board plans. Kindergarten students
would number between 500 and 1,000 in 1991-1992.
A proposed means of dealing with the increased enrollments and upgrading
the facilities available would be to construct three new high schools in
South Mobile County. The three existing high schools would become mid-
dle schools, to supplement the presently overloaded St. Elmo facility;
and all sixth-grade students would be shifted to these schools in order
to relieve overcrowding at the elementary level. This approach was
endorsed in 1976 by the Regional Development Plan, and is under review
by the Board at the present writing. One of the new high schools would
be located in Theodore, one would be roughly midway between Grand Bay
and Bayou La Batre, and one would be somewhere near St. Elmo. The sec-
ond (to be called South Mobile County High School) is needed to replace
the existing Alba and Mobile County high schools, whereas the facility
near St. Elmo would be designed to service the overflow from Theodore
and the expected population growth in the central portion of the 1-10
corridor. Building plans would also include two new elementary schools
in the northern and central portions of the planning area, and expansion
of two existing elementary schools.
This plan has been based upon estimates of 1981-82 school enrollments.
However, since very rapid increases in enrollment were assumed (averag-
ing 6.4 percent per year, plus the addition of kindergarten students),
the proposed facilities would probably eliminate overcrowding through at
least 1992. The manner in which students might be allocated to schools
in the latter year is suggested in Table B.P.S.34. The figures include
a total of 760 kindergarten students. Students in special education
programs are allocated to class brackets rather than considered sepa-
rately. (Relative to the proposals under review by the school board,
the present figures assume greater utilization of the potential capacity
at Mobile County and Theodore middle schools.) Table B.P.S.34 indicates
that if all of the proposed facilities are constructed, each facility
could be operating in 1991-92 at a level comfortably below its
structural capacity.
B-P-S-108
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Table B.P.S.J4. Projected Utilization of School Facilities in 1991-1992
oo
GO
i
o
IO
Capacity 1976-77 Enrollment
Existing Schools
Alba
Dixon, Grand Ray
Davis, Burroughs,
Griggs, Hoi linger
Mobile County
St. Elmo
Theodore
Dauphin Island
New Schools
South Mobile County
St. Elmo High
Theodore
Meadow Lake, St.
Elmo Elementary
TOTAL
Present*
1,830
1,148
2,436
1,200
644
2,156
84
___
...
...
—
9,498
Ul tlmatet Grades Number
1,255 1-12 1.415
1,522 1-6 1,315
2,336 1-6 2,594
1,200 7-12 1.047
625 7-8 1,035
1,500 9-12 1,689
60 1-6 50
1,500
1,500
1,500
1,580
14,578
Projected 1991-1992 Enrollment
K-5 6-8 9-12 Total
650 500 — - 1,150
1,350 — — 1,350
2,100 — — 2,100
1,000 — 1,000
600 — 600
1,300 — 1,300
60 — — 60
1,300 1,300
1,200 1,200
1,300 1,300
1,400 — — 1,400
5,560 3.400 3,800 12,760
* From Development Management Plan, page 51.
t From School Board data on proposed teaching stations; capacities are modified for the Mobile County and Theodore
Middle Schools.
t/l
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
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PLANT SITE
The proposed school facility plan would have significant land use impli-
cations. The important characteristic is that no new construction would
take place east of a line passing through Theodore, Dixon Corner, and
Bayou La Batre. Therefore, virtually all of the Bellingrath Road and
Dauphin Island Parkway corridors south of Laurendine Road would remain
more than 8 highway kilometers (5 miles) away from the nearest school,
with some areas more than 16 kilometers (10 miles) away. This factor,
particularly the lack of an elementary school, could act to inhibit new
residential development in the eastern portion of the region.
Given that only the Theodore High School has a high probability of being
constructed in the next several years, it is worthwhile to examine
future conditions when assuming just the presence of this facility.
Table B.P.S.35 presents a possible allocation of students in the 1980-81
school year. If kindergarten enrollment is not included, the forecasts
indicate that the present overloads could be virtually eliminated. The
new facility at Theodore would not accommodate all high school students
living in the northern portion of the region. Since it would presumably
not be feasible to shift the excess to Mobile County or A"!ba (due to
limited capacity in the former case and distance in the latter), these
400 high school students would have to remain at the old Theodore facil-
ity. The overcrowding of elementary schools could still be alleviated
by shifting all sixth-grade students, other than those at Alba, to the
middle schools at St. Elmo and Theodore. However, due to the low
capacity at St. Elmo, more than half of the seventh- and eighth-grade
students attending St. Elmo under present arrangements would have to be
shifted to Theodore. The old Theodore facility would thus contain
about 600 sixth-graders, approximately 400 students in each of the
seventh and eighth grades, and about 100 students in each of the high
school grades.
The arrangement of students shown in the table is only illustrative, but
serves to show that construction of the Theodore High School will place
slightly less than half of the region's high-school students in a mod-
ern, adequate facility. It will just eliminate overcrowding through
B-P-S-110
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Table B.P.S.35. Possible Allocation of Public School Students After
Construction of Theodore High School
Projected 1980-81
Schools
Alba
Oixon, Grand Bay
Davis, Burroughs,
Griggs, Hoi linger
Mobile County
St. Elmo
Theodore (old)
Theodore (new)
Dauphin Island
TOTAL
Capacity
1,830
1,148
2,436
1,200
644
2,156
1,500
84
10,998
1-5
480
1,170
2,320
—
___
— _
—
50
4,020
6-8
430
—
450
690
1,340
— --
2,910
Enrollment
9-12
560
—
—
760
___
400
1,500
---
3,220
Total
1,470
1,170
2,320
1,210
690
1,740
1,500
50
10,150
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
B-P-S-111
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PLANT SITE
1980-81, but only if kindergarten is not provided. Overutilization of
capacity will clearly become a problem unless some of the other proposed
facilities are constructed.
B-P-S-112
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QUARRY SITE
APPENDIX B. BASELINE
SOCIOECONOMICS
QUARRY SITE
EXISTING ENVIRONMENT (1977)
Population and Economy
The socioeconomic impact area of the proposed quarrying operation is
designated as Monroe, Clarke, and Conecuh counties. Primary attention
is paid to Monroe County, since the relatively small scale of the pro-
ject in terms of ongoing local expenditures makes it highly unlikely
that significant socioeconomic impacts will occur over a wide area. The
region centered around Monroe County has historically been characterized
by declining populations and generally stagnant economic conditions.
Table B.Q.S.I lists the number of inhabitants in each county in the
years 1940, 1950, 1960, and 1970. All three counties lost population
during the 1940 to 1970 period, but at widely different rates. The
overall declines amounted to 3.3 percent for Clarke County, 29.3 percent
for Monroe County, and 38.6 percent for Conecuh County. The rates of
decline were substantially lower in the 1960-1970 interval than in
earlier decades, with Clarke County showing a modest 3.4 percent gain
during this period.
The different rates of population change shown in Table B.Q.S.I can be
attributed to geographical accident as well as to differences in eco-
nomic performance. Throughout southwest Alabama, most population losses
have involved black inhabitants, particularly the black farm population.
The regional decline in the latter population category from 1940 to 1970
exceeded 90 percent. Historically, Clarke County has had a small agri-
cultural sector relative to Monroe and Conecuh counties. Therefore, the
abandonment of marginal family farms has had much less impact on popu-
lation in Clarke County than in many other areas. Also, Clarke County
contains two major urban centers (Thomasville and Jackson, near the
county's northern and southern borders), whereas Monroe and Conecuh
counties each contain only one. Such urban centers have tended to be
the primary locus of economic growth in southwest Alabama.
B-Q-S-1
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QUARRY SITE
Table B.Q.S.I. Historical Population Trends in the Quarry Impact Area
Monroe Clarke Conecuh
County County County
Population
1940 29,465 27,636 25,489
1950 25,732 26,548 21,776
1960 22,372 25,738 17,762
1970 20,883 26,724 15,645
1975 21,200 27,000 15,300
Rate of Population Change
1940-1950 -12.7% -3.9% -14.6%
1950-1960 -13.0% -3.1% -18.4%
1960-1970 - 6.7% 3.8% -11.9%
1970-1975 1.5% 1.0% - 2.2%
Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1971; 1975.
B-Q-S-2
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QUARRY SITE
Over and above these differences, the three counties in the impact area
are notably similar in terms of economic structure. Table B.Q.S.2 pre-
sents for each county the industry group of employed residents in 1970.
Manufacturing accounts for more than 40 percent of resident employment
in each case, and has superseded agriculture as the primary economic
base. Two-thirds or more of manufacturing activity in each case is
concentrated in two industry categories: wood products and textile
products. The former category includes furniture as well as lumber and
other construction materials containing wood. This manufacturing activ-
ity has evolved naturally in response to the presence of large timber
stands and ongoing forestry activity. Apparel and other textile pro-
ducts manufacturing has been attracted to the area, as elsewhere in the
southeast United States, largely by the low prevailing wage rates and
other labor market factors. The other manufacturing activities in the
impact area include a major pulp and paper mill in Clarke County, which
is obviously forest-related, and establishments in Monroe and Conecuh
counties that produce motor vehicle equipment.
Employment in the tertiary sector (services-producing activity) is gen-
erally limited to the amounts necessary to fulfill service demands gen-
erated in each urban area and its immediate hinterland. Wholesale and
retail trade employment, of which wholesale trade is only a small part,
accounts for 17.9 percent of total resident employment in Clarke County,
14.3 percent of employment in Monroe County, and 12.9 percent of employ-
ment in Conecuh County. This pattern reflects the relative dominance of
urban centers in the three counties and is repeated in several other key
service categories. However, Monroe and Conecuh counties have larger
shares of employment in public education than does Clarke County. In
the case of Monroe County, this reflects the presence of Patrick Henry
State Junior College and Monroe Academy. A major telephone facility is
also located in Monroe County.
Tables B.Q.S.3 and B.Q.S.4 present additional data describing employment
conditions in the impact area. As indicated by Table B.Q.S.3, the ratio
B-Q-S-3
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Table B.Q.S.2.
Industry Group of Employed Residents in 1970; Counties
in Quarry Impact Area
Monroe
County
Clarke
County
Conecuh
County
Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries 564 125 423
Mining 10 98 21
Construction 608 639 338
Manufacturing:
Furniture and wood products 772 1,698 538
Textiles and textile products 1,414 759 759
Other manufacturing 569 1,043 645
(Total) (2,755) (3,500) (1,942)
Transportation, communications, utilities 360 406 238
Wholesale and retail trade 984 1,493 630
Finance, insurance, real estate 115 266 57
Personal services 436 590 373
Education and health services 623 678 496
Other services 229 328 144
Public administration 216 226 207
TOTAL EMPLOYED RESIDENTS,
16 YEARS OLD AND OVER 6,900 8,349 4,869
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1972.
B-Q-S-4
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Table B.Q.S.3.
Labor Force Characteristics of Counties in the Quarry
Impact Area
Resident Population, 1970
Monroe County
Clarke County
Conecuh County
State of
Alabama
Total
20,883
26,724
15,645
3,444,165
In Civilian
Labor Force*
7,188
8,624
5,287
1,249,195
Employed*
6,900
8,349
4,869
1,193,315
Employment/
Population
Ratio
0.330
0.312
0.311
0.347
* Excludes workers 14 and 15 years old, and armed forces personnel.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1972.
Table B.Q.S.4. Unemployment Trends in the Quarry Impact Area
Monroe County
Clarke County
Conecuh County
State of Alabama
Percent
1970
5.7
6.7
6.8
5.9
of Civilian Work
1973
5.8
4.7
4.7
4.5
Force Unemployed
1974
6.6
7.0
5.9
5.5
Source: Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, Research and
Statistics Division, 1976.
B-Q-S-5
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of employment to population in 1970 was somewhat higher in Monroe County
than in Clarke and Conecuh counties, but was lower in all three cases
than the corresponding ratio for the State of Alabama as a whole. Unem-
ployment rates, shown in Table B.Q.S.4, have been consistently somewhat
higher in the three impact area counties than in the state as a whole,
with the exception of Monroe County during 1970. The unemployment rates
of all three counties rose above 9 percent during the recession of 1975,
but have since tended to approach their former levels. Although gross
unemployment rates and employment/population ratios are imperfect as
indicators of labor market conditions, the three-county impact region
can accurately be described as a labor surplus area during at least the
first half of the current decade.
Table B.Q.S.5 indicates the commuting patterns which prevailed in the
three counties in 1970. A total of 300 persons traveled from residences
in Conecuh County to work in Monroe County (first column of the table).
This accounted for over half of the in-commuting to Monroe County, but
was only equal to about 5 percent of total Monroe County employment. The
out-commuters from Monroe County traveled primarily to Wilcox, Clarke,
Conecuh, and Mobile counties, in decreasing order of importance. Clarke
County received significant numbers of in-commuters from Washington,
Marengo, and Wilcox counties, whereas many Clarke County residents
worked in Wilcox and Washington counties. In the case of Conecuh
County, out-commuters far outnumbered in-commuters, with the largest
numbers of out-commuters working in Escambia and Monroe counties. In
general, these figures are likely to underestimate true commuting some-
what, due to under-reporting in the census; however, they provide a good
indication of overall work-trip patterns.
Income levels in the impact area are relatively low. Table B.Q.S.6
presents per capita income data for the three counties and the State of
Alabama in 1965, 1970, and 1973. Per capita income was estimated to be
lowest in Conecuh County and highest in Monroe County; but all three
counties compared unfavorably with the State of Alabama, which was in
turn low relative to the United States. During the 1965 to 1973
B-Q-S-6
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Table B.Q.S.5. Commuting Patterns in the Quarry Impact Area, 1970
Destination (Place of Work)
Monroe Clarke Conecuh
Origin (Place of Residence) County County County Elsewhere
Monroe County
Clarke County
Conecuh County
Elsewhere
29
300
205
81 129
—
8
1,093 207
327
979
697
Source: Associated Water and Air Resources Engineers, Inc., 1975.
Table B.Q.S.6. Income Trends in the Quarry Impact Area
Estimated Per Capita Income^
In Current Dollars
Change, 1965-1973
Monroe County
Clarke County
Conecuh County
State of Alabama
1965
1,443
1,438
1,164
1,984
1970
2,251
2,157
1,974
2,947
1973
3,126
2,844
2,796
3,864
Dollars
1,683
1,406
1,632
1,880
Percent
116.6 '
97.8
140.2
94.8
Source: Alabama Development Office, 1976,
B-Q-S-7
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interval, the per capita incomes in all three counties increased at
higher percentage rates than the state, but were exceeded by the state
in terms of absolute dollar increment. Table B.Q.S.7 describes the
income and poverty status of families and "unrelated individuals"
according to the 1970 Census. Roughly one-third of all families in each
county had incomes below the poverty level, as opposed to one-fifth of
all families in the State of Alabama. According to this source, income
levels were somewhat higher in Clarke County than in Monroe County.
However, by 1975, the median family income in Monroe County had risen
from $5,442 to $6,719 in constant dollars, an increase of 23 percent
(Snowden, 1977).
Tables B.Q.S.8 through B.Q.S.12 provide a somewhat more detailed and
up-to-date description of population and employment trends in Monroe
County. Table B.Q.S.8 attempts to identify the important elements of
change which underlie the apparent stability of population in Monroe
County over the past ten years. The first column pertains to total
population in 1960, 1970, and 1975, as reported by the U.S. Census
Bureau. The net population change between any two years can be con-
sidered as the sum of two components: natural increase (i.e., births
minus deaths within the county) and net migration. The latter figure is
usually obtained by subtraction. In Monroe County between 1960 and
1970, a natural increase of 3,316 persons was more than offset by a net
out-migration of 4,805 inhabitants, yielding a loss of 1,489 persons.
Between 1970 and 1975, natural increase proceeded at a somewhat lower
annual rate than before; but net out-migration was much lower (157
persons per year, as opposed to 480 persons per year prior to 1970).
Thus there was a very modest increase in total Monroe County population
during the 1970 to 1975 period.
The second and third columns of Table B.Q.S.8 present similar data for
the black ("nonwhite") and white-components of the Monroe County popula-
tion, utilizing several reasonable assumptions to estimate quantities
that are unavailable from existing sources. The upper portion of the
table shows that, if the rates of natural increase for the white and
black population components during 1960-1970 are assumed to be the same,
B-Q-S-8
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Table B.Q.S.7. Income in 1969 of 1970 Residents; Quarry Impact Area
and State of Alabama
Monroe County
Clarke County
Conecuh County
State of Alabama
Fami 1
Median
I ncome
$5,442
$5,900
$4,729
$7,266
ies
Percent Below
Poverty Level
34.3
29.8
35.5
20.7
Unrel
Median
Income
$1,152
$1,365
$1,414
$1,618
ated Individuals
Percent Below
Poverty Level
69.9
67.3
67.0
55.3
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1972.
B-Q-S-9
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Table B.Q.S.8. Components of Recent Population Change, Monroe County
Total
White
(By Subtraction)
Percent
Black Black
Population, 1960 22,372*
1960-1970 Change:
Natural Increase 3,316
Net Migration -4,805**
Net Change -1,489
Population, 1970 20,883*
1970-1975 Change:
Natural Increase 1,100ft
Net Migration - 783tt
Net Change 3T7
Population, 1975 21,200tt
Annual Rate of
Growth, 1970-1975 0.3%
11,030
1,635***
-1.351
28T
11,314
595***
115ttt
7TT
12,025
1.2%
ll,342t
1,681***
-3,454
-1,773
9,569t
504***
- 898***
- 397
9,175
- 0.8%
50.7
45.8
43.3
Sources:
t
**
U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1971.
U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1961; 1972.
U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1971.
tt U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1976.
*** Estimated by assuming similar rates of natural increase for whites
and nonwhites (i.e., similar ratios of natural increase to initial-
year population).
ttt ESE estimates; see note on following page.
B-Q-S-10
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NOTE TO TABLE B.Q.S.8
Preparation of migration estimates for the white and black components of
the population has required consideration of gross as well as net popu-
lation movements. Based upon the census tables describing where the
1970 residents of Monroe County lived in 1965, the amounts of gross
migration into the county between 1960 and 1970 are estimated as shown
in the first column of the fallowing table. (Gross out-migration is
then obtained by subtraction, since net migration is known.)
1960-1970 Gross 1960-1970 Gross 1960-1970 Net
In-Migration Out-Migration Migration
White 3,050 4,401 - 1,351
Black 750 4.204 - 3,454
Total 3,800 8,605 - 4,805
For the 1970 to 1975 interval, two assumptions are made: (1) The ratio
of gross out-migration during 1970-1975 to gross out-migration during
1960-1970 was the same for both the black and white populations; and
(2) The rate of gross in-migration, per year, was 20 percent higher
during 1970-1975 than during 1960-1970 (due to increased economic oppor-
tunities), for both the white and black populations. The following
estimates are then obtained for 1970 to 1975. These are the only pos-
sible figures which will satisfy the above assumptions while yielding a
total net migration of -783 persons.
1970-1975 Gross 1970-1975 Gross 1970-1975 Net
In-Migration Out-Migration Migration
White 1,830 1,715 115
Black 450 1.348 - 898
Total 2,280 3,063 - 783
B-Q-S-11
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there was a net out-migration of roughly 3,450 blacks during this
period, as opposed to only about 1,350 whites. Further assumptions
about migration and natural increase during 1970-1975 (noted in the
table) suggest that there was actually a modest net in-migration of
whites during 1970-1975; whereas the net out-migration of blacks
remained relatively high, at about 180 persons per year. The white
population in 1975 is estimated to have been about 12,025 persons,
implying a 1.2 percent annual rate of increase in this component since
1970. On the other hand, the black population probably declined at an
annual rate of about 0.8 percent to approximately 9,175 persons in 1975.
Other assumptions would yield an even greater rate of decline; for
example, the black rate of natural increase could be assumed lower than
the white rate, due to the relatively few young black adults present in
the county as a result of past out-migration. Thus the reported sta-
bility of total Monroe County population during 1970-1975 actually masks
several strong trends which have important implications for the future
of the county.
Tables B.Q.S.9 and B.Q.S.10 describe labor force and employment charac-
teristics of Monroe County residents in 1970, again pointing out signi-
ficant differences between the black and white populations. The figures
of greatest concern are contained in the bottom rows of Table B.Q.S.9
Approximately one-third of all Monroe County residents were employed,
inside or outside the county, in 1970. However, 41.6 percent of the
white population was employed, whereas only 22.8 percent of all black
persons were working. The ratio of nonworkers to workers, often called
the dependency ratio, was therefore over twice as high for blacks as for
whites--3.38 versus 1.41. Some explanation for this situation is
provided by Table B.Q.S.10. The second and third rows of this table
indicate that persons under age 16, and persons over 16 who were
enrolled in school, accounted for over half of the Monroe County black
population in 1970, as opposed to less than a third of the white popu-
lation. This difference was due to the heavy out-migration of young
black adults during previous years and was the most important single
B-Q-S-12
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Table B.Q.S.9. Employment Characteristics by Race; Monroe County, 1970
Total
White
Nonwhite
Total Population
Labor Force
Percent of Population
Employed
Percent of Population
Nonworker/Worker Ratio
20,883
7,188
34.4%
6,900
33.0%
2.03
11,386
4,862
42.7%
4,734
41.6%
1.41
9,497
2,326
24.5%
2,166
22.8%
3.38
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1972.
Table B.Q.S.10. Labor Force Composition by Race; Monroe County, 1970
White
Total Population
Under 16 years of age
Over 16, not in labor force:
Enrolled in school
Over 65
Women with own children
under 6
Other
Labor force (over 16)
Number
11,386
3,186
504
1,095
452
1,287
4,862
Percent of
Total Pop.
100.0
28.0
4.4
9.6
4.0
11.3
42.7
Nonwhite
Percent of
Number Total Pop.
9,497
4,124
744
860
440
1,003
2,326
100.0
43.4
7.8
9.1
4.6
10.6
24.5
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1972.
B-Q-S-13
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factor accounting for the high dependency ratio. It was true that a
relatively high proportion of black adults between 16 and 65 who were
not enrolled in school did not participate in the labor force; but this
could represent the selective effects of out-migration (i.e., departure
of the most productive and healthy persons) as well as the prevailing
shortage of economic opportunities.
Table B.Q.S.ll presents a tabulation of 1970 resident employment in
Monroe County by industry, sex, and race. Employment of white males was
relatively concentrated in the trade/finance/transportation/utilities
sector, accounting for 28 percent of the total, and in agriculture, con-
struction, and manufacturing. Nearly one-third of the employed black
males in Monroe County were engaged in lumber and wood products manu-
facture. In the case of white females, half of all resident employment
was in manufacturing industries, the great bulk of this involving
textile products. Nonwhite female employment was markedly different,
with manufacturing activity accounting for only about one-fourth of all
workers. Forty-four percent of all working nonwhite females were either
engaged in domestic service or employed in providing cleaning or food
services to businesses.
Table B.Q.S.12 describes recent employment trends in Monroe County using
a somewhat different industrial classification. The upper portion of
the table pertains to employment of Monroe County residents; the lower
portion ("Wage and Salary Employment") applies to jobs within the
county. Total resident employment increased by 520 persons, or 7 per-
cent, between 1970 and 1977. However, the civilian labor force expanded
by 8 percent during this period, so that the unemployment rate actually
increased somewhat. Given the fact that population increased very
little, at least through 1975, this situation can be considered to
reflect the slack that existed in the labor market in 1970, which was
not fully reflected in the unemployment rate. The employment growth
between 1970 and 1977 was paced by an expansion in manufacturing jobs
which amounted to an annual rate of 2.5 percent during both 1970-1974
B-Q-S-14
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Table B.Q.S.I 1. Resident Employment in Monroe County, 1970, by
Industry, Sex, and Race
Male
Agriculture, forestry, fisheries
Construction and mining
Manufacturing:
Wood products
Textile products
Other
Trade, finance, transportation,
communications, utilities
Educational services
Private households; cleaning and
food services t
Other services
White
336
386
323
393
361
831
80
51
207
2,968
Nonwhite
214*
212*
432*
57*
92*
194*
70*
61
31
1,363
Female
White
9
15
12
784
96
374
182
67
277
1,766
Nonwhite
5*
5*
5*
180*
20*
60*
143*
355*
30*
803
* ESE estimates, based upon published census tables.
t Obtained by summing private household workers and cleaning and food
service workers from the Census occupational classification.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1972.
Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
B-Q-S-15
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Table B.Q.S.12. Recent Employment Trends in Monroe County
1970
Civilian labor force* 7,940
Employment* 7,490
Unemployment* 450
Unemployment rate* 5.7
Wage and Salary Employment
Manufacturi ngt 2,740
Nonmanufacturingt 2,520
Construction
T. C. U.
Wholesale and Retail
Fire
Services
Government
Other
1974
8,320
7,770
550
6.6
3,030
2,760
320
200
720
90
340
1,060
30
April, 1977
8,590
8,010
580
6.8
3,250
2,990
210
210
970
130
340
1,090
40
* By place of residence
t By place of work
Sources: State of Alabama Employment Service, 1970; 1975.
Alabama Department of Industrial Relations, Research and
Statistics Division, 1976.
B-Q-S-16
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and 1974-1977. Contributing to the expansion were a new sawmill and a
particle board plant which both opened in 1974.
The major employer in Monroe County is Vanity Fair Mills, Inc., in
Monroeville. This firm employs approximately 2,000 persons, nearly
90 percent of whom are female. Thus, Vanity Fair has accounted for
two-thirds or more of all manufacturing jobs in Monroe County until
recently. In 1970, Vanity Fair employed more than 1,500 women, whereas
the census reported less than 1,000 female Monroe County residents
engaged in textile products manufacture. Therefore, at least one-third
of this firm's employees were apparently commuters from outside the
county. The number of jobs provided by Vanity Fair has remained rela-
tively constant in recent years, although an expansion to provide
between 250 and 300 new jobs was announced in mid-1976. As is discussed
later, the major growth impetus for Monroe County during 1977-1980 is
being provided by construction of the Parsons and Whittemore pulp mill,
which will eventually employ about 350 persons, and the opening of new
wood products plants at Beatrice and Peterman.
B-Q-S-17
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AGRICULTURE
Agriculture represents a declining component of the Monroe County econ-
omy, but nevertheless remains significant. Summary statistics for
agriculture in the years 1969 and 1974 are presented in Table B.Q.S.13.
Total land in farms decreased from approximately 99,150 hectares
(245,000 acres) in 1969 to about 68,800 hectares (170,000 acres) in
1974, a decline of over 30 percent. The 1974 figure represented only
25.7 percent of the total area of Monroe County. The total number of
farms dropped by about 22 percent during this period, from 1,009 to 786.
As shown by Table B.Q.S.13, the decline in farmland was due largely to a
43.3 percent decrease in the area of woodland, including woodland
pasture, held as part of farmland. Cropland accounted for about 33,180
hectares (82,000 acres) in 1969, and 29,260 hectares (72,300 acres) in
1974, of which about 55 percent was harvested in each case. The large
amount of cropland in 1969 which was neither harvested nor used for
pasture is indicative of the poor conditions for agriculture prevailing
in that year, which are also reflected in the financial statistics. The
principal crops harvested in both years were corn, soybeans, and cotton,
with an increasing proportion of acreage devoted to soybeans.
The lower portion of Table B.Q.S.13 deals only with "commercial" farms
having current sales of $2,500 per year or more. The number of such
farms in 1974 (429) closely coincides with the number of farm operators
listing farming as their principal occupation (435). Commercial farms
accounted for 96.5 percent of all farm products sales in 1974. The num-
ber of these farms increased modestly between 1969 and 1974, although
the increase was due in part simply to reclassification of farms as a
result of the generally rising value of farm products. The average
value of products sold by commercial farms was $14,079 per farm in 1969
and $22,082 in 1974, the former figure being only a bit higher than the
average of farm production expenses in that year. As shown by the bot-
tom portion of Table B.Q.S.13, the 1969-1974 increase in sales by
commercial farms was due entirely to a 161 percent increase in the value
B-Q-S-18
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Table B.Q.S.13. Characteristics of Agriculture in Monroe County
CD
I
co
i
i—"
IO
1969
1974
* Numbers in parentheses represent corresponding acreage value.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1973; 1977.
Percent Change
1969-1974
All Farms
Number of farms
Land in farms - hectares*
Average size of farm - hectares*
Value of agricultural
products sold ($1,000)
Cropland harvested - hectares*
Corn - hectares*
Soybeans - hectares*
Cotton - hectares*
Cropland used for pasture -
hectares*
All other cropland - hectares*
Woodland, including
pasture - hectares*
All other land - hectares*
Farms With Sales of $2,500 and Over
Number of farms
Land in farms - hectares*
Average size of farm - hectares*
Value of agricultural
products sold ($1,000)
Average per farm (dollars)
Farm production expenses ($1,000)
Average per farm (dollars)
Value of crops sold ($1,000)
Value of forest products
sold ($1,000)
Value of livestock and poultry
products sold ($1,000)
408 (1,009)
99,157 (245,018)
98 (243)
2,527 (6,243)
18,301 (45,222)
5,424 (13,402)
4,677 (11,556)
4,771 (11,790)
9,874 (24,399)
5,034 (12,438)
54,045 (133,546)
11,903 (29,413)
410
78,223 (193,290)
191 (471)
5,772
14,079
5,181
12,637
2,331
563
2,877
318 (786)
68,739 (169,855)
87 (216)
3,973 (9,817)
16,182 (39,986)
4,174 (10,314)
5,837 (14,423)
4,401 (10,876)
11,049 (27,303)
1,219 (3,011)
30,618 (75,657)
9,671 (23,898)
429
59,054 (145,923)
138 (340)
9,473
22,082
6,583
15,345
6,087
484
2,902
-22.1
-30.7
-11.1
57.2
-11.6
-23.0
24.8
- 7.8
11.9
-75.8
-43.3
-18.8
4.6
-24.5
-27.8
64.1
56.8
27.1
21.4
161.1
-14.0
0.9
JO
>
•yo
73
-<
CO
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of crops sold. Livestock and livestock product sales, consisting
largely of cattle and hogs, remained nearly constant in dollar value;
but the numbers of animals sold dropped sharply from 1969 to 1974.
B-Q-S-20
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HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS
Housing conditions in the three impact area counties generally reflect
the economic and demographic circumstances discussed previously. Table
B.Q.S.14, which summarizes various housing characteristics of Monroe,
Clarke, and Conecuh counties in 1970, also illustrates some aspects of
poverty in the region. The first few rows of Table B.Q.S.14 present the
numbers of dwelling units by occupancy and vacancy status. In Monroe
County, more than one-third of all occupied units in 1970 were renter-
occupied, whereas renters accounted for only 27 percent of occupied
units in both Clarke and Conecuh counties. The table points out in
particular the number of vacant dwelling units and vacancy rates in the
impact area relative to the State of Alabama as a whole. Although
Clarke County was similar to the state in this regard, the overall
vacancy rates of 11.1 percent and 9.7 percent for Monroe and Conecuh
counties were well in excess of the Alabama rate of 7.2 percent and
would generally be considered high by any standard of comparison. These
rates must be interpreted carefully, however, since they reflect the
presence of numerous dwellings in rural areas which had been abandoned
by out-migrants before 1970, and which were in extremely poor structural
condition.
In the State of Alabama as a whole, about 3.6 percent of all dwelling
units in 1970 were vacant but not for sale or rent. Nearly half of
these were either rented or sold, and were awaiting occupancy, or else
were held for occasional use. However, vacant units which were neither
for sale or rent amounted to 5.9 percent of all units in Monroe County,
and 7.2 percent in Conecuh County. It is believed that many of these
units were either marginal or uninhabitable and therefore did not effec-
tively contribute to the supply of available housing. The high vacancy
rate for rental housing suggests that many rental properties in the
county also fit this description in 1970. The overall vacancy rates
thus overestimate the degree of slack in the housing market. In any
case, it is clear that very little slack in the market for sound housing
units has existed since roughly 1974.
B-Q-S-21
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Table B.Q.S.14.
Housing Characteristics of Counties in the Quarry
Impact Area, 1970
Year-round housing units
Owner-occupied units
Renter-occupied units
Vacant units:
Total
Vacant for sale only
Ua/*a «+• -f r»r* r*ont
VGCGIIL lUl 1 CM L
Other vacant
Vacancy rates:
Total
Ownership housing only
Rental housing only
Percent of year-round units
having specified characteristics:
Mobile home or trailer
In multi-unit structure
Public sewer
Community water supply
Built 1960-1970
Built before 1940
Lacking piped water
Lacking some plumbing facilities
Percent of occupied units:
Without telephone
Without automobile
More than one person/room
Percent of owner-occupied units:
Value less than $5,000
Lacking some plumbing facilities
Percent of renter-occupied units:
Contract rent less than $30
Lacking some plumbing facilities
Monroe
County
6,674
3,899
2,033
742
37
•31 -3
O 1 O
392
11.1%
0.9%
13.3%
5.0%
5.0%
27.3%
42.7%
27.6%
36.7%
25.4%
37.8%
37.4%
25.1%
16.5%
24.0%
22.6%
48.5%
50.2%
Clarke
County
8,251
5,556
2,052
643
65
??n
L.L.\J
358
7.8%
1.2%
9.7%
5.5%
4.1%
33.2%
50.2%
28.6%
31.3%
22.6%
33.8%
33.5%
26.3%
15.2%
26.4%
24.7%
36.2%
43.4%
Conecuh
County
5,165
3,393
1,272
500
12
117
i i /
371
9.7%
0.4%
8.4%
3.6%
4.9%
20.4%
31.7%
21.1%
43.2%
26.3%
41.1%
37.6%
29.3%
14.1%
38.9%
34.7%
41.3%
57.6%
State of
Alabama
_____
7.2%
1.2%
8.6%
4.2%
12.4%
50.8%
69.6%
29.6%
30.6%
8.7%
16.9%
21.8%
18.6%
11.1%
12.9%
9.2%
22.0%
20.0%
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1971.
B-Q-S-22
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The remainder of Table B.Q.S.14 compares the impact area counties with
the State of Alabama in terms of the percentage of dwelling units having
various characteristics. All three counties were considerably lower
than the state in terms of dwelling units in multi-unit structures, and
dwellings with public water and sewer. The housing stock in each county
was also somewhat older than that of the state as a whole, although this
difference was significant only in the case of Conecuh County. More
notable was the fact that about one-fourth of all dwellings in the
impact area did not have water piped indoors and that upwards of
one-third lacked some or all plumbing facilities. The corresponding
percentages for Alabama were 8.7 percent and 16.9 percent. In each of
the three counties, more than one-third of all dwelling units lacked
telephones, and more than one-fourth were without automobiles, as
opposed to 21.8 percent and 18.6 percent of units, respectively, in
Alabama as a whole. The prevalence of crowding, as measured by the
proportion of dwellings with more than one occupant per room, was
somewhat worse in the impact area than in the state. The bottom portion
of Table B.Q.S.14 indicates that the impact area counties had much
higher proportions of low-value and low-rental units than did Alabama.
On the whole, the poor condition of much of the housing stock in each of
the three counties could have been attributed directly to the low
prevailing levels of income. Substantial improvement in housing con-
ditions between 1970 and 1977 has been reported to have taken place.
Within Monroe County it is apparent that at least a moderate housing
shortage has developed in recent years due to increases in employment.
The only direct information covering the years since 1970 is contained
in a recent study of Monroeville (discussed below); but the increased
housing demand in the county as a whole can be estimated through a
series of calculations such as those summarized in Table B.Q.S.15.
Population and number of households are estimated for Monroe County in
1975 and 1977 on the basis of employment, using extrapolated values of
two ratios noted in the table. As is discussed below, these figures
(with the exception of population in 1975) represent potential values
which possibly have not been achieved. With regard to the housing
B-Q-S-23
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Table B.Q.S.15. Potential Dwelling Unit Demand, Monroe County
1970
1975
April, 1977
Potential
Wage and salary employment*
Population
Population in households
Number of households
Housing stock:
Units built before 1970
Less: vacant units
Occupied units built before 1970
New units required (cum.)
Required annual construction
rate (interval ending with
the given year)
5,260
20,883
20,801
5,932
6,674
- 742
5,932
184
5,880
21,200
21,118**
6,399tt
5,948***
- 742ttt
5,206
1,193
239
6,240
21,685t
21,603**
6,647tt
5,707***
- 742ttt
4,965
1,682
272
t
**
tt
***
ttt
By place of work; Alabama Employment Service.
Estimate based on extrapolation of population/employment ratio.
Estimates assume 82 persons in group quarters, as in 1970.
Based on geometric extrapolation of population/households ratio
(observed values: 1960, 3.97; 1970, 3.51; estimated values:
1975, 3.30; 1977, 3.25).
Based on extrapolation of 1960-70 dwelling unit loss rate; see text.
Assumed constant.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1971.
B-Q-S-24
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stock, the census indicates that: (1) the total number of dwellings
increased by 588 units, from 6,086 to 6,674, between 1960 and 1970;
(2) 1,839 of the units present in 1970 were constructed between 1960 and
1970. Thus, there was an apparent loss of 1,251 units (1,839 minus 588)
from the housing stock due to abandonment and/or demolition, which
amounts to an annual loss rate of 2.275 percent. Such a high loss rate
would be due to the large proportion of substandard housing present in
the county and could be expected to continue past 1970. When this loss
rate is applied to the 1970 housing stock, it is estimated that 5,498 of
the units built before 1970 were still present in 1975, and that 5,707
of these remained in 1977. The number of vacant dwellings, consisting
largely of substandard units, is assumed to have held constant after
1970, even though vacant units increased by 59 percent during the
previous decade. The difference between the number of remaining units
built before 1970 (less vacant units) and the estimated number of
households represents the demand for residential construction after
1970. These figures for 1975 and 1977 are presented in the next-to-last
row of Table B.Q.S.15.
It is thereby estimated that the potential demand for new residential
construction amounted to 239 units per year between 1970 and 1975 and
272 units per year during 1975-77, as compared with the actual average
construction rate of 184 units per year during 1960-1970. This acceler-
ation in housing demand would be due in part to the employment increase
in Monroe County and the consequent upturn in population. However, the
greatest single factor in the ongoing demand for new residences can be
identified as the retirement of existing dwelling units. The 1970-77
demand for residential units can be partitioned as follows: population
increases--247 units; reduced household size--468 units; retirement of
existing dwellings—967 units. It is possible that this estimated
demand, which represents only potential growth, was not actually met by
new construction. A higher proportion of the new jobs may have been
taken by in-commuters than the figures assume. These persons may have
been prevented from moving to Monroe County by the shortage of suitable
housing, or, the housing shortage could conceivably have forestalled
B-Q-S-25
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the expected reduction in average household size. However, the figures
suggest the extent to which pressure exists on the housing stock.
For the City of Monroeville, information concerning the housing stock in
1975 is available from a planning study prepared by Robert S. Bateman
and Associates. Monroeville is of special interest in the present
context since this is the area most subject to economic impact by the
proposed quarrying operation, and since Monroeville is already subject
to population and housing pressures. Table B.Q.S.16 presents dwelling
units from the Bateman report, plus other information for Monroeville.
The population of Monroeville increased from 3,632 persons in 1960 to
4,846 persons in 1970, a gain of 33.4 percent. However, part of this
increase was due to annexation of land which already contained some
residential population in 1960. For comparison purposes, it is con-
venient to refer to the same geographic area in 1960 as in 1970; this
requires estimation of 1960 population and dwelling units in the annexed
area (for which the 1970 population was 732 persons). Estimates of these
quantities, based on various census information, are included in the
figures presented in the first row of Table B.Q.S.16. The 1960 popu-
lation within the 1970 Monroeville limits has been placed at 3,824
persons, so that the "true" Monroeville population increase during
1960-1970 amounted to 26.7 percent, or 2.4 percent per year (compounded
annually). Both total and occupied dwelling units are estimated to have
increased at an annual rate of 3.7 percent. This rapid growth, which
caused Monroeville's share of Monroe County population to increase from
17.1 percent to 23.2 percent, was apparently related to industrial
expansion in the city.
As is shown in the next-to-last line of Table B.Q.S.16, the housing
survey conducted in 1975 by Bateman and Associates found a total of
1,712 dwelling units in Monroeville, of which 1,644 units were occupied.
These figures indicate that the annual rates of increase in dwelling
units were substantially lower after 1970 than before. Based on the
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Table B.Q.S.16.
Population and Dwelling Units Within the 1970
Monroeville City Limits
Dwelling Units
1960*
1970
Annual rate of
change, 1960-70
1975
Annual rate of
change, 1970-75
Total
1,107
1,599
3.7%
1,712
1.4%
Occupied
1,024
1,468
3.7%
1,644
2.3%
Vacant
83
131
4.7%
68
-12.3%
Population
Total
3,824
4,846
2.4%
5,107*
1.1%
Share of
Monroe County
17.1%
23.2%
24.1%
* Estimates by Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1972.
Robert S. Bateman and Associates, 1976.
Table B.Q.S.17. Vacancy Analysis of Dwelling Units; Monroeville, 1975
Total
Occupied
Vacant
Vacancy rate
All Dwelling
Units
1,712
1,644
68
4.0%
Dilapidated
Units
120
84
36
30.0%
Other
Units
1,512
1,560
32
2.0%
Source: Robert S. Bateman and Associates, 1976.
B-Q-S-27
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reported number of occupied units and the prevailing trends in average
household size, the 1975 population of Monroeville is estimated as 5,107
persons. The annual rate of population increase thus indicated, 1.1
percent, is also significantly lower than the rate occurring before
1970. These estimates are of course dependent upon the accuracy of the
Bateman survey and on definitional consistency with the U.S. Census, but
the general patterns identified are probably correct.
A significant finding of the Bateman report was that only 68 dwelling
units were vacant in 1975, down from 131 in 1970. Furthermore, 36 of
these vacant units were classed by the report as "dilapidated," meaning
that their condition was so poor as to make rehabilitation infeasible.
Table B.Q.S.17 presents the 1975 occupancy characteristics of dwellings
in Monroeville when dilapidated units are isolated from other units
(which include "deteriorating" as well as "sound" dwellings). The
vacancy rate for dilapidated units was 30 percent, whereas the rate for
all other dwellings was only 2 percent. The latter percentage should be
regarded as an extremely low rate, in that vacancies must have been
limited largely to the "fractional" variety (for example, units sold or
rented and awaiting occupancy). Thus the data suggest that a
significant housing shortage may have existed in 1975, which may have
had an inhibiting effect upon population growth in Monroeville.
A factor which may affect housing supply at present is that the Parsons
and Whittemore project on the Alabama River may have pre-empted a signi-
ficant proportion of the construction labor force, which would otherwise
be available for residential projects. Also, the rapidly-increasing
land values in the Monroeville area may have inhibited the construction
of moderately-priced housing, for which the potential demand is
greatest.
The Monroeville city government has acknowledged the existence of a
housing shortage, and has taken two important steps to deal with this
problem. First, a 2.3-hectare (5.8-acre) site owned by the city-
original ly intended as the location of a new courthouse, was sold
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recently to a private buyer for the explicit purpose of providing
about 80 apartment units. The buyer was selected on the basis of
ability to provide good-quality housing, and conditions were imposed to
assure that the units would reach the market quickly. Second, the city
is reviewing carefully the existing land use in residential areas to
identify potentially suitable locations for mobile homes. In selected
cases, mobile homes will be allowed in place of conventional homes on
residential lots, as long as existing zoning is not violated in other
respects and the mobile homes meet various criteria. Other steps taken
since 1975 to alleviate the housing shortage in the Monroeville area
include completion of 46 units of publicly-supported housing for low and
moderate income families, supplementing the 100 units already present,
and the rezoning of substantial tracts of land for apartment use.
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COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Commercial activity in Monroe, Clarke, and Conecuh counties has
traditionally been small-scale in terms of both the range of services
provided and the spatial extent of market areas served by the various
urban centers. Sales and employment of commercial establishments have
tended to mirror the growth of local industry and resource-related
activities, rather than exerting an independent influence. However,
certain trends in Monroeville may have important implications for future
commercial development in Monroe County, vis-a-vis Clarke and Conecuh
counties. Table B.Q.S.18 presents retail sales data for the impact area
counties in 1965, 1970, and 1974. The sales gains over this period,
when expressed in current dollars, range from 60.4 percent for Clarke
County to 115.6 percent for Conecuh County.
On the other hand, the lower portion of Table B.Q.S.18 indicates that
retail sales in the impact area counties have generally failed to keep
pace with growth in total personal income. The ratio of sales to income
dropped from 0.61 to 0.51 in Monroe County; from 0.78 to 0.56 in Clarke
County; and from 0.48 to 0.41 in Conecuh County. There are several
reasons why this general trend might be expected:
1. The share of personal income consisting of disposable income
has decreased in each county, due to the federal tax structure
and increased state and local taxes.
2. As family income levels rise, progressively larger shares of
expenditure are devoted to services rather than retail trade
items.
3. Increased mobility of area residents may have caused a progres-
sively larger share of purchases to be made outside the region
on vacations and on shopping trips to Mobile, Selma, and
Montgomery.
The sharp increase in retail sales in Conecuh County between 1970 and
1974 is believed to be related to increased traffic through the county
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Table B.Q.S.18. Retail Sales Trends In the Quarry Impact Area
Retail Sales ($1,000)
1965
1970
1974
Percent Change, 1965-74
Sales/Personal Income
1965
1970
1974
Percent Change, 1965-74
Monroe
County
19,000
26,400
36,805
93.7%
0.612
0.562
0.507
-17.2%
Clarke
County
29,280
35,364
46,968
60.4%
0.777
0.613
0.558
-28.2%
Conecuh
County
9,104
11,706
19,630
115.6%
0.483
0.379
0.412
-14.7%
Source: Alabama Development Office, 1976.
Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
B-Q-S-31
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on Interstate 65. With this exception, it is apparent that Monroe
County outperformed Clarke and Conecuh counties somewhat in terms of
retail trade. The ratio of sales to income generally declined less in
Monroe County than elsewhere, and the Monroe County share of total sales
in the three-county area increased from 33.1 percent in 1967 to 35.6
percent in 1974. Most of this increase can be attributed to commercial
development in Monroeville.
An important factor in Monroeville is the presence of favorable sites
for commercial establishments along the Route 21 bypass, which forms
part of a four-lane corridor extending from Business Route 21 northeast
of town to the Route 84 intersection at 01 lie. It appears likely that
this corridor will emerge over time as the principal axis of commercial
and higher-density residential development in central Monroe County.
The potential role of the bypass corridor is already reflected in land
values. As an example, the land now occupied by the Southtown shopping
facility was acquired in 1966 for $5,200 per hectare ($2,100 per acre);
whereas ten years later, a less centrally located tract on the bypass
sold for $22,240 per hectare ($9,000 per acre), thus indicating a land
value escalation of over 15 percent per year. A small corner parcel on
the bypass was recently acquired by a national restaurant chain for
$50,000. The bypass has some distinct advantages for Monroeville as a
community: it provides a focus for commercial establishments that could
not, or would not, locate in the older central business district; yet it
keeps new development fairly close to the central area and therefore
potentially allows the new facilities to be complementary rather than
destructive to older establishments.
Over the next few years, the commercial center of gravity of Monroeville
will continue to shift to the southeast. Given the rapid economic
growth expected for Monroeville and the availability of good commercial
sites, it is not unlikely that one or more new shopper-goods stores will
be constructed in the near future. The overall services sector in Mon-
roeville should continue to expand relative to commercial activity in
the other nearby urban centers. A long-run prospect is that Monroeville
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may move up in terms of the range of services provided and may emerge as
the dominant service center for much of Clarke, Conecuh, and Wilcox
counties.
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LAND USE SETTING
PRESENT LAND USE
Figure B.Q.S.I shows the present land use in the vicinity of the Ideal
Basic Industries quarry site. A large portion of the area consists of
forested lands whose use is limited to hunting and harvesting of forest
products. Other major land uses are primarily agricultural—improved
pasture and croplands, improved pasture transitional state, thinned
hardwoods, and woodland pasture. There are several single family resi-
dences in the area, but by comparison to the other land uses, they
represent a very small proportion of the total land area.
Most of the residential units are located along Monroe County Road
No. 1, locally known as Stockton Road. All dwellings on this road are
at least 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) from the closest proposed areas which
will be quarried during the next 15 years. One unit is located south of
the property on a branch of Randons Creek, approximately 2.5 kilometers
(1.5 miles) from the closest quarrying activities. All other residen-
tial lands in the area are southeast of the Ideal property, about 3 to
5 kilometers (2 to 3 miles) from the proposed quarrying activities.
The Ideal property is presently devoted to agricultural use. Much of
the southern half is improved pasture with some fodder crops. The
north central portion of the site has been recently cleared and is in
the transitional state to improved pasture. North of this area and
along the bank of the river are thinned hardwoods. Although some of the
hardwood areas have been harvested more than others, they are all fenced
and accessible to grazing cattle.
As shown in Figure B.Q.S.I, improved pasture and croplands are scattered
around the perimeter of the Ideal property to the north, east, and
south. Most of these are associated with the residential properties
discussed previously and are family-operated, small-scale farming
activities.
B-Q-S-34
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I RESIDENTIAL
1 IMPROVED PASTURE
J AND CROPLAND
FOREST
N\\1 IMPROVED PASTURE
TRANSITION STATE
|'-,3HH THINNED HARDWOODS
I"'"'"'' AND WOODLAND PASTURE
Figure B.Q.S.1
PRESENT LAND USE IN THE VICINITY OF THE
PROPOSED IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES QUARRY SITE
0 0.5 1
SCALE IN KILOMETERS
SOURCE: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
REGION IV
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTJON
AGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR IDEAL BASIC INDUSTRIES
PROPOSED GAILLARO QUARRY
MONROE COUNTY, ALABAMA
B-Q-S-35
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All other lands within a 2 to 3 kilometer (1 to 2 miles) perimeter of
the Ideal property are heavily forested.
FUTURE LAND USE
The potential impacts of the Ideal Basic Industries quarrying activities
on land use and land value are limited to the Ideal property itself.
Those areas which are to be quarried over the next 15 years are
currently forested or in a transitional state from forest to improved
pasture. Present land use trends are expected to prevail with most
lands in the vicinity remaining predominantly in agricultural use and
forests.
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COMMUNITY FACILITIES
The discussion of community facilities and services will focus largely
upon Monroe County, especially the City of Monroeville. The city, which
has a mayor-council form of government, hired in 1976 a full-time city
administrator who coordinates all phases of local government operation.
Organized budgeting procedures have been instituted, and the city no
longer has to borrow to cover short-term cash shortages. For fiscal
1977, the city has budgeted expenditures of approximately $620,000, as
against expected revenues of $686,000. The Monroe County budget for the
same period involves $1.34 million in expenditures and approximately
$1.5 million in income. The county government can be characterized as
fiscally conservative, as evidenced by the fact that the county has
maintained a net worth of over $1.4 million, of which more than $1
million was in cash.
A primary source of local government revenue in Monroe County is the
property tax, involving total mi 11 age rates of 35 in Monroeville and 25
in unincorporated areas of the county. Half of the city's ten mills is
currently allocated to the sewer bond fund. A complete re-evaluation of
real property in the city is underway by an outside appraisal firm, and
should be completed by the end of 1977. The re-evaluation is expected
to increase tax revenues, but should not affect ad valorem tax rates,
which have not changed in 4 years. Sales taxes paid by Monroe County
residents include the 4 percent state sales tax, a 1 percent countywide
school tax, and 1 percent city tax in Excel and the Monroeville police
jurisdiction.
Planning assistance to Monroe County is provided very actively by the
Alabama-Tombigbee River Regional Planning and Development Commission,
which has recently prepared a preliminary comprehensive development plan
for the county. The City of Monroeville enforces zoning regulations and
building codes within its corporate limits and exercises subdivision
review within the police jurisdiction extending 2.4 kilometers
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(1.5 miles) beyond the corporate boundary. The city became eligible for
the Federal Flood Insurance Program in 1975.
Regulation of land use has gained acceptance somewhat more slowly in
other Monroe County communities. A 1975 controversy over zoning in
Frisco City, for example, ended with the rejection of zoning as a con-
cept for that municipality. Areas outside the police jurisdiction of
municipalities are virtually free of land use control, including
building permit requirements. A possible future problem is that the
willingness of municipal authorities to extend utilities to such areas
could divert an undue proportion of new development away from existing
communities, where it would be subject to some degree of regulation and
would contribute to municipal revenues. A mitigating factor, however,
is that hazards and conflicts involving land use are minimized by the
low density of development prevailing in most of the county. The fol-
lowing paragraphs will review briefly the status of various county and
municipal services.
Health Care
Table B.Q.S.19 presents various statistics describing health care facil-
ities and personnel in the impact area counties. All three counties are
below the State of Alabama in terms of the number of doctors, nurses,
and hospital beds per capita. However, the differences are related to
the fact that the counties lack some facilities which would be appro-
priate only to a regional health care center. In Monroe County, a Si-
million expansion of the county hospital was completed in 1974, includ-
ing a new wing with 25 beds. The current rating of 75 beds is somewhat
below the standard of 4.5 beds per thousand persons recommended by the
U.S. Public Health Service in 1973, but plans call for expansion of
capacity by approximately 50 percent over the next ten years. At
present, the hospital is actively soliciting donations for construction
of a sizeable addition.
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Table B.Q.S.19. Health Care Statistics for Impact Area Counties
Hospital Beds
Number: 1972
1975
Per 1 ,000 Population:
1972
1975
Nursing Home Beds
Number, 1975
Per 1,000 Population
Medical Doctors
Number, 1975
Per 10,000 Population
Registered Nurses
Number, 1975
Per 1,000 Population
Other Health Care
Dentists, 1975
County Health Nurses, 1975
Monroe
County
54
73
2.6
3.5
111
5.3
7
3.3
32
1.5
6
5
Clarke
County
114
126
4.2
4.7
141
5.2
11
4.1
34
1.2
7
2
Conecuh
County
44
44
2.9
2.9
51
3.3
3
1.9
18
1.1
3
1
State of
Al abama
4.7
5.1
4.9
7.7
2.7
Source: Alabama Department of the Public Health, 1976.
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Monroe County hospital facilities presently include an 8-bed coronary
care unit, two operating rooms, an emergency room with 24-hour physician
coverage, and a laboratory that is utilized by a number of other health
care institutions. The hospital provides specialized services such as
inhalation therapy, X-ray, and family counseling. Twenty-four hour
ambulance service is available..
Education
Public school enrollment has been declining in all three of the impact
area counties, as shown in Table B.Q.S.20. Between 1971 and 1974, the
decline amounted to about 6 percent in Monroe County, 3 percent in
Clarke County, and 8 percent in Conecuh County. However, a significant
fact regarding the enrollment decline in Monroe County is that there has
been a corresponding increase in enrollment at Monroe Academy, a private
school in Monroeville serving grades 1 through 12. By the 1976-77
school year, Monroe Academy accounted for roughly 10 percent of all
secondary school enrollment in the county.
The total number of elementary and high school students is lower than
before 1970 but appears to have stabilized recently. For example, the
initial data for the 1976-77 school year indicated that a decline of
61 pupils in public secondary schools was offset by an increase of 65 at
Monroe Academy. The other information for public school systems pre-
sented in Table B.Q.S.20 suggests that the impact area counties compare
favorably with other districts in Alabama. Expenditures per pupil are
consistently higher than for the state as a whole, and the pupil/teacher
ratio is slightly lower. Not shown in Table B.Q.S.20 is the fact that
the Monroe County school budget has increased rapidly after 1974, to
over $4 million in fiscal 1976.
Monroe County is the location of Patrick Henry State Junior College,
which has roughly doubled in enrollment since 1973. In 1976, approxi-
mately 400 day students and 600 night students attended this institu-
tion, whose goal is to provide low-cost education to any high school
B-Q-S-40
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Table B.Q.S.20. County School Information, Grades 1-12, For Impact Area
Counties
Total Enrollment
1971
1974
Total Expenditures ($1,000)
1971
1974
Expenditures/Pupil ($)
1971
1974
Teaching Positions
1971
1974
Pupils per Teacher
1971
1974
Monroe
County
5,266
4,930
2,758
3,171
524
643
256
241
21
20
Clarke
County
4,494
4,357
2,496
2,828
535
649
232
219
19
20
Conecuh
County
3,514
3,235
1,932
2,374
550
734
197
167
18
19
State of
Alabama
465
623
23
21
Source: Alabama Department of Education, 1971; 1974.
B-Q-S-41
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graduate interested in pursuing college work. A vocational-technical
school is also located in Evergreen, Conecuh County.
The Monroe County Board of Education launched a building program in 1970
which has involved: construction of two gymnasiums; renovation of two
vocational buildings, plus construction of another; and erection of a
new school building serving grades 1 through 12 at Lower Peachtree.
Construction also began in 1976 on a new high school in Monroeville.
Completion of this facility will allow the grades presently occupying
the middle school to shift into the old high school building, whereupon
the middle school building will become a second elementary school. It
has been estimated that these facilities could accommodate as many as
500 additional pupils if necessary, according to John Butz, City
Administrator. An additional development has been the initiation of
kindergarten programs in 1974.
Future public school enrollment in Monroe County will be dependent upon
a number of factors, two of which are the birthrate and the share of
students educated in private schools. The Monroe County birthrate has
declined dramatically in recent years, from 24.0 births per 1,000 popu-
lation in 1970 to 18.8 in 1974. However, part of this decline has
resulted from past migration patterns, i.e., from the loss of young
adults of child-bearing age. Unless private education continues to
claim an increasing share of total enrollment, it is likely that the
number of public school students will eventually stabilize and perhaps
begin to increase, due to the reversal of past migration flows. The
increase, if it occurs, should be sufficiently slow that the number of
students present in 1992 will not exceed the capacity of facilities
present in 1977. Therefore, school construction can be limited to
projects aimed at upgrading or altering the geographic distribution of
facilities.
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Law Enforcement
Monroe County is among the ten lowest counties in Alabama in terms of
both violent crime and property crime. The Sheriff's Department of
Monroe County employs four deputies to patrol the portion of the county
located outside the police jurisdiction of Monroeville and other munici-
palities. Detention facilities are adequate, and are being utilized by
the City of Monroeville as well as the county. The Monroeville Police
Department employs 16 full-time policemen, up from 11 in 1974, plus four
communications technicians equipped with a teletype computer.
Water and Sewer Service
The Bateman report estimated in 1975 that approximately 1,500 dwelling
units in Monroeville were served by the Monroeville sanitary sewer sys-
tem. Since that time, a program of expansion and rehabilitation of the
sewer system has been undertaken, and construction has begun on a new
treatment plant at Double Branches which will meet current standards.
The new plant, to be completed in 1978 with 75 percent Federal funding,
will serve Frisco City as well as Monroeville. The population-equivalent
design capacity of the plant will be 9,600 persons, of which the present
flows account for only about 62 percent. The facility is thus intended
to fulfill the needs of the community for at least ten years in the
future. When capacity is reached, the design of the plant will readily
allow expansion to serve a population of perhaps 15,000 to 18,000.
The Monroeville water supply is obtained from three wells at a depth
of about 120 meters (400 feet). Daily capacity of the wells is
2.65 million liters (700,000 gallons). Pumping capability is about
12,100 liters (3,200 gallons) per minute. There are two ground level
tanks and four elevated tanks, with storage in the latter for
3.8 million liters (1 million gallons). The Monroeville Water Board is
currently selling bonds to raise approximately $1 million for drilling
of another well, which is expected to meet water requirements for at
least several years in the future. A major expansion of the Monroeville
water system was recommended to the Board by consultants in 1976. Near
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the Excel Water Board has agreed to provide water to new residential
customers located considerably beyond the Excel municipal boundary, in
the vicinity of Route 84. Federal financial support for extension of
the Excel and Mexia water lines was announced in November of 1976.
Fire Protection
The Monroeville Fire Department has an emergency van and four tank
trucks, the largest of which is a $91,000 unit added in January, 1977.
There are 38 firemen active on a volunteer basis. Monroeville at pre-
sent provides fire protection services to most of the county.
Highway Transportation
There is no public transportation in Monroe County other than intercity
bus service. The major highway system consists of U.S. Route 84,
passing east-west through the county, and Alabama Route 21 running
north-south, supplemented by Alabama Highways 41, 47, and 59.
Table B.Q.S.21 presents traffic flow information for various points on
Routes 84 and 21 in the years 1970 and 1976. The increases in traffic
volume during this interval are notable, particularly on Route 84
between Mexia and the Conecuh County line. The data are deficient for
Route 21 between Monroeville and Route 84; but it is clear that daily
volumes exceed 5,000 near Monroeville. Traffic nevertheless moves well
in the Monroeville area because Route 21 is four-lane in this vicinity
and allows through traffic to bypass the downtown district. On the
whole, the Monroe County highway system appears more than adequate to
convey existing traffic flows.
Recreation
Recreation facilities in Monroeville include a park, tennis courts, ball
fields, and a swimming pool. An application is currently pending with
the U.S. Bureau of Outdoor Recreation for a grant to provide a complete
park and recreation center. The application was delayed by property
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Table B.Q.S.21. Traffic Flow Information for Highways in Monroe County
U.S. Route 84
Clarke County Line
West of Mexia
East of Mexia
East of Route 21
Conecuh County Line
Alabama Route 21
South of Beatrice
North of Monroeville
South of Monroeville
South of Route 84
South of Frisco City
North of Uriah
Escambia County Line
Average
1970
1,380
1,610
890
1,550
1,650
1,130
2,030
5,070
2,750
2,870
1,810
1,500
Daily
1976
1,540
2,190
1,380
2,780
2,530
1,130
2,490
3,540
3,210
2,170
1,670
Traffic Count
Percent Change
11.6
36.0
55.1
79.4
53.3
0.0
22.7
28.7
11.8
19.9
11.3
Source: Alabama Department of Highways, 1970; 1976; 1977.
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re-evaluation requirements, but prospects for the park now appear good.
The city employs a full-time recreation director.
On a larger scale, the existing countywide recreation facilities are
described as "lacking" by the Monroe County Preliminary Comprehensive
Development Plan. State recreational land in the county is limited to
the Little River State Park near Uriah and one public fishing lake.
There is a wildlife management area in Clarke County, but no state rec-
reational land in Conecuh County. An important recreational resource in
Monroe County is the Claiborne Lock and Dam area maintained by the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which contains boat launching and fishing
facilities, public restrooms, 14 picnic tables, and more than 3 kilo-
meters (2 miles) of hiking trails. There are an additional 16 tables
and 3 kilometers of trails at Silver Creek Park located further north on
the Alabama River just across the Clarke County line. According to the
Environmental Impact Assessment prepared for Parsons and Vlhittemore in
1974, there is a deficit of swimming, camping, hiking, and golfing
facilities in Monroe County; and additional land for big game hunting
will be needed by 1990 (Associated Water and Air Resources Engineers,
Inc., 1975).
Electric Service
Electric service is provided in the vicinity of the proposed Ideal Basic
Industries quarry site by both Alabama Power Company and the Alabama
Electric Cooperative. Alabama Power has a substation at Perdue Hill
(northeast of the quarry site) and a 12 kv transmission line along
Stockton Road (County Road No. 1). Power is supplied through the
integrated Alabama Power Company network which includes generation
facilities at Mobile, Dothan, and elsewhere. The Alabama Electric
Cooperative is currently expanding its power generation capability by
the addition of two 235 Mw facilities which will be on-stream in early
1979. The Cooperative will have an excess generating capacity of
roughly 100 Mw at that time.
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Summary
On the whole, the Monroeville community appears well equipped in terms
of physical facilities and governmental awareness to deal with future
population growth. Virtually all categories of public service have been
expanded in the last four years, and long-range planning of facility
requirements is becoming prevalent. One example of the flexibility of
the city administration in addressing the needs of the community with
limited resources was the decision not to build a new city hall as
originally proposed, but instead to renovate the existing municipal
building at a much lower cost, and to utilize the land that had been
acquired for the new building as a means of promoting much-needed
housing development. A proposal was recently considered to annex two
residential communities north of Monroeville but was rejected on the
basis of a cost-benefit analysis conducted by regional planners.
Whether or not further annexation takes place, it appears that a sub-
stantial proportion of the new residential development occurring in the
Monroevilie/Frisco City/Excel area will be located outside municipal
boundaries. Given the prevailing governmental structure of Alabama, in
which county governments are involved in a much narrower range of public
services than municipal governments, the major problem caused by popula-
tion growth could be the creation of geographical imbalances between
public service needs and the ability of existing institutions to meet
these needs.
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PROJECTED 1992 ENVIRONMENT
The most important single development affecting the impact area is the
$266 million Parsons and Whittemore, Inc. pulp mill which is now under
construction at Claiborne in Monroe County. The peak construction labor
force involved in this project amounts to about 1,000 workers. Permanent
operations at the Parsons and Whittemore plant will generate $5,561,000
in annual income for approximately 350 employees. The plant will spend
$18.6 million annually for wood purchases in a 19-county region. Monroe,
Clarke, and Conecuh counties are expected to account respectively for
12.75 percent, 12.0 percent, and 6 percent of the total stumpage cost.
Thus, Parsons and Whittemore will create about $1.7 million in addi-
tional income and 125 new forest-related jobs in Monroe County alone.
These and other aspects of the Parsons and Whittemore operation are
described in detail in the "Environmental Assessment Study for a New
Pulp Mill in Alabama" (Associated Water and Air Resources Engineers,
Inc., 1975).
Several other industrial development projects in Monroe County have
either been announced or are under construction. A new Scotch Plywood
plant in Beatrice was announced in November of 1976 and involves an
investment of 8 to 9 million dollars. This operation will employ 125
to 130 persons, witl) a payroll of approximately 1.6 million dollars.
Another wood products plant is to be constructed by Georgia Pacific at
Peterman. Finally, in June of 1976, Vanity Fair in Monroeville
announced an expansion of warehouse facilities which could account for
250 to 300 new jobs. When the forest-related employment created by
Parsons and Whittemore is included, these developments could add close
to 1,000 jobs in Monroe County within the next 5 years.
Forecasts of population and resident employment for counties in Alabama
have been prepared by the Alabama Development Office in conjunction with
federal agencies (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research
Services, 1975). The forecasts for impact area counties are presented
in Table B.Q.S.22. According to the OBERS series, the population of
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Table B.Q.S.22. OBERS Forecasts for Impact Area Counties
1970 1980 1990 2000
Population
Monroe County 20,900 21,900 22,600 22,200
Clarke County 26,700 28,200 30,500 32,100
Conecuh County 15,700 15,900 15,700 15,300
Resident Employment*
Monroe County 6,900 8,100 8,600 8,900
Clarke County 8,500 10,200 11,300 12,500
Conecuh County 4,900 5,500 5,600 5,800
* Workers by county of residence, census definition, including workers
14 and 15 years old.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Services,
1975.
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Monroe County will increase by only about 5 percent during 1970-1980,
and by about 3 percent between 1980 and 1990, followed by a downturn
after 1990. Clarke County would experience slightly greater growth than
Monroe during 1970-1980, and considerably faster growth thereafter. The
population of Conecuh County would rise very slightly between 1970 and
1980 but would decline thereafter. In the opinion of planners at the
Alabama-Tombigbee Regional Commission, the OBERS forecast for Monroe
County does not reflect the full impact of the Parsons and Whittemore
facility and other developments in the county. Therefore, an
alternative forecast is developed here to describe the baseline future
condition, which differs moderately from that projected by OBERS.
The forecast is prepared by relating population in Monroe County to non-
agricultural wage and salary employment within the county. Nonagricul-
tural wage and salary employment differs from total resident employment,
such as reported by the Census, in that it excludes: 1) farm workers;
2) proprietors and other self-employed persons; and 3) net commutation
of Monroe County residents to jobs outside the county. The benchmark
years utilized in preparing forecasts are: 1970, 1977, 1985, and 1992.
Estimates for other years are obtained by interpolation. The basic
procedure is to project the number of jobs and the ratio of population
to jobs in each of the forecast years, and to obtain population as the
product of these quantities.
The employment gains which are projected to occur during the 1977-1985
period are based upon industrial development projects that have already
been announced. As indicated earlier, these projects could result in an
employment increase of 850 persons, distributed among industry groups as
follows: pulp mill products, 350; other lumber and wood products, 250;
and apparel manufacturing, 250. Employment in forestry and timber har-
vesting (some of which would not be wage and salary employment) is not
included. It is true that some of these 850 manufacturing jobs may not
materialize as planned, but this possibility is offset by the fact that
the projections make no explicit allowance for other new industries
(e.g., a possible paper manufacturing operation linked to the pulp mill)
or for expansion of existing industries.
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The creation of 850 manufacturing jobs in Monroe County will have a
"multiplier" effect upon other sectors of the local economy, thus
stimulating additional jobs. The size of the employment multiplier in a
small community such as Monroe County is highly variable, depending upon
factors such as relative wage levels and the amount of excess capacity
in service establishments, but should generally fall between 0.5 and
1.0. (That is, each new manufacturing employee creates demand for
between one-half and one new employee in nonmanufacturing sectors.) The
Impact Assessment for the Parsons and Whittemore facility suggests that
a value of 0.68 might be appropriate. However, the present forecasts
assume that the overall increase in nonmanufacturing employment during
1977-1935 will be equal to the manufacturing employment increase, namely
850 jobs. The assumed multiplier is high because: (1) the gain in
nonmanufacturing employment will include most of the forest-related jobs
created by Parsons and Whittemore; and (2) a number of the non-
manufacturing sectors in Monroe County are currently subject to growth
forces which are partially independent of future manufacturing expan-
sion. Employment trends after 1985 are somewhat more uncertain. The
present forecast assumes, conservatively, that manufacturing employment
will increase by only 300 additional jobs between 1985 and 1992. How-
ever, the expansion of nonmanufacturing sectors during this period is
assumed to continue at only a slightly lower rate than before. This
would reflect the ongoing transition of Monroe County to a more service-
based economy, as has already occurred in many similar communities. The
resulting employment forecasts are presented in Table B.S.Q.23. It
should be noted that the April, 1977, employment data which are used as
a base for the forecasts were not affected significantly by construction
activity at the Parsons and Whittemore plant. (Total construction
employment was 210 workers, down from an average of 320 in 1974.) Thus,
the present forecasts essentially skip over the short-term construction
impact of the pulp mill.
The ratio of total population to nonagricultural wage and salary employ-
ment in Monroe County declined significantly between 1970 and 1975, from
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Table B.Q.S.23.
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Forecasts of Nonagricultural Wage and Salary Employment
in Monroe County
Manufacturing
Nonmanufacturing
TOTAL
April
1977
3,250
2.990
6,240
Change
1977-1985
850
850
1,700
1985
4,100
3.840
7,940
Change
1985-1992
300
750
1,050
1992
4,400
4.590
8,990
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc, 1977.
Table B.Q.S.24. Comparison of Population Forecast for Monroe County
with OBERS Series E Projections
Monroe County
Deviation of
ESE from OBERS
Population
1970
1977
1980
1985
1990
1992
Increase, 1977-1992
ESE Forecast
20,900
21,700
22,400*
23,600
24,600*
25,000
15.2%
OBERS
20,900
21,600*
21,900
22,300
22.600
22,500*
4.2%
Number/Percent
0
100
500
1,300
2,000
2,500
0
0.5
2.3
5.8
8.8
11.1
* Denotes interpolated values.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service,
1975.
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3.97 to 3.60 (see earlier tables). The most likely explanations would
be the conti-nuing decline in agricultural employment and the increase in
the proportion of jobs held by commuters from outside the county. The
present projections assume that this ratio will continue to decline at
the same geometric rate through 1985, and at half this rate during
1985-1992. This assumption is relatively conservative, in ,that it mod-
erates the impact of employment increases on population. The resulting
forecast is that the population of Monroe County will increase from an
estimated 21,700 persons in 1977, to 23,600 persons in 1985, and 2,500
in 1992. The implied annual rates of population growth amount to
slightly over 1.0 percent per year during 1977-1985, and approximately
0.8 percent per year during 1985-1992. These estimates are presented
and compared with the OBERS series in Table B.Q.S.24; interpolated
values are denoted by asterisks. The projected population for 1992
exceeds the OBERS forecast by approximately 11 percent.
Table B.Q.S.25 presents forecasts of households and numbers of dwelling
units in Monroe County based on the population projections just de-
scribed. The key element in these forecasts is the ratio of population
(less persons living in group quarters) to the number of households.
Rapid declines in this ratio are widespread in United States communities
because of: (1) reduced birthrates; (2) greater ability of young
adults, both married and unmarried, to maintain separate households;
(3) increase in the number of single-parent families; and 4) increasing
importance in the population of older persons whose children have left
home. Because of these factors, average household size will probably
continue to decline in Monroe County, although at a less precipitous
rate than in the past. The projections assume that persons per house-
hold will decline from approximately 3.25 in 1977 to 3.10 in 1985 and
3.00 in 1992, the latter figure representing what is felt to be a
reasonable lower limit for a predominantly rural area such as Monroe
County. The resulting projections of households are presented in the
fourth row of Table B.Q.S.25. Households are expected to increase by
slightly over 25 percent during the 1977-1992 period.
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Table B.Q.S.25. Household and Dwelling Unit Forecasts for Monroe
County
Population
Population in households
Population per household
Households
Dwelling units built before 1970
Less: vacant units
Occupied dwelling units built
before 1970
Post-1970 units
Required annual rate of construction
(interval ending with year shown)
1970
20,883
20,801
3.51
5,932
6,674
- 742
5,932
—
1977
21,700
21,600
3.25
6,600
5,700
- 700
5,000
1,600
235
1985
23,600
23,500
3.10
7,600
4,700
- 600
4,100
3,500
232
1992
25,000
24,900
3.00
8,300
4,000
- 500
3,500
4,800
186
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
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The lower portion of Table B.Q.S.25 presents projections of the required
construction of new dwelling units in Monroe County, based on the same
methodology used earlier to develop current estimates for the county.
The 2.27 percent annual loss rate of existing dwellings which was ob-
served during 1960-1970 is assumed to continue throughout the 1970-1992
period for dwellings built before 1970. However, there is assumed to be
no loss of dwelling units built after 1970. The overall loss rate of
dwelling units thus declines to 1.55 percent per year during 1977-1985,
and 1.27 percent per year during 1985-1992, reflecting an overall sta-
bilization of the housing stock because of progressive elimination of
existing substandard units. The 4,000 pre-1970 units projected to
remain in 1992 are roughly equal in number to the units present in 1970
that were constructed after 1940. The number of vacant units are assumed
to decline gradually, despite overall growth in the housing stock, be-
cause of projected elimination of substandard units (for convenience,
Table B.Q.S.25 treats vacancies as if only pre-1970 units would be
vacant; but the existence of vacancies in post-1970 units is also
accounted for in the estimates). The overall vacancy rate would decline
from about 10 percent in 1977, to 7.3 percent in 1985 and 5.7 percent in
1992.
The next-to-last row of Table B.Q.S.25 indicates the required con-
struction of dwelling units in Monroe County after 1970. Each of these
figures is obtained as the difference between the number of households
and the number of occupied units built before 1970. A total of 4,800
post-1970 dwelling units will be needed to house the projected 1992
population, up from 1,600 such units in 1977. The required rate of
housing construction would be about 230 units per year through 1985, and
somewhat less than 200 units thereafter. The magnitude of the task is
indicated by the fact that between 35 and 40 percent of all dwelling
units which will exist in Monroe County in 1992 are not currently
present.
Table B.Q.S.26 presents similar forecasts for the City of Monroeville,
developed using 1975 as the base year for projection. Monroeville
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Table B.Q.S.26. Population and Household Forecasts for Monroeville
(1970 City Limits)
1970
1975
1985
1992
Population
Share of Monroe County
population
Population in households
Population per household
Number of households
Dwellings built before 1970
Less: vacant units
4,846 5,107 6,110 6,790
23.2% 24.1% 25.9% 27.2%
4,764 5,020 6,020 6,700
3.25 3.05 2.90 2.80
1,468 1,644 2,070 2,390
1,599 1,480 1,305 1,215
- 131 - 68 - 75 - 75
Occupied units built before 1970 1,468
Post-1970 dwelling units
Required annual dwelling con-
struction (during preceding
interval)
1,412
232
46
1,230
840
61
1,140
1,250
59
Source: Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc., 1977.
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population--referring to population within the 1970 city boundary—is
expected to increase at a somewhat slower rate than occurred during
1960-1970, but at a faster rate than apparently prevailed between 1970
and 1975. It is significant that, between 1960 and 1970, more than half
of the population increase occurred outside of the 1960 corporate limit
(732 of 1,214 persons). The same pattern may occur with respect to
future growth inside versus outside of the 1970 corporate boundary. The
specific forecast is based on the assumption that the share of Monroe
County population located within the 1970 Monroeville boundary will
increase in the future at the same rate as during 1970-1975. With Mon-
roeville population thus pegged closely to the county population, the
forecast calls for an upturn in the annual growth rate to about 1.8 per-
cent per year during 1975-1985 (as opposed to 1.1 percent during
1970-1975), followed by increases of about 1.5 percent per year after
1980. The household and dwelling unit projections shown in the lower
portion of Table B.Q.S.26 are based upon a continuing decline in average
household size, and loss of dwelling units built before 1970 amounting
to 1.5 percent per year during 1970-1975, 1.25 percent per year during
1975-1985, and 1.0 percent per year after 1985. The forecasts imply
that the rate of new dwelling unit construction must rise to
approximately 60 units per year.
The Bateman report recommended in 1976 that 640 new dwelling units be
constructed in Monroeville by 1981 (Robert S. Bateman and Associates,
Inc., 1976). These would include 88 units to provide for families
displaced from dilapidated housing (which would be destroyed as part of
the plan) and 552 other new units. However, the present forecasts call
for only about 366 new units within the existing corporate boundaries by
1981. The difference results primarily from different assumptions about
the overall rate of population growth in Monroeville. The Bateman
report apparently projects a continuation of the 1960-1970 population
trend, notwithstanding the role of annexation during that period. The
recommended goal of 2,232 standard housing units in Monroeville by 1981
would be consistent with a population of roughly 6,500 persons, whereas
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the present forecast would place the 1981 Monroeville population at
about 5,700.
Currently, several new residential developments are announced or under
construction in the Monroeville area. These include two residential
subdivisions of approximately 100 units each, and a total of 156 apart-
ment units planned for two sites in Monroeville. There is some question
whether this rate of construction will be sufficient to meet the pro-
jected demand for housing, although the new apartments should help to
alleviate the present shortage of good quality rental units. Two fac-
tors working against expansion of moderately-priced housing in the
county are the escalation in construction costs and the existence of
widespread land speculation, which has reportedly affected land values
throughout a large area around Monroeville. A logical solution would be
continued growth in the number of mobile homes. However, there are
reportedly few spaces available in existing mobile home parks at the
present time.
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