HELMS GRAVEL PIT Stormwater Outfall, Sulligent, Alabama

HELMS GRAVEL PIT is a stormwater outfall located off County Road 35, 0.75 miles from CR16, in Sulligent, Lamar County, Alabama, United States. The facility is operational and serves as a point of discharge for stormwater runoff from the surrounding area, which includes gravel mining operations (NAICS 212321). As a stormwater outfall, it is part of the broader network of regulated stormwater discharges under the US Clean Water Act. The facility operates within the regulatory context of the US EPA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permits. In Alabama, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) administers the NPDES program. Stormwater outfalls like HELMS GRAVEL PIT are typically subject to permit requirements that include monitoring of discharge quality and implementation of best management practices to control pollutants. The environmental significance of HELMS GRAVEL PIT lies in its role in managing stormwater runoff from an industrial site. Gravel pits can generate sediment-laden runoff, which may impact local water bodies if not properly controlled. The facility's location in a rural area of Lamar County suggests that the receiving waters may be small streams or tributaries. Proper operation and maintenance of this outfall help protect water quality in the region.

The facility is located in Lamar County, Alabama, a rural area with mixed agricultural and forestry land uses. Stormwater runoff from gravel mining operations can carry sediment, which is a common pollutant that can impair aquatic habitats. The receiving waters are likely small streams that eventually drain into the Tombigbee River basin. Under the Clean Water Act, discharges from industrial stormwater outfalls must comply with effluent limitations and monitoring requirements to minimize environmental impact.