Big Creek Lake Watershed

Converse Resevoir, also known as Big Creek Lake, is the main source of drinking water for nearly 70% of Mobile County’s population plus a small segment of Baldwin County. The 3,600 acre reservoir, completed in 1952, hold 17 billion gallons and is continually fed by groundwater, streams including Big Creek, Jackson Branch, Juniper Creek, Collins Creek, Long Branch, Boggy Branch, Crooked Creek and Hamilton Creek, and rainfall. Built to supply Mobile County residents with water for generations to come, the lake provides an abundant and enviable supply of quality water for Mobile and surrounding communities.

The Big Creek Lake watershed encompasses approximately 103 square miles.  How land is used in the watershed affects the quality of water that reaches the lake. Land usage in the Big Creek watershed consists primarily of forest (64%), and agricultural (31%) uses which include nurseries and dairy farms. Only about 1% of the land is currently being used for residential or commercial purposes, but that percentage continues to rise as Mobile area growth continues to expand westward.

ACF in the Big Creek Watershed

In 2006, the Big Creek Resource Alliance– a cooperative effort of the Alabama Coastal Foundation and MAWSS– was formed to bring together area businesses and residents to develop a community-based watershed plan for the Big Creek Lake area. Over the course of the following two years, these stakeholders contributed their input and insight that resulted in a watershed management plan that will be used to identify and address potential water quality impacts within the watershed and provide  a strategy to encourage, sustain and improve environmental quality and prevent additional degradation to the watershed associated with existing and rapidly changing land uses and other pressures.

May 18, 2010 – Watershed Wagon & Green Gardening

May 27 – Water Quality & Septic System Maintenance