Questions & Answers – What is the cheapest way to get from Birmingham to Guntersville? The cheapest way to get from Birmingham to Guntersville is to drive which costs €15 – €22 and takes 1h 41m. More details What is the fastest way to get from Birmingham to Guntersville? The quickest way to get from Birmingham to Guntersville is to drive which costs €15 – €22 and takes 1h 41m.
More details What is the distance between Birmingham and Guntersville? The distance between Birmingham and Guntersville is 104 km. The road distance is 143.2 km. Get driving directions How do I travel from Birmingham to Guntersville without a car? The best way to get from Birmingham to Guntersville without a car is to bus and taxi which takes 1h 55m and costs €80 – €120.
More details How long does it take to get from Birmingham to Guntersville? It takes approximately 1h 55m to get from Birmingham to Guntersville, including transfers. More details Can I drive from Birmingham to Guntersville? Yes, the driving distance between Birmingham to Guntersville is 143 km.
How far is Guntersville Alabama from the ocean?
There are 292.37 miles from Guntersville to Orange Beach in southwest direction and 365 miles ( 587.41 kilometers ) by car, following the I-65 S route, Guntersville and Orange Beach are 5 hours 47 mins far apart, if you drive non-stop, This is the fastest route from Guntersville, AL to Orange Beach, AL,
How far is Guntersville from Arab?
There are 11.80 miles from Arab to Guntersville in northeast direction and 14 miles ( 22.53 kilometers ) by car, following the SR 69 route, Arab and Guntersville are 24 minutes far apart, if you drive non-stop, This is the fastest route from Arab, AL to Guntersville, AL, Arab, AL and Guntersville, AL are in the same time zone (CDT). Current time in both locations is 10:06 am.
How long is Birmingham to Alabama?
Distance from Alabama to Birmingham is 134 kilometers, This air travel distance is equal to 83 miles. The air travel (bird fly) shortest distance between Alabama and Birmingham is 134 km= 83 miles. If you travel with an airplane (which has average speed of 560 miles) from Alabama to Birmingham, It takes 0.15 hours to arrive.
How far is Birmingham and tuscaloosa?
Questions & Answers – What is the most cost-effective way to get from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa? The cost-effective way to get from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa is to drive, which costs €9 – €15 and takes 1h 1m. More details What is the fastest way to get from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa? The quickest way to get from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa is to train which costs €2 – €65 and takes 55 min.
More details Is there a direct bus between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa? Yes, there is a direct bus departing from Birmingham and arriving at Tuscaloosa Bus Station station. Services depart three times a day, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 1h 30m. More details Is there a direct train between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa? Yes, there is a direct train departing from Birmingham and arriving at Tuscaloosa Amtrak Station station.
Services depart once daily, and operate every day. The journey takes approximately 55 min. More details How far is it from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa? The distance between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa is 79 km. The road distance is 93.4 km. Get driving directions How do I travel from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa without a car? The best way to get from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa without a car is to train which takes 55 min and costs €2 – €65.
- More details How long does it take to get from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa? The train from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa Amtrak Station takes 55 min including transfers and departs once daily.
- More details Where do I catch the Birmingham to Tuscaloosa bus from? Birmingham to Tuscaloosa bus services, operated by Greyhound USA, depart from Birmingham station.
More details Where do I catch the Birmingham to Tuscaloosa train from? Birmingham to Tuscaloosa train services, operated by Amtrak, depart from Birmingham station. More details Train or bus from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa? The best way to get from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa is to train which takes 55 min and costs €2 – €65.
Can you swim in the ocean in Alabama?
Keep your distance from other people – Practicing social distancing is still essential. Only go to the beach if you are able to keep 6 feet or 2 meters away from others. Follow the instructions provided by your local health authorities. If your community has asked that you remain indoors and away from others, do so.
Spending a day in any crowded place is the worst thing we can do for our most vulnerable right now and will counter our efforts to curb the virus’s spread. _ Residents and visitors alike won’t have to look far for beaches in Alabama. A southern, coastal U.S. state, Alabama has 97 coastal beaches that stretch along the Gulf of Mexico coast plus over 110km of bay and island shoreline.
Warm temperatures from April through to October and hot peak summers months make Alabama the perfect state for swimming. Alabamans can get out to their favourite swim spots year round, whether these are along the coast or farther inland. There are many white sandy beaches in the southern part of the state.
Waters are usually warm enough to spend the day swimming at the beach. Popular destinations include Gulf Shores Beach and Orange Beach. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge features gorgeous swimmable beaches. It is located on the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the Gulf Coast. Its beaches are excellent places for a day trip and a long swim.
Wildlife enthusiasts will also find plenty of biodiversity along Alabama’s coast. Be prepared for sightings of sea turtles, herons, and pelicans. However, always give wildlife plenty of space so as not to disturb their mating or feeding behaviours. Inland lakes are equally popular in the state.
Swimming, boating, water skiing, and other recreational water activities are common throughout its freshwater lakes. Alabama boasts over 124,000 km of rivers and streams. It has more freshwater biodiversity than any other state. Rivers and creeks are favoured swim spots for locals looking to cool off throughout the summer months.
Little River Canyon, for example, is a loved swimming hole. Beautiful scenery and cool waters make for an adventurous day for those who can’t reach the coast.
Can you swim in Lake Guntersville?
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Joe Songer | [email protected] Park info Lake Guntersville State Park encompasses 6,000 acres in Guntersville, Alabama. The park features stunning views of Lake Guntersville from the lodge and surrounding overlooks. World class fishing, boating, golf and 36 miles of hiking trails make this one of my favorite state parks.
Dana Dobbins photo What to do The new Screaming Eagle Adventures zip line was added this year. Check in is at the lodge. (Dana Dobbins photo).
Joe Songer | [email protected] Fishing Fishing is a huge part of the experience at Lake Guntersville State Park. The park hosts many bass tournaments and the lake offers world class bass fishing as well as other sport fishing. You can fish over 69,000 acres of waters at Alabama’s largest lake.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Swimming Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge pool, a stunning view during your swim. Swimming is a huge part of the fun at the park.
ADCNR photo More swimming Lake Guntersville State Park beach is a perfect place to cool off. The beach is located near the RV campground.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Exploring nature’s flora Late summer color near Short Creek. From spring and summer flowers to autumn foliage, Guntersville State Park is the place to go to see nature’s natural beauty.
Joe Songer | [email protected] View wildlife Wildlife abounds at Lake Guntersville State Park. This doe grazes on the side of the road.
Joe Songer | [email protected] More wildlife Wildlife abounds at Lake Guntersville State Park. The Great Blue Heron takes flight near the Town Creek picnic area.
ADCNR photo) Golf Lake Guntersville State Park Golf Course is an 18 hole champioship course designed by Jerry Pate. The course also features a driveing range and putting green.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Play a round with friends Lake Guntersville State Park Eagles Nest Golf Course is an 18 hole championship course designed by Jerry Pate. The course also features a driving range and putting green.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Bald Eagles A healthy population of bald eagles make their home at Lake Guntersille State Park. It is one of the best places in Alabama to see this majestic bird. A juvenile bald eagle prepares to grab a fish. For more info check out this link to Eagle Awareness Weekends,
Joe Songer | [email protected] View autumn foliage Autumn is a great time to view the fall foliage and getting some fishing in. This spot is at Town Creek. Whether biking, hiking or by car or boat, Lake Guntersville State Park offers spectacular views as the leaves turn.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Hiking Lake Guntersville State Park has 36 miles of hiking trails through some of the most beautiful forest in Alabama.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Playground for kids The RV campground playground is getting an extensive makeover soon.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Where to stay Interior view of one of the chalets, Lake Guntersville State Park offers 20 chalets near the lodge, all with breathtaking views of the lake.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Chalets Lake Guntersville State Park offers 20 chalets near the lodge, all with breathtaking views of the lake.
ADCNR photo Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge The Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge is one of the finest lodge facilities in the state. The lodge offers 112 rooms and suites. Each unit includes a mini-refrigerator and microwave, coffee and coffee pot, TV and DVD player (upon request at the front desk), iron and board, and hair dryer.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Lodge pool Pool with a view!. One of the best views from a swimming pool in the state of Alabama is at the Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Cabins Lake Guntersville State Park has 15 cabins for rent, all with lake views. Get rates and other cabin info here.
Joe Songer | [email protected] RV campground Lake Guntersville State Park RV Campground offers RV camping right on the water of Lake Guntersville. The main campground offers 295 improved campsites. Joe Songer | [email protected] Some shade remains Even after the 2011 tornado devastation, some shade came still be found at the huge RV Campground. Sites offer full hook-ups and 50 Amp service.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Pinecrest Dining Room Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge Pinecrest Dining Room offers great food and stunning views of Lake Guntersville.
Joe Songer | [email protected] RV campground store A well stocked camp store at the RV Campground. Campers can buy anything from ice to food to fish bait. Kayak rentals are also available here.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Pavilion at RV campground The multi use pavilion at the RV campground is available for use of a first come first served basis. It is one of the few structures that remained standing after the 2011 tornadoes devastated the area.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Beach pavilion Lake Guntersville State Park Beach Pavilion is available for rent. It’s perfect for large groups.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Cabin pavilion One of the 4 pavilions available for use, This one is near the cabins.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Boat dock Lake Guntersville State Park boat dock near the RV campground.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Best Views Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge pool, a stunning view during your swim.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Mabrey Overlook Mabrey Overlook near the golf course offers a stunning view of the lake. It’s nicely shaded and very peaceful.
ADCNR photo Winter wonderland Lake Guntersville State Park is beautiful year round. This photo was taken from an overlook after a heavy snow.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Trail of Tears picnic area Beautiful lake views at the Trail of Tears Picnic Area.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Picnic by the lake This picnic area near the beach is one of the best up close lake views. Eat some lunch and take a dip.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Awesome Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge view from the lodge overlook. A stunning view of the lake and RV campground.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Sunset watching Watching a sunset from the Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge is a favorite for park visitors.
Michael Jeffreys ADCNR Favorite sunset Park superintendent Michael Jeffreys gets to see a lot of sunsets at the park. Here is one of his favorites.
Joe Songer | [email protected] Helpful links Alabama State Parks Tour Alabama State Park Events Alabama State Park Partners information about Amendment 2 Find an Alabama State Park Cheaha State Park Oak Mountain State Park
What’s the crime rate in Guntersville Alabama?
Guntersville Annual Crimes
Violent | Property | |
---|---|---|
Number of Crimes | 59 | 482 |
Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents) | 6.77 | 55.32 |
What is Guntersville Alabama known for?
ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN ALABAMA – If you’re looking for fun things to do in Huntsville, AL or North Alabama, you must visit nearby Guntersville, AL. Most people come to Lake Guntersville for fishing and water sports or to visit the scenic Guntersville State Park,
Written by Teresa Staggs Teresa lives in and loves Guntersville, AL. When she’s not traveling the globe, you can find her helping Guntersville residents and travelers relax in her luxury day spa, The Soak House & Soapery, by day and soaking in the gorgeous Lake Guntersville sunsets with her family by night. day-spa
What is the crime rate in Guntersville Alabama?
Interactive chart of the Guntersville, Alabama violent crime rate and statistics by year from 2005 to 2018. In the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, violent crime statistics are composed of four offenses: murder/homicide and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.
The Guntersville AL crime rate for 2018 was 614.51 per 100,000 population, a 1.47% increase from 2016. The Guntersville AL crime rate for 2016 was 605.63 per 100,000 population, a 58.88% increase from 2015. The Guntersville AL crime rate for 2015 was 381.18 per 100,000 population, a 23.73% decline from 2014. The Guntersville AL crime rate for 2014 was 499.76 per 100,000 population, a 12.67% decline from 2013.
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Are Alabama beaches clean?
Gulf Shores Beaches Among The Cleanest In The Country Here in Gulf Shores, we’ve always known our beaches are some of the finest in the United States. Sugar sands, warm waters, ample activities in and out of the water, who could ask for more? As it turns out, our beaches are also some of the cleanest in the country, according to the international environmental advocacy group, The Natural Resources Defense Council.
The Natural Resources Defense Council tests ocean and freshwaters in staggered spots all across the United States, from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, and rates these beaches for their cleanliness and monitoring effectiveness. Of 13 beaches rated as 5 star beaches for safety, water quality testing, and low violation rates, our area was able to boast 2 of them; Gulf Shores Public Beach and Gulf State Park Pavilion (see the NRDC site for beach ratings ).
To become a NRDC “superstar beach” you must meet or exceed the following standards:
Less than 5% of water samples exceeded national standards in 2010, 2011, and 2012. Less than 5% percent of water samples exceeded national standards in 2012. Local officials post advisories without re-sampling. Closings/advisories posted online and at beach. Water quality monitored more than once a week.
In addition to those 2 beaches, Little Lagoon Pass Beach, another Gulf Shores beach, also received a high rating of 4 stars, only missing out on the 5 star rating because water quality is monitored once every 2 weeks there.
Can you drink Alabama water?
Most tap water in Alabama meets federal drinking water standards, but that doesn’t mean that it is free of contaminants like arsenic, lead and potentially harmful disinfection byproducts. While these chemicals are safe to consume in miniscule amounts, the nonprofit Environmental Working Group asserts that the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking water regulations are “out-of-date” and allow higher levels of water contamination than are safe for consumers. To allow consumers across the United States to understand the quality of their tap water, the nonprofit Environmental Working Group released its 2021 update to the Tap Water Database this week.
The online database — found at www.ewg.org/tapwater/ — allows consumers to search their state, ZIP code or specific utility company to view EWG’s analysis of their tap water quality based on state-gathered data. Major cities in Alabama — including Montgomery, Birmingham and Huntsville — did not have any major problems with the guidelines, but rural areas in the state did.
What city in Alabama touches the ocean?
Orange Beach Alabama’s coastline, home to the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, is an important part of the quality of life for many of the state’s citizens and one of the state’s greatest economic and environmental assets. The white, sandy beaches of the coastal towns of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores and Dauphin Island are beloved and popular vacation destinations for Alabamians and out-of-state tourists.
The fine quality of the sand and gentleness of the surf make for some of the prettiest beaches in the world and are the top tourist destinations in the state. The tourism industry in south Baldwin County provides more than 50,000 jobs and generates more than $2 billion in revenue annually, and beaches are the linchpin of that industry.
Alabama’s shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico stretches for 60 miles. The tidal shoreline that borders all of the coastal bays, rivers, and bayous in Mobile and Baldwin counties extends another 600 miles, with the shoreline around Mobile Bay accounting for about 100 of those miles.
Gulf State Park, established in 1939, encompasses 6,150 acres of beaches, dunes, marshes, freshwater ponds, and forests in the city of Gulf Shores, and Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Baldwin County preserves 6,525 acres of Mobile Bay’s estuarine ecosystem for scientific and environmental study and conservation.
Coastal Geology Although human activity has played an important role in the history of the Alabama shoreline, it was created primarily by hundreds of thousands of years of geologic activity. It was during the last 10,000 years, however, that sea levels rose to their present-day elevation.
Sea-level fluctuations, waves, erosion, and deposition are among the many geologic processes that continue to shape the modern Alabama shoreline. Alabama’s Gulf beach sands, which are composed almost entirely of quartz grains, washed out of the ancient Appalachian Mountains hundreds of thousands of years ago.
Subsequent sorting by waves and sea-level fluctuations have resulted in practically uniform sand grains, accounting for the high quality of the sand on the beaches. Perdido Pass Because of their constant exposure to breaking waves, wind, and storms, coastal shoreline environments, including Alabama’s, are in a constant state of change and are usually being either eroded or built up. Breaking waves move tons of sand along the Alabama coast through a process known as “littoral drift.” The dominant direction of this sand movement is from east to west, but sand moves west to east on occasion, as well.
- Adding to the action of waves are geographic features such as inlets or passes (narrow stretches of water between land masses), which also affect the movement of sand along the coastline.
- Sand naturally works its way past most inlets in a process called “sand bypassing” on shoals outside the inlet.
- As a result, updrift beaches lose sand, and downdrift beaches are sustained.
Historically, Alabama had three inlets: Mobile Pass, Little Lagoon Pass, and Perdido Pass. But the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 created a new fourth inlet through Dauphin Island. Each of the passes has a significant impact on the beaches in their vicinity.
Studies of beach erosion trends during the past four decades show a clear pattern of erosion on the western side of each of the three older inlets. Human Effects The location, and look, of almost all of the Alabama shoreline has been affected by human activity. These actions include infilling of wetlands, construction of bulkheads along the bay shorelines to serve as protective barriers to wave erosion, reconstruction of the Gulf beaches, and, primarily, engineering and dredging passes for ship channels.
These manmade waterways are a primary cause of Alabama’s beach erosion. Since 1960, more than 20 million cubic yards of sand have been removed from the beach, or littoral, system, by the dredging of Mobile Pass for the Mobile Ship Channel. Another 3 million cubic yards of sand have been dredged from the Perdido Pass Channel. Alabama White Sands The solution to Alabama’s Gulf beach erosion problem is two-fold. One approach is artificial sand bypassing, a process by which dredged sand is relocated to the beaches where it naturally would have been deposited. The second is a process known as beach nourishment, which involves adding large amounts of good-quality sand to beaches to widen them.
- This process can be used to rebuild beaches damaged in previous decades.
- The first major beach nourishment project in Alabama was undertaken by the city of Gulf Shores along two and a half miles of the central business district in 2001, at a cost of approximately $6 million.
- It was so successful that subsequent projects were implemented to enrich another 14 miles of shoreline extending through the city of Orange Beach.
These engineered beaches have been successful in two ways. First, they have saved the Gulf Shores beach that was being squeezed out between the Gulf erosion and the seawalls protecting beachfront condominiums. Second, they have reduced the damage to infrastructure, including roads and condominiums, when hurricanes have hit the coast.
- Continued beach re-nourishment, as part of a long-term beach management plan that includes sand-bypassing at the inlets, will help sustain Alabama’s beaches in the future.
- In Baldwin County, for example, initial nourishments have made up for the decades of neglect, and the volumes of sand required in the future should decrease.
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach have made similar strides. Inland Shoreline The 600 miles of tidal bay and bayou shoreline in Alabama (also primarily shaped by geology) have been affected by human activity as well. More than one-third of Mobile Bay’s shoreline has been stabilized with some type of structure.
- Vertical bulkheads made from rocks, wood, and other materials are the most common shoreline protection along the bay and are popularly thought to help slow wave erosion.
- There is little evidence, however, that such structures actually have a beneficial effect.
- Erosion continues bayward of the bulkhead, and eventually, the intertidal beach (the portion of sand exposed during low tide) disappears.
Although this type of habitat is extremely valuable for fish, crabs, and oysters as well as for humans who enjoy the bay, it has been estimated that about six miles of intertidal Mobile Bay shoreline had been completely lost since 1900 because of bulkheads. Shoreline Preservation One possible solution to the bay shoreline problem is some form of “living shoreline” alternative to bulkheads that will protect upland property but also allow for some sandy beach or wetland. The idea of a “living shoreline” has as its basis the development of stable shorelines that function more naturally than a bulkhead.
This includes sandy beaches in places where they would naturally occur (most of the bay) and emergent wetlands where they would naturally occur (upper end of the bay and many smaller bays). Two successful examples are experimental, artificial beaches on Mobile Bay stabilized with rock headland structures at Brookley’s Gulf Pines Golf Course in Mobile, built in 1998, and at Marriott’s Grand Resort Hotel in Point Clear, built in 2001.
Current federal and state regulations allow implementation of living shorelines through a regional, programmatic permit. Alabama’s Living Shorelines General Permit (ALG10) provides for the preservation and restoration of dunes, beaches, wetlands, and submerged grassbeds, protection and propagation of essential fish habitat, and shoreline restoration and nourishment.
Owing to the dynamic and variable nature of various shoreline types, to the maximum extent possible, guidelines recommend that shoreline stabilization be accomplished by the establishment of vegetation communities representative of the targeted habitat. The 2010 oil spill in the Gulf had a serious impact on Alabama’s coast.
Oil washed ashore several times along many of the Gulf beaches and some of the coastal bay shorelines between late June and August 2010. The economic and ecological effects of that spill have yet to be fully determined. Additional Resources Douglass, S.L.
Can you drink alcohol on Lake Guntersville?
ALEA gives boat safety tips in Marshall County ahead of Memorial Day weekend This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. MARSHALL COUNTY, Ala.
- Alabama Law Enforcement Agency marine division troopers said that there have already been several incidents this year because more and more people are getting into the water sooner, likely because of COVID-19.
- They said they expect those large crowds to continue throughout Memorial Day weekend.
- Ids were out of school, so everybody said, we got to get outside, so they all went into the water,” said marine patrol officer Gary Mobley.
“(The) more people you put into an area, the more chances you’ll have in some sort of accident.”
- Mobley and marine patrol officer Eric Watson said because many of the accidents are alcohol-related, they will be out in force looking for alcohol.
- However, different areas have different rules.
- On Guntersville Lake, possession of alcohol is allowed within the Guntersville city limits, not into Marshall or Jackson Counties.
Cherokee County is 100% dry, so there is no alcohol allowed there at all, including on Weiss Lake and Terrapin Creek. “We’re not out running around on the water on a holiday weekend trying to ruin everybody’s time. We’re trying to keep everybody safe just as if your family were mine,” explained Watson.
“The water will not give you any slack. The water will take your life in a heartbeat,” said Mobley. Troopers said each boat needs a designated driver, a lookout, legal mirrors to tow skiers, and appropriately sized life jackets. Children eight and under need to be wearing their life jackets at all times.
“Life jackets save lives. They’re our seatbelts on the water,” said Watson. Mobley explained to WHNT News 19 that now and throughout Memorial Day weekend, they will also be following CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19, by social distancing, wearing personal protection equipment when needed, and exercising good hygiene.
- Marine patrol officers are also enforcing social distancing recommendations on areas like boats, docks, and sandbars.
- Folks on kayaks or canoes also must have a life jacket onboard.
- Any boat 16 or more feet also needs to have a throwable floatation device.
: ALEA gives boat safety tips in Marshall County ahead of Memorial Day weekend
Should you shower after swimming in a lake?
Chloe Cross, Swim Guide Editor October 15, 2015
Have you ever bolted through the mandatory pool showers? Skipped the rinse-off area before you hit the beach? You’re not alone. More than 40% of people don’t shower before going swimming. That means when you go for a dip, chances are you are swimming in perspiration, lotions, urine and fecal matter, and any other microbes found on our skin and hair.
Gross. Showering before swimming is one of the best ways to protect yourself and other swimmers from recreational water illnesses. Only 30% of us always shower before a swim. That means a lot more people need to spend a lot more time in those showers. Here’s why you should always shower, with soap, before and after recreational water activities.1.
Chlorine kills, but only sort of In swimming pools, hot-tubs, and water parks, chlorine is used to kill and oxidize harmful bacteria and germs such as E-coli. Chlorine is a highly effective disinfectant. However, the chemical doesn’t work on everything. Photo by Claudio Beck When chlorine mixes with our bodies organic matter it can create a more toxic agent called halogenated by-products (HBPs), Yuck. This is another reason why public pools recommend showering before swimming. Showering helps remove sweat, lotions, sunscreen, bacteria and organic matter.
This means the chlorine in the pool won’t have to work as hard, and more illnesses can be prevented.2. Lakes and oceans get dirty, too The same rules apply when swimming in natural bodies of water such as lakes and rivers. If you don’t shower before you go in the water, you bring in trace levels of fecal matter and associated pathogens.
That’s why beach water quality at some beaches gets worse as the day goes on. Photo by Daniele Zanni The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that on average, people have about 0.14 grams of feces on their bodies. Swallowing even a small amount of water contaminated with feces can make you sick. So by not showering, you put yourself and others at risk of contracting a recreational water illness.
People who are completely immersed in the water and who are in the water for extended periods of time such as open-water swimmers, surfers, windsurfers, and little kids playing for hours at the shoreline, are more at risk of infection.3. Post-swim showers ensure you leave bacteria behind Showering after swimming is just as important.
Showering after swimming in a natural waterbody will help reduce your risk of contracting infections and rashes. This is because showering with warm water and soap immediately after recreational water activities helps remove bacteria from your skin’s surface and your hair. Photo by amira_a Read more here about primary and secondary recreational water contact. If you’re participating in a recreational water activity in areas where the water quality is not monitored (or you’re unaware of the results) it is especially important to shower with soap after you’re finished.
What is the cleanest lake in the United States?
Summary Of The 10 Cleanest Lakes In The United States
Lake | Location | |
---|---|---|
1 | Lake George | Lake George, New York |
2 | Crater Lake | Klamath County, Oregon |
3 | Lake Michigan | Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin |
4 | Lake Coeur d’Alene | Kootenai County, Idaho |
What city in Alabama touches the ocean?
Orange Beach Alabama’s coastline, home to the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, is an important part of the quality of life for many of the state’s citizens and one of the state’s greatest economic and environmental assets. The white, sandy beaches of the coastal towns of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores and Dauphin Island are beloved and popular vacation destinations for Alabamians and out-of-state tourists.
- The fine quality of the sand and gentleness of the surf make for some of the prettiest beaches in the world and are the top tourist destinations in the state.
- The tourism industry in south Baldwin County provides more than 50,000 jobs and generates more than $2 billion in revenue annually, and beaches are the linchpin of that industry.
Alabama’s shoreline along the Gulf of Mexico stretches for 60 miles. The tidal shoreline that borders all of the coastal bays, rivers, and bayous in Mobile and Baldwin counties extends another 600 miles, with the shoreline around Mobile Bay accounting for about 100 of those miles.
Gulf State Park, established in 1939, encompasses 6,150 acres of beaches, dunes, marshes, freshwater ponds, and forests in the city of Gulf Shores, and Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Baldwin County preserves 6,525 acres of Mobile Bay’s estuarine ecosystem for scientific and environmental study and conservation.
Coastal Geology Although human activity has played an important role in the history of the Alabama shoreline, it was created primarily by hundreds of thousands of years of geologic activity. It was during the last 10,000 years, however, that sea levels rose to their present-day elevation.
- Sea-level fluctuations, waves, erosion, and deposition are among the many geologic processes that continue to shape the modern Alabama shoreline.
- Alabama’s Gulf beach sands, which are composed almost entirely of quartz grains, washed out of the ancient Appalachian Mountains hundreds of thousands of years ago.
Subsequent sorting by waves and sea-level fluctuations have resulted in practically uniform sand grains, accounting for the high quality of the sand on the beaches. Perdido Pass Because of their constant exposure to breaking waves, wind, and storms, coastal shoreline environments, including Alabama’s, are in a constant state of change and are usually being either eroded or built up. Breaking waves move tons of sand along the Alabama coast through a process known as “littoral drift.” The dominant direction of this sand movement is from east to west, but sand moves west to east on occasion, as well.
Adding to the action of waves are geographic features such as inlets or passes (narrow stretches of water between land masses), which also affect the movement of sand along the coastline. Sand naturally works its way past most inlets in a process called “sand bypassing” on shoals outside the inlet. As a result, updrift beaches lose sand, and downdrift beaches are sustained.
Historically, Alabama had three inlets: Mobile Pass, Little Lagoon Pass, and Perdido Pass. But the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 created a new fourth inlet through Dauphin Island. Each of the passes has a significant impact on the beaches in their vicinity.
- Studies of beach erosion trends during the past four decades show a clear pattern of erosion on the western side of each of the three older inlets.
- Human Effects The location, and look, of almost all of the Alabama shoreline has been affected by human activity.
- These actions include infilling of wetlands, construction of bulkheads along the bay shorelines to serve as protective barriers to wave erosion, reconstruction of the Gulf beaches, and, primarily, engineering and dredging passes for ship channels.
These manmade waterways are a primary cause of Alabama’s beach erosion. Since 1960, more than 20 million cubic yards of sand have been removed from the beach, or littoral, system, by the dredging of Mobile Pass for the Mobile Ship Channel. Another 3 million cubic yards of sand have been dredged from the Perdido Pass Channel. Alabama White Sands The solution to Alabama’s Gulf beach erosion problem is two-fold. One approach is artificial sand bypassing, a process by which dredged sand is relocated to the beaches where it naturally would have been deposited. The second is a process known as beach nourishment, which involves adding large amounts of good-quality sand to beaches to widen them.
- This process can be used to rebuild beaches damaged in previous decades.
- The first major beach nourishment project in Alabama was undertaken by the city of Gulf Shores along two and a half miles of the central business district in 2001, at a cost of approximately $6 million.
- It was so successful that subsequent projects were implemented to enrich another 14 miles of shoreline extending through the city of Orange Beach.
These engineered beaches have been successful in two ways. First, they have saved the Gulf Shores beach that was being squeezed out between the Gulf erosion and the seawalls protecting beachfront condominiums. Second, they have reduced the damage to infrastructure, including roads and condominiums, when hurricanes have hit the coast.
- Continued beach re-nourishment, as part of a long-term beach management plan that includes sand-bypassing at the inlets, will help sustain Alabama’s beaches in the future.
- In Baldwin County, for example, initial nourishments have made up for the decades of neglect, and the volumes of sand required in the future should decrease.
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach have made similar strides. Inland Shoreline The 600 miles of tidal bay and bayou shoreline in Alabama (also primarily shaped by geology) have been affected by human activity as well. More than one-third of Mobile Bay’s shoreline has been stabilized with some type of structure.
Vertical bulkheads made from rocks, wood, and other materials are the most common shoreline protection along the bay and are popularly thought to help slow wave erosion. There is little evidence, however, that such structures actually have a beneficial effect. Erosion continues bayward of the bulkhead, and eventually, the intertidal beach (the portion of sand exposed during low tide) disappears.
Although this type of habitat is extremely valuable for fish, crabs, and oysters as well as for humans who enjoy the bay, it has been estimated that about six miles of intertidal Mobile Bay shoreline had been completely lost since 1900 because of bulkheads. Shoreline Preservation One possible solution to the bay shoreline problem is some form of “living shoreline” alternative to bulkheads that will protect upland property but also allow for some sandy beach or wetland. The idea of a “living shoreline” has as its basis the development of stable shorelines that function more naturally than a bulkhead.
- This includes sandy beaches in places where they would naturally occur (most of the bay) and emergent wetlands where they would naturally occur (upper end of the bay and many smaller bays).
- Two successful examples are experimental, artificial beaches on Mobile Bay stabilized with rock headland structures at Brookley’s Gulf Pines Golf Course in Mobile, built in 1998, and at Marriott’s Grand Resort Hotel in Point Clear, built in 2001.
Current federal and state regulations allow implementation of living shorelines through a regional, programmatic permit. Alabama’s Living Shorelines General Permit (ALG10) provides for the preservation and restoration of dunes, beaches, wetlands, and submerged grassbeds, protection and propagation of essential fish habitat, and shoreline restoration and nourishment.
- Owing to the dynamic and variable nature of various shoreline types, to the maximum extent possible, guidelines recommend that shoreline stabilization be accomplished by the establishment of vegetation communities representative of the targeted habitat.
- The 2010 oil spill in the Gulf had a serious impact on Alabama’s coast.
Oil washed ashore several times along many of the Gulf beaches and some of the coastal bay shorelines between late June and August 2010. The economic and ecological effects of that spill have yet to be fully determined. Additional Resources Douglass, S.L.
Is Lake Guntersville a good place to live?
Lake Living Located on the southernmost point of the Tennessee River, Guntersville is an inviting and charming city. Guntersville offers citizens and newcomers a warm and friendly community with an excellent quality of life, an exceptional school system, a thriving arts circle, numerous recreational opportunities, and great shopping and dining experiences.
The area maintains an overall cost of living below the national average, and property taxes are relatively low. Guntersville offers a vast selection of attractive homes, golf course communities, established neighborhoods, and new subdivisions. Guntersville was chosen by Relocate America as one of the “100 Best Places to Live in America”.
Guntersville has also been featured in Southern Living, Sports Illustrated, Reader’s Digest, Where to Retire, and Field & Stream magazines, © 2021 Lake Guntersville Chamber. All Rights Reserved. : Lake Living
What is Guntersville Alabama known for?
ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN ALABAMA – If you’re looking for fun things to do in Huntsville, AL or North Alabama, you must visit nearby Guntersville, AL. Most people come to Lake Guntersville for fishing and water sports or to visit the scenic Guntersville State Park,
Written by Teresa Staggs Teresa lives in and loves Guntersville, AL. When she’s not traveling the globe, you can find her helping Guntersville residents and travelers relax in her luxury day spa, The Soak House & Soapery, by day and soaking in the gorgeous Lake Guntersville sunsets with her family by night. day-spa
What ocean surrounds Alabama?
The Gulf of Mexico is located below the southeastern portion of the United States. It borders the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida as well as the island of Cuba and parts of Mexico.