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A Brief History of Perdido Bay by Jim Lane
Perdido Bay apparently got its name because the mouth of the bay was very narrow and made a sudden turn before opening up into the larger bay. This made the bay hard to find by a ship moving along the coast. Rumor has it that pirates of the 17th and 18th centuries buried treasure on the shores of the bay because it was difficult to find, and shoals in the narrow mouth made entering the bay a tricky maneuver. There have been repeated rumors that people have located buried treasure in shallow areas of the bay after a storm washed away sand leaving the treasure uncovered, but the rumors haven't been confirmed. Since the states of Florida and Alabama both regard any treasure found in the water as property of the state, it's very likely that anyone finding treasure in the water would remove it secretly.
The mouth of the bay has shifted positions many times in recorded history. No doubt this occurred after hurricanes passed through the area. A map - the source of which I have forgotten - shows the shifts in the mouth since 1867. Unfortunately the map is very difficult to read, but it appears that at the 1911 mapping, the bay had two mouths.
Gertrude (Mrs. Daniel B.) Smith, a former resident on Perdido Bay (and one of the original members of Friends
of Perdido Bay) reports in a history of Millview (1)
that at one time [apparently during the 1800's] the mouth of the
bay was closed and the bay was so fresh that it was "covered with lily pads." She continues that "during a siege
of malaria, J. C. Heinrichs and five men dug out the mouth of the bay with spades." Her history does not tell
how the flow of the Perdido River and other tributaries was getting to the Gulf, but it is possible that it was going
through Big Lagoon. Logging was a big industry on the bay for many years, and for part of the time, logs were
moved to Pensacola Bay by taking them through a manmade cut dug approximately where the intracoastal
waterway now connects Perdido Bay and Big Lagoon. A reprint of an 1888 article, A Visit to Death Lake, Florida, (apparently from Outing Magazine) in a fairly recent
book (2) tells of Army Lieutenant Hamilton's visit to the headwaters of Perdido River. He describes paddling with
his guide on the upper part of the river: "either side of stream was bounded by the swamp. Huge cypress trees
lifted their weird limbs upward, and long streamers of trailing moss floated from them, and even at times formed
a swinging arch across the entire width of the stream." After paddling a "torturous channel" through the swamp,
at about noon they reached "Death Lake" a place where there was "no sign of life anywhere...even the water was
lifeless...." Hamilton used a weighted line and a "sea trolley" to measure the depth of the lake, but his 250 foot
line would not reach the bottom. Despite the lifeless look of the water and the green slime on top, they started
fishing, using cane poles and 30-foot lines. In about two hours they caught enough bream to "nearly fill our
boat," and left about two o'clock to avoid "those poisonous vapors that killed all animal life." The lieutenant
writes that he wanted to visit the lake again until, about two weeks after his visit, he came down with "the terrible
'swamp fever,'" and after a fight for his life, "lost all desire to ever see the horrible place again." The sawmills at Millview closed down about the turn of the twentieth century, and the shores of the bay
remained largely unsettled until the 1940's. There were few houses that fronted the bay. From my recollection,
there was an average of about one house per quarter mile along Lillian Highway in Florida. The Innerarity
peninsula had some settlement, quite a bit of which was weekend cottages I have been told. I don't know much
about the Alabama shore, but from observing the age of houses now there, it appears to have been sparsely
inhabited too. There has been a small community at the mouth of Soldiers Creek for some time. It would be
interesting to get the history of that community before those who remember it are gone. The 1940's and the Second World War brought the construction of Bronson Field and Saufley Field, both on the
shores of Perdido Bay. Bronson Field was to have been a seaplane training base using the bay for takeoffs and
landings - the seaplane ramps are still there, but I don't think that they were ever used for seaplanes. Many of the
Navy men rented houses near the bay. Some of them rented houses at "Paradise Beach," a small subdivision just
north of the Lillian bridge on the Florida side. Next to the subdivision was the Paradise Beach Hotel, which had
been built during WW I and had gained some measure of fame. It was the center of social life for Navy
personnel at Bronson Field. The subdivision is still there, and the hotel continued to be used for several years
after Bronson was closed in 1946, but without the all the Navy personnel nearby, it eventually was closed. Life along the bay during the early 40's was relaxed but perhaps not too easy for those who tried to earn a living
from the bay. [See the section of the web site for personal recollections.] Although fish were plentiful,
commercial fishing was not intensive. At least in the upper part of the bay, which is where I lived, you would
see a "mullet boat" every two or three days. These were flat bottomed wooden boats about 14 to 16 feet long,
and were "poled" along - moved through the water by the fisherman pushing on the bottom with a wooden pole
about 10 feet long. He usually had oars too, but you rarely saw the oars in use. Once in a while you'd see a
mullet boat powered by a small inboard engine. On the back four feet of the boat was a platform even with the
gunwale. The net was piled in an accordion fold on the platform. When the fisherman spotted fish - usually a
school of mullet - he would lay the end of the net on the shore, weighted so it would stay. Then he would pole
the boat around the school of fish, letting the net be pulled from the boat as he went, ending up with the boat
pulled up on shore about 200 feet from the beginning end of the net. The fisherman invariable made the circle so
that when the boat got to shore almost all of the net had been put in the water. Then he would get out of the boat
and wade into the circled area, whacking his pole on the surface of the water, scaring the fish into the net. A few
mullet would always jump over the net, but more would get caught in it. They used "trammel" nets. The nets
had two layers. One layer had a very coarse mesh - the squares were about four or five inches on a side. The
other layer was a finer mesh - squares about 3/4 inches on a side. The net was laid so that the fine layer was
toward the inside of the circle. When the fish ran into the net they would push the fine mesh through the coarse
mesh and would be caught in the bag that was formed. Since the fishermen usually tried to circle mullet, they
usually caught mostly mullet, but they would also catch croakers, pinfish, flounder, red fish and an occasional
black bass, bream, or catfish. The water in the bay near the mouths of creeks was fresh enough that freshwater
fish were in the bay as well as in the creeks. Despite signs at both ends of the Lillian bridge stating "Fishing Prohibited on Bridge," the bridge was usually
lined with fishermen and women on the weekends despite the narrow width of the bridge and the lack of any
shoulder or walkway. When a car came by - not too often in those days - all the fishermen would climb up on
the 8-inch wide curb. This was a time before everyone had rods and reels. Many fished with hand lines. The
catch was usually croakers, red fish, pin fish, catfish, and speckled trout. The speckled trout were usually caught
on lures, many of them home made. A "red head" was by far the most popular. The trout would appear in
schools, in their feeding frenzy driving the bait fish to the surface. The shout would be heard "Trout!", and those
with rods and reels would run to the part of the bridge near the feeding trout and start casting. They usually
caught several before the trout stopped feeding. The 1940's also brought the paper mill in Cantonment. It was started as the Florida Pulp and Paper Company,
first producing paper in 1941. The story is that the mill was originally going to be built in Santa Rosa County,
but the final choice was Cantonment, so the mill was situated in such a way that it would discharge into Eleven
Mile Creek, which flows into Perdido Bay. [A separate section will be added to the web site giving the history of
the paper mill.] In 1946 the mill merged with St. Regis Paper Company, which was bought out by Champion
International in 1984, which was bought out by International Paper Company in 2000. The effect of the paper
mill on Eleven Mile Creek and Perdido Bay became evident as production increased in the 1940's and 50's. The
water turned a dark reddish brown, and swimmers in the upper bay would emerge from the water coated with
reddish brown fibers. Aquatic vegetation disappeared, and the number of fish and minnows decreased
noticeably. During the 50's and 60's more houses were built along the bay, and several small sewage treatment plants were
privately built along Marcus Creek to serve housing subdivisions. The requirements for discharge were lax (this
was before the "Clean Water" act), and these treatment plants contributed a small amount of pollutants to the bay
- very little in comparison to the paper mill. As a result of complaints by residents, an evaluation of the quality of the water of Perdido River, Eleven Mile
Creek and Perdido Bay was made by the Florida State Board of Health in 1966 and 1967 (3). Curiously, the report
made no recommendations, but among the "Conclusions" of the report are: - "Perdido River is a normal and healthy stream." - "Eleven Mile Creek is grossly polluted chemically and biologically, by the discharge of waste from the St.
Regis Paper Company operation." - "Discharge of treated domestic waste to Marcus Creek is taxing the assimilation capacity of the stream." - "During those seasons of the year with high temperature and prevailing southerly wind, the chemical influence
of the discharge of Eleven Mile Creek can be noted as far south as Lillian Highway Bridge (Hwy. 98)." - An evaluation of the chemical and biological parameters of Perdido Bay, South of Highway 98, indicate that
the area is free from pollution." - "All areas of this survey are subjected to acute bacteriological loading during periods of heavy rainfall and land
runoff." Despite the conclusions made in the Florida Board of Health Survey, the bay continued to deteriorate. It seemed
that local political powers in Florida were not interested in any action by the state that would require the paper
mill or the small treatment plants to improve their operation. The tax dollars from the mill were going into tax
coffers on the Florida side, and the economic benefits of the mill were felt by local businesses; however, those on
the Alabama side were not enjoying these benefits. On "April 7, 1969, the Southeast Region of the Federal
Water Pollution Control Administration received a request for technical assistance from the Director, Technical
Staff, Alabama Water Improvement Commission in evaluating water quality conditions and waste sources in
Perdido Bay. An investigation of waste sources and a detailed study of the bay and its major tributaries were
conducted during the period of September 9-17, 1969." (4) A very brief summary of the conclusions and recommendations of the report of the investigation is given here.
[For more detail see the soon-to-be-added section of the website on the history of the paper mill.] Among the
"Conclusions" were: "The inadequately treated waste effluent from the St. Regis Paper Company at Cantonment, Florida is the major
cause of the low dissolved oxygen, unsightly foam, excessive sludge deposits, and increased lignin in Perdido
Bay and River, as well as degraded water quality in Eleven Mile Creek." (5) "The average biochemical oxygen demand content of the wastes discharged from the St. Regis holding ponds is
equivalent to a population of 330,000. This compares to a population equivalent of 840 discharged collectively
from the six treatment plants on Bayou Marcus, Florida and 6,850 from the Perdido River above the tidal
influence. St. Regis discharges 98% of the biochemical oxygen demand from all point sources to Perdido Bay
including the Perdido River input." (6) Among the recommendations of the report are: "An overall removal efficiency of 90% for carbonaceous waste material from the St. Regis Paper Company....All
settleable solids be removed." (7) "St. Regis Paper Company in cooperation with the Florida Department of Air and Water Pollution Control make
a feasibility study of construction of an essentially closed system involving recirculation, treatment and reuse of
its process water. This report shall be submitted to the Conferees by January 1, 1971." (8) Also in the body of the report it is noted: "In summary, St. Regis contributes 99.7% of the five day BOD, 97.5% of the TOD, 71.9% of the total Kjeldahl
nitrogen, 99.1% of the total organic carbon and 45.1% of the total phosphate discharge from all point sources of
wasted in the study area exclusive of the input of the Perdido River." (9) The first bridge over the mouth of Perdido Bay was built in the 1950's. During the 1970's a higher and longer
bridge was built and the mouth was dredged by the Army Corps of Engineers in conjunction with the
construction of jetties and a special basin to collect sand drifting from east to west to help keep the channel open.
Periodically the sand in the basin is dredged over to the west of the western jetty. It had been thought by many
people that the deepening and widening of the mouth would increase the flushing in the bay and ease the
pollution problems, but things didn't work that way. The increased tidal flow caused a rise in the average
salinity of the bay's water, contributing to a change in the overall ecology of the bay and its tributaries. Prior to
the dredging most of the tributaries had large areas of lily pads close to the mouth providing habitat for
freshwater species. The lily pads are no longer to be found until you go far up the tributaries. Salt water species
of fish such as mackerel, lady fish, and even an occasional tarpon have been caught in the upper bay. Some
people attribute the ecological changes in the bay to the conversion by the paper mill in the 1980's to 100%
bleached paper. Probably both the dredging of the mouth and changes made by the paper mill contributed to
changes. So much happens in an estuary that its impossible to scientifically pin point the cause of all changes. The lack of improvement of water quality in the bay brought public opposition to an application for renewal of
Champion's state permit in 1987. A grass-roots organization called the Perdido Bay Environmental Association
(PBEA) was formed by long-time mill critic Jo Anne Allen, Jackie Lane and others. Several members of the
organization (as well as other citizens) filed for an Administrative Hearing contesting the issuance of the permit
which would have allowed the mill to discharge effluent that did not meet state standards for water quality.
During preparation for the hearing, PBEA split, with a splinter group forming Friends of Perdido Bay (FOPB).
Champion tried to negotiate with both groups, but was only successful with FOPB. Members of that group who
had filed for the hearing agreed to withdraw from the administrative hearing in return for funding by Champion
of an independent scientific study of the bay. PBEA continued through the administrative hearing which resulted
in an order by the hearing officer that the mill be allowed to continue operation but develop and institute changes
that would bring it in full compliance with state standards by 1994. Champion did fund a study of the bay. It was directed by Dr. Robert Livingston, a professor at Florida State
University, and reportedly cost $5 million. The study report concluded that the mill was having a large effect on
Eleven Mile Creek, but only a minimal effect on Perdido Bay. The report conclusions were strongly contested
by many, including members of FOPB who had agreed to the study in return for withdrawing from the hearing.
A review of the report by knowledgeable scientists supported the objections to the report's conclusions. As of 2004 the mill had not come into full compliance with state standards for water quality. After failing at an
attempt to obtain a permit in the mid 1990's which would still contain "variances" allowing the mill to discharge
effluent not meeting state standards, Champion tried a new tack. In May of 1997 Champion announced that it
was initiating a study of a plan to pipe the mill's effluent to Escambia River, which is in the Escambia-Pensacola
Bay system. This would effectively remove all the mill's effluent from the Perdido Bay system and put it in the
Escambia Pensacola Bay system which was larger and could probably tolerate the paper mill waste better than
Perdido Bay. Dr. Robert Livingston, who had directed the Perdido Bay study was hired to do a study of
Escambia Bay to determine if the effluent would damage that bay. The announcement brought a fire-storm of
opposition from residents on the Escambia-Pensacola Bay system, who considered this a step in the wrong
direction because much effort had put into reducing pollution of that system. A lawyer, Mike Papantonio, who
had property on Escambia Bay (or River) personally paid about $40,000 for TV ads to fight the plan. Champion
announced in February of 1999 that it was "suspending" it's plan to route effluent to the Escambia River. The
formal report by Dr. Livingston concluded that he couldn't be sure that the effluent wouldn't cause harm to
Escambia Bay. During the time Champion and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection were negotiating to
determine how to give the mill a permit without getting involved in another administrative hearing, residents
along the bay decided to try another route to get the mill to stop its pollution of the bay. In 1994 a class action
lawsuit was filed against Champion. The suit was spearheaded by Jackie Lane, president of FOPB with the help
of Mary Murchison, a local lawyer, who associated a law firm in Birmingham to take the case. (The Murchison
family had owned property on the bay near Soldier's Creek for many years.) The suit ended in a settlement in
which Champion paid $5 million to the class. Class representatives, Jackie Lane, Jim Lane (Jackie's husband), and Bob Donnenwirth, with help and advice
from Mary Murchison, developed a plan for starting a foundation, asking members of the class to contribute a
portion of their settlement money to help protect and improve Perdido Bay. Individual letters were sent to all
class members asking for donations. From these donations the Perdido Bay Foundation was formed and is now
administered by a board of concerned citizens. A plan emerged in 1999 to close the Pensacola Main Street sewage treatment plant, divert the sewage to a new
ECUA plant near the paper mill, use the treated effluent as "process water" in the paper mill, treat the mill
effluent and then discharge it in "wetlands" somewhere near the Perdido River. The plan was attributed to
Bobby Cooley, then District Director for Florida DEP. The plan was strongly criticized by Perdido Bay
proponents. Actually the plan was little more than an idea, but it got the support of three powerful groups: 1)
those who had been advocating the closure of the Main Street Plant for years, 2) those on Pensacola Bay system
who advocated stopping discharge by the plant into the bay, and 3) the paper mill. After some massaging of the plan, it emerged with somewhat different features: the ECUA sewage treatment
plant would have a capacity of only 5 million gallons per day (mgd), the mill might use the ECUA effluent as
process water, and the pipe - with a capacity of 37.5 mgd - would carry the mill and sewage plant effluent to a
discharge area near the mouth of Eleven Mile Creek where it would be impounded by a series of dikes and then
discharged through pipes and let run into the bay and creek. The plan was strongly backed by DEP. A formal
announcement of the plan was made by David Struhs (Secretary of Florida DEP) at the Navy's Bronson
Recreation Area, which fronts on Perdido Bay. The new mill owner, International Paper (IP), seemed to be very
interested in the plan, but ECUA did not seem as enthusiastic; however, after some strong, behind-the-scenes
pushing by David Struhs, the ECUA board voted to support the plan October 1, 2002. Within four months of this vote Struhs announced that he was leaving DEP to become Vice President for
Environmental Affairs at IP. Many people including some members of the ECUA board expressed their distress
at this apparent conflict of interest. [St. Pete Times link] Moreover, just six months before the ECUA vote,
Bobby Cooley left DEP to work at CarlanKillam, a local engineering firm. In the early part of 2003, ECUA
formed a "Select Committee" to determine the best approach to take with regards to the Main Street plant.
CarlanKillam (since acquired by Hatch-Mott-McDonald) was chosen by the Select Committee to do the
engineering studies. It didn't surprise many people who were following the process that all three of the
alternatives recommended in the engineering study involved using the IP-ECUA pipeline to send 5 mgd to
Perdido Bay. As of this writing (August 2004), DEP is still reviewing the latest version of a proposed mill permit which now
includes the pipe-it-to-the-bay plan along with improved treatment of the effluent before it enters the pipe. DEP
is still reviewing various versions of the mill permit (as it has been for nine years now). ECUA has not decided
what it will do, although it has a written agreement with IP to participate in the overall plan. [For more details
see the soon-to-be-added section on the IP-ECUA plan on this website.] Meanwhile, Perdido Bay's condition continues to deteriorate. 1. 1.
2. 2. Tales of Old Florida; published by Castle, a division of Book Sales, Inc.; Secaucus, NJ 1987
3. 3. 4. 4. 5. 5. Ibid, p 2
6. 6. Ibid, p 3
7. 7. Ibid, p 5
8. 8. Ibid, p 5
9. 9. Ibid, p17
