Beach Renourishment Project

UPDATE:

At the July Gulf Shores City Council meeting, the Beach Restoration Project was approved and the bid was awarded to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company. The initiative consists of $17 million worth of projects to add and enhance the shoreline, dunes, and turtle protections. The project is set to begin this month in Gulf Shores with sea turtle monitoring and is scheduled to begin in Orange Beach in February. Estimated completion is April 2024.

The project will repair damage in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and the Gulf State Park, to the engineered beaches during Hurricanes Nate and Sally. The engineered beach system is designed to protect structures and infrastructure, provide more recreational beaches, and create vital habitats for shoreline birds, the Alabama beach mouse, and sea turtles.

Between 2001 and 2004, the City invested approximately $18M to construct the first engineered beach projects, now recognized by FEMA as City infrastructure. As long as the City periodically reinvests in restoration projects, damages due to a declared disaster are reimbursable by FEMA/AEMA. FEMA/AEMA will reimburse 87.5% of the costs related to Hurricane Nate and 95% of the costs related to Hurricane Sally. The City’s costs will be funded through the 2% lodging tax that was instituted to maintain the city’s engineered beaches.

The full project schedule:

• September: Begin turtle monitoring and nest relocations as necessary

• October: Mobilization of equipment

• November: Start beach restoration east of Little Lagoon Pass, the most critically impacted area

• December: Start beach restoration west of Little Lagoon Pass

• January: Start beach restoration of Gulf State Park

• February: Start beach restoration of Romar Beach

• March: Start beach restoration of Perdido Key

• April: Demobilize equipment