Mobile County Stormwater Management Workshop Nov. 18 Offers Hands-On Erosion and Sediment Control Training

MOBILE, Ala. — Mobile County and several state partners will host a full-day stormwater management workshop focused on erosion and sediment control on Wednesday, Nov. 18, giving engineers, contractors, developers and municipal staff a chance to sharpen their stormwater management skills through classroom presentations and hands-on field training.

The Erosion and Sediment Control Best Management Practices (BMP) Workshop runs from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the John Archer Agricultural Center, 1070 Schillinger Road North in Mobile. Registration is $50 per participant, lunch is included, and continuing education units will be available.

Stormwater Workshop Centers on Alabama’s ‘Blue Book’

The training is built around the Alabama Handbook for Erosion Control, Sediment Control and Stormwater Management on Construction Sites and Urban Areas — the state’s go-to technical guide, widely known in the industry simply as the “Blue Book.” The handbook is published by the Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee and lays out the standards and specifications for practices used to keep soil in place and muddy runoff out of streams, rivers and bays.

Workshop organizers say participants will take a close look at three best management practices that are commonly overlooked or installed incorrectly. Sessions will walk through proper installation methods and techniques for improving communication between the agencies that regulate, design and inspect stormwater controls.

Additional topics related to erosion control, sediment management and broader stormwater practices are also on the agenda. The day combines expert presentations with field training, so attendees can see practices demonstrated rather than only discussed.

Who Should Attend

The workshop is aimed at people whose jobs involve preventing erosion and controlling runoff, including:

• Engineers and design consultants
• Developers and builders
• Contractors and site superintendents
• City and county employees who review plans or inspect sites
• Others who work in stormwater management

Because continuing education units are offered, the session may also help licensed professionals and certified inspectors meet ongoing training requirements.

Why Erosion and Sediment Control Matters on the Gulf Coast

When land is cleared for a subdivision, road or commercial building, bare soil is easily carried away by rain. That sediment can wash into storm drains, ditches and creeks, clouding the water, smothering habitat and filling in channels that help move floodwater.

The issue is especially important in coastal Alabama, where heavy rainfall is common and many waterways drain toward Mobile Bay and the Mississippi Sound. Mobile County’s creeks, rivers and bayous support fishing, seafood harvesting, recreation and wildlife, and keeping sediment on construction sites is one of the most practical ways to protect them.

Best management practices — commonly called BMPs — are the tools used to do that job. Familiar examples on Alabama job sites include silt fences, inlet protection around storm drains, check dams in drainage ditches, stabilized construction entrances and seeding or mulching to cover bare ground. The catch is that a BMP only works if it is chosen correctly, installed properly and maintained. A silt fence that is not trenched in, for example, can let muddy water run right underneath.

That is the gap the Nov. 18 workshop is designed to address by focusing on practices that are frequently missed or put in the ground the wrong way.

Partners Behind the Training

Mobile County is hosting the workshop in partnership with:

• The Auburn University Water Resources Center
• The Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee
• Auburn Stormwater

Auburn University’s water resources programs, along with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, provide training across the state on stormwater management, low-impact development and water quality protection. The Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee, the state agency that publishes the Blue Book, works with local soil and water conservation districts on conservation programs throughout Alabama.

The workshop location, the John Archer Agricultural Center on Schillinger Road North in west Mobile, is home to Mobile County’s Extension office and regularly hosts agricultural, environmental and educational programs.

Workshop Details and How to Register

• What: Erosion and Sediment Control Best Management Practices (BMP) Workshop
• When: Wednesday, Nov. 18, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Where: John Archer Agricultural Center, 1070 Schillinger Road North, Mobile
• Cost: $50 per participant
• Included: Lunch; continuing education units available
• Registration: Online

Those interested should register online in advance. Questions about the session can be directed to Mobile County or the partnering organizations.