Upper Cahaba Watershed Study
The Upper Cahaba Watershed Study or Upper Cahaba Watershed Greenprint is a geographical study and planning document prepared to guide development within the 240 square-mile watershed of the upper part of the Cahaba River, with a principal aim of protecting the river from soil erosion and stormwater runoff.
The study was commissioned by the Upper Cahaba Watershed Consortium, made up of representatives of counties and municipalities within the watershed. The consortium was created at the urging of a steering committee with support from the Birmingham Regional Planning Commission. The Cahaba River Society provided input to the committee, but was not formally represented.
The initial study, which was endorsed by consortium members in 1993, recommended "no-build zones" or buffers barring construction within 200 feet of the banks of Lake Purdy, the Cahaba River and the Little Cahaba River and maintaining natural vegetation within 100 feet. Other tributaries would be protected by 50-foot building setbacks and 35-foot buffers. Farm and timber operations would further be required to follow "best management practices" to protect the watershed. Individual governments adopted the recommendations in their own planning and zoning ordinances and policies.
In 2001 the study was championed by a committee of the Regional Growth Alliance, which included participation from citizens and businesses.
A second-phase document was completed in 2005 by EDAW, Inc. and Entrix, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia to analyze and propose more detailed recommendations for protecting the river, as well as prioritizing proposals for restoring habitat.
Consortium members
References
- Chapman, Michaelle (January 27, 1993) "Committee urges Cahaba study." Birmingham Post-Herald, p. B1