$5.9 million earmarked for Little Lagoon restoration

$5.9 million earmarked for Little Lagoon restoration

At the June 13 City Council Meeting, Gulf Shores City Council voted to execute an agreement with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ACDNR) for the Little Lagoon Restoration Project.
Due to the direct and significant impact the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill had on Little Lagoon and adjacent coastal areas in 2010, the City was awarded $5.9 million in RESTORE funding for the project.
During the five-year project, the City will partner with Auburn University, the University of South Alabama, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, and Mississippi State University to implement several environmental programs that will improve water quality, increase and enhance habitat areas and improve ecological productivity. In addition, the project will have secondary beneficial impacts on the region, including more resilient and sustainable infrastructure and increased recreational and ecotourism opportunities.
Specific Goals Of Programs Include:
• The construction of approximately 1000 feet of living shorelines and shoreline habitat
• Improvements to the hydrology of the existing canal system
• The connection of roughly 200 individual septic systems within the Little Lagoon watershed to the city sewer
• The establishment of an oyster restoration program.
• Marsh and seagrass bed restoration
• Hydrodynamic modeling of Little Lagoon
• Ecological research and long-term monitoring by university partners
As the sole sub-recipient, the City will administer funding and provide oversight to the sub-awardees throughout the project, and act as the overall program manager for the seven individual programs.
Project teams will also work with local community groups, including the Little Lagoon Preservation Society and Gulf Shores High School’s Sustainability Academy, to develop volunteer and public outreach opportunities.
LLPS President Dennis Hatfield said he is especially optimistic about growing the oyster restoration program, connecting septic tanks to the city sewer system and the construction of living shorelines as an alternative to bulkheads and a more efficient way of protecting shorelines while providing numerous habitat benefits to Little Lagoon.
“I certainly wouldn’t discount the other items in the project. They are all pretty well thought out and most important,’’ he said. “But educating the next generation to understand the importance of preserving and protecting the Lagoon would be real high on my list. We are working hard on that with City Schools and that seems to be real important to COGS and Gulf Shores City Schools leaders.’’