Studer Community Institute

Update on Bayou Chico restoration plan

December 8, 2014
/ Reggie Dogan
/ government

The Department of Environment Protection on Thursday is meeting with stakeholders in Escambia County to provide updates on the ongoing restoration plan for Bayou Chico. The Bayou Chico Restoration Plan Annual Update meeting starts at 1:30 p.m. at the Escambia County Board of Commissioners Central Office Complex, 3363 W. Park Place on Palafox Street. The restoration plan, known as a basin management action plan, or BMAP, covers Bayou Chico and six water body segments, all of which flow into Bayou Chico and the bay: Jones Creek, Jackson Creek, Bayou Chico Drain, Bayou Chico Beach, Bayou Chico proper and Sanders Beach. BMAPs are long-term plans developed along with stakeholders that identify strategies and projects to eliminate or reduce pollution and restore the water to healthy levels. “We thank our stakeholders for their dedication to restoring Bayou Chico,” said Tom Frick, director of the Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration. “While there is more work to be done, we can be proud of the improvements we have accomplished so far.” Representatives of DEP also will host a “Maps on the Table” exercise for the waterbodies. Stakeholders, sanitary sewer staff, local public health officials and others with local expertise will meet to discuss possible sources of bacterial pollution. The department will use the information from the meeting to schedule a more detailed field evaluation later. During the evaluation, DEP staff and stakeholders will investigate the perimeters of each waterbody to identify possible bacterial pollution sources. Water samples will be collected and sent to the DEP lab for analysis. For more information about the Bayou Chico restoration plan, click here.

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Update on Bayou Chico restoration plan

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