RESTORE Act funding supports port-led wetland creation in Alabama
Alabama is set to benefit from major coastal restoration investments after Governor Kay Ivey announced on June 11th that the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council approved more than $403 million in funding across Gulf Coast states, including $87 million for projects in Alabama.
Within this broader funding envelope, the Alabama Port Authority is playing a key role in advancing a significant wetland creation initiative in Mobile Bay. The project has secured $24 million for its first phase, which will enable the Alabama Port Authority to use dredged material from its operations to build a 100-acre (40.5 hectares) restoration cell in Upper Mobile Bay.
This initiative positions the Alabama Port Authority to directly link its dredging activities with environmental outcomes. Sediment generated through berth dredging at the Port of Mobile will be retained within the bay and repurposed to create estuarine marsh, restore habitat and strengthen the long-term resilience of the ecosystem.
The wetland creation effort forms part of a larger plan to establish 1,200 acres (485.6 hectares) of tidal wetlands and is described as one of the largest coastal restoration projects in Alabama’s history.
Photo: Alabama Port Authority, LinkedIn