If you're planning a trip to Alabama's beautiful Gulf Coast for spring break or summer vacation, you'll find many changes for the better, including beach restoration projects in Baldwin County on the east end of Dauphin Island and west of Little Lagoon Pass. Please expect to see. To the Florida-Alabama line.

“It's great to see our beaches revitalized. From the Florida line through Gulf State Park and Gulf Shores to west of Little Lagoon Pass, Baldwin County's beaches contain millions of cubic yards. We have an influx of fresh, clean sand,” said Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship. “There is also a lot of sand moving on Dauphin Island. In 2023, a new island and wetland will be created on the north side of central Dauphin Island in Gravelin Bay. The East End Regeneration Project, which is just underway, will More than 1 million cubic yards of sand will be introduced.

“The Corps of Engineers will dredge sand from the inner channel to close Drury Pass on Little Dauphin Island and conduct engineering and design work to add millions of cubic yards of sand to the West End of Dauphin Island by around 2025. We are funding it.” All of these efforts in the region around Dauphin Island will be great for preserving the ecological and cultural benefits that Dauphin Island brings to our region. ”

The engineered beach restoration project involves pumping more than 3 million cubic yards of sand from near shore to the Alabama coast. These projects also include raising dune heights, planting vegetation, and constructing sand fences, and are supported by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), NFWF (National Fish and Wildlife Foundation) Gulf Coast Environmental Benefits Fund ( GEBF), and state and local dollars.

Bill Bennett, general manager of the Gulf State Park Lodge, said that while the beach restoration project may cause some inconvenience while it is being worked on, it will be of great benefit to the future of the Alabama Gulf Coast. He said the beaches where he has lived face the same reality of coastal erosion and require coastal restoration projects like those underway in Alabama.

“This project is truly amazing to witness,” Bennett said. “It caused some disruption for a few people who were staying overnight, but they walked along the eastern promenade and watched as boats came in and pumped sand onto the beach and bulldozers moved sand into place. When you see them, you see the natural habitat expanding and protecting all of the northern coastlines. That's what the dunes are designed for. It's really humbling to watch. Masu.

“There was a couple who came from Mobile looking for a few days of peace and they had no problems. Like me, they thought it was fascinating to see. They focused on the positive aspects rather than creating chaos.”

Bennett praised the work the city, county and Department of Conservation have done to ensure the beach's vitality.

“I've lived all over the country and this country has some of the most beautiful beaches,” he said. “Looking at the nutritional supplements shows their commitment to the protection of this natural asset. This makes us proud of our commitment to sustainable environmental and economic management. , ensuring it will be here for our children and grandchildren for years to come.”

The Baldwin County project has completed work at Gulf Shores and Gulf State Park and has just begun pumping sand from Orange Beach beaches. Continue until you reach the Florida-Alabama line.

Phillip West, director of coastal resources for the City of Orange Beach, said the current coastal restoration is not as extensive as the one completed in 2005 after Hurricane Ivan, with more than 3 million yards covered to reduce storm damage. He said sand was used.

“The current project will use approximately 650,000 yards of material in Orange Beach,” West said. “This project is not as large as the post-Hurricane Ivan project because the beach conditions are not as bad as they were after Hurricane Ivan. The project aims to repair storm damage and repair normal erosion. The project includes repairing cracks in the dunes, planting sea oats, and installing sand fencing.

“Until Ivan came along, we had never done beach replenishment, and it has proven itself. By maintaining our beaches and providing regular replenishment, we are able to keep our beaches safe in the eyes of FEMA. Looks like the “artificial beach” designation can be maintained. If you keep it that way, if a catastrophe occurs, FEMA will pay to repair the damage. ”

In good news for anglers visiting the Orange Beach area, the fishing area on the west side of Perdido Pass has been renovated and is once again partially open to anglers and tourists. The area directly below the Perdido Pass Bridge remains closed due to ongoing construction.

“This is a great place to fish,” West said. “There's only one place like it in Alabama. It's a very iconic place to me, but it's even better for people who like to fish and watch the boats passing through the passes and the dolphins playing in the coastal waters. This is a great partnership with Orange Beach and the Alabama Department of Conservation. We have staff on hand to maintain it, and keeping it usable and attractive is our number one priority. is the profit.

“For shore anglers, this is probably the easiest location for people with mobility issues. If you're in a wheelchair, just roll a few feet and drop your line in the water. If you have mobility issues, just roll over a few feet and drop your line in the water. I think this is a really important area to have access to because these options are limited for people.”

In Mobile County, the Dauphin Island Beach Restoration Project will restore approximately 2.5 miles of beach shoreline and approximately 85 acres of beach and dune habitat on this 24-mile barrier island that protects a portion of the Alabama Gulf Coast. East End beaches protect the Audubon Bird Sanctuary and other upland resources from beach erosion caused by storms. The project will protect an additional 50 acres of beach and dune habitat, marine forest and freshwater lakes within the Dauphin Island East End Bird Sanctuary.

“Repairs on the East End should begin within the next few weeks,” Dauphin Island Mayor Jeff Collier said. “Contractors are assembling a dredging pipeline. They plan to move 1.1 million cubic yards of sand to 1.5 miles of shoreline, which won't go all the way to the golf course. We also plan to rehabilitate the dune system with fences.

“The emphasis in all of this is on habitat protection and creation. One of the key things is protecting bird sanctuary assets that are under threat of being violated by storms. . Saltwater intrusion can transform entire ecosystems from freshwater habitats.”

Collier said he is grateful for NFWF's funding of the $25 million project. The project he plans to complete in three to four months.

“We really think this is a great project for a variety of reasons,” he said. “There will be more beach areas for people to enjoy, and at the same time there will be more habitat for animals such as birds and sea turtles. It covers all the bases.

“We are simply asking beachgoers and boaters to be aware of construction activity. Please be aware of this and stay away from construction sites. It will be installed on land. It will be very interesting to see, but we ask that you keep a safe distance.”

In other news from Baldwin County, Gulf State Park facilities continue to be upgraded.

Lamar Pendergrass, South Region Operations Supervisor for Alabama State Parks, said the Romer Beach access area will reopen soon and renovation work on the Gulf State Park Pavilion will begin soon.

“For the past few months, we've been building a bathhouse at Lomar Beach,” Pendergrass said. “We have added approximately 40 parking spaces. We believe that by adding a public bath, we will be able to provide an even more comfortable experience for everyone using Lomar Beach. Showers will also be added to the promenade leading to the beach.

“At the pavilion, in addition to the renovations we've done so far, we're going to completely renovate the restrooms and the pavilion. We're going to redo the whole restroom area. We're going to give the bridal room more love.”

Pendergrass said new cabins on Lake Shelby are nearing completion and will offer visitors the opportunity to rent 32 cabins and cottages on the lake, as well as four cottages in the woods. This project included rebuilding the original 17 cabins destroyed in Hurricane Sally and adding three additional cabins.

“We did a walk-through once in the new cabin,” he said. “We have another inspection in the middle of this month. We are looking for cabins to rent in March. Cabins can be reserved online. www.eaglecottagesatgsp.com.

“The new cabins have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a bunk room for the kids with a TV for entertainment. We also have a washer and dryer under each cabin. We also added a new laundry room. These are truly first class cabins and will be a great addition to Gulf State Park.”

David Reiner is an award-winning author who has spent 25 years covering Alabama's great outdoors.Former outdoor eddieThor in mobile press registrationhe writes for Outdoor Alabama, the Alabama Department of State website. Conservation and Natural Resources.