Living on the Edge: Riverbank Erosion along the Lower Tombigbee
Significant erosion of the riverbanks along the Lower Tombigbee is a challenging issue in the Alabama counties of Greene, Sumter, Marengo, Choctaw, Clarke and Washington. First brought to the attention of various agencies and organizations by local landowners and county governments in 1981, and at recurring intervals since, the issue remains unresolved. Landowners express feelings of frustration, anger and hopelessness in the affected rural communities where taxes are paid on property that has fallen into the river, riverfront cabins and homes must be relocated or abandoned, riverfront roads are damaged, and valued timber topples as banks erode. Both in-stream and riparian riverine habitats are compromised. Affected property owners acknowledge the Tombigbee River could be important to economic development in the Blackbelt counties of the Tombigbee Watershed. However, most agree that, to date, few benefits have been gained. Riverfront property is seen by many as being a liability rather than an asset because of the cost of stabilizing their eroding shorelines. Resolution of this issue will benefit both the economic and environmental health of the region.
In September 2005, the Alabama Clean Water Partnership, along with the Alabama Pulp & Paper Council and Alabama Farmers Federation, began a project to focus on this issue. The primary goals of the project include: 1) The education of stakeholders regarding various aspects of river bank erosion, 2) The identification of problem areas along the river, and 3) The identification of possible methods of correction of those problems. Nine educational meetings were held between April 2006 and February 2007, where issues identified by stakeholders were catalogued and prioritized. The process has enabled stakeholders to better understand the issue, as well as the abilities of others to address their concerns. Over the last year, the US Department of Agriculture National Sedimentation Laboratory has conducted a study to better understand the dynamics of the river and what might be done to lessen the occurring erosion. The study will be released on this site in mid-August, with a stakeholder meeting to be held shortly after.
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