Baldwin County Expands Stream Gauge Monitoring

 The Baldwin County Commission said it has entered into a subrecipient agreement with the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) and Dauphin Island Sea Lab to enhance stream gauge monitoring in Baldwin County and develop a low-impact-development (LID) stormwater review tool. The tool will assist engineers and designers with evaluating stormwater designs required to reduce the post-development stormwater runoff rate and improve the water quality of stormwater runoff. “The agreement, effective May 20, 2025, through April 30, 2026, marks a continued investment in Baldwin County’s long-term water resource management strategy,” the commission explained. The agreement expands a 2024 comprehensive hydrologic modeling initiative by installing four additional gauges: three at strategic locations along Styx River and one in Magnolia River. The hydrologic modeling initiative supports the implementation of MBNEP’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, as well as action items recommended in the Baldwin County regional watershed management plans. The project was funded through a financial partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program.