Birmingham, AL Environmental Rules: Coastal Development (2026)

Jefferson County has no coastline and no coastal development regulations. Located in north-central Alabama approximately 250 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico, the county sits in the Appalachian foothills transitioning to the Piedmont province. The highest point in Jefferson County is Red Mountain (approximately 1,100 ft elevation) and Shades Mountain - these are erosion-resistant sandstone ridges created by the same tectonic events that built the Appalachians. Alabama's coastal regulations under the Alabama Coastal Area Management Program (ACAMP, Ala. Code §9-7-10 et seq.) apply only to Mobile and Baldwin counties, administered by ADEM's Coastal Section. Jefferson County residents who own property in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Dauphin Island, or Fort Morgan would face ACAMP regulations there including the Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL), dune setbacks, and beach access easement requirements. Locally, Jefferson County's water bodies are inland rivers (Warrior, Cahaba), creeks (Village, Valley, Five Mile, Turkey), and man-made lakes (Lake Purdy for Birmingham Water Works, Cahaba River Reservoir). No tidal waters exist within the county. FEMA flood zones around inland rivers and creeks have separate regulation under the environmental/flood-zones subcategory. Coastal regulations simply do not apply to any Jefferson County property.