Alabama residents seek answers after lake closure

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — West Mobile County residents are demanding answers after being forced to find a new place to fish.

The Mobile Area Water and Sewer System closed Big Creek Lake to fishing last month. Residents hope the MAWSS will reconsider. Several residents packed Hill Spring Baptist Church on Tuesday night with one goal in mind.

“We’re just trying to get our lake back opened up,” resident Heath Hutchinson said.

The MAWSS closed off the lake in February, which prevented fishermen from enjoying their favorite pastime. The decision upset several fishermen, as the love of fishing runs deep in many families.

“My earliest memories of fishing were on Big Creek Lake, and my dad taught me to fish on Big Creek Lake,” resident Alvin Hutchinson said. “Back then, there were three camps on it, and that’s just a part of our heritage out here in west Mobile.”

“The fact that I think that they closed the lake is this stupid,” resident Huntleigh Parker exclaimed.

Matthew Frazier, who founded the group Take Back Big Creek Lake from MAWSS, led Tuesday night’s meeting.

“When I got home from work, and I saw that y’all posted that it was closed permanently,” Frazier said, “I knew I had to do something.”

WKRG News 5 reached out to the MAWSS to ask about its decision, and a spokesperson told WKRG it closed the lake to help preserve the water.

Some residents don’t believe that answer.

“They’re not giving a reasonable excuse to close it,” resident Missy Gates said.

Former Mobile County commissioner and current Mobile mayoral candidate Steve Nodine believes a better resolution could have been reached before abruptly closing off the lake.

“We certainly understand some of the concerns about the protection of the drinking supply,” Nodine said. “But we also know that these people have protected that drinking supply for decades without incident, by the way.

“And again, if there’s a compromise to be made and some, maybe a big creek conservation group, that can come and work with MAWSS to open the lake back up, maybe we can get that accomplished.”

Ultimately, residents hope they can enjoy their lake again.

“There is no problem that’s permanent,” Frazier said. “Other municipalities can take care of their lakes and manage them properly, and for them to say that is closed permanently … we’re not going for that.”