Following up on a plan hatched in 2017, the City of Orange Beach and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have begun restoration work on natural areas on two islands just north of Perdido Pass.

“During holidays, the islands host well over 500 boats at a single point in time and upwards of 6-8 million visitors annually, with visitation numbers only increasing,” a website dedicated to the project states. “Their popularity has impacted wildlife habitats and water quality in the area as a result of erosion from boat wakes, damage to seagrass, disturbance to nesting birds and their habitat, and increasing marine debris and human waste.”

Judy Haner with The Nature Conservancy said the work will include not only restoration of natural areas that serve as breeding grounds for several important marine species, but will also add beach and dune areas as well.

“On Robinson, we’re looking at adding just over seven acres,” Haner said. “We are doing three acres of marsh, with some restoration of the existing marsh that’s there. It’s kind of drowning right now. To do that, we will have some thin-layer placement of sand in that marsh system and will add on to that marsh. So across the entire island, we’re looking at about three acres of marsh, and then three acres of dune habitat and finally about an acre of subtidal habitat underwater sand shoal.”

Walker Island has several critical marshlands and seagrass beds around it is posted with “no motor” signs in many of the areas surrounding the island. This project will help protect and add to those areas and the shorelines as well.

“On Walker, the western area is going to be four acres of subtidal shoals, five acres of shrub-scrub habitat and one acre of higher upland area,” Haner said. “The eastern portion is going to enhance the marsh that’s already there and add another acre of marsh, an acre of subtidal shoals, eight acres of the scrub-shrub habitat, and three acres of uplands on the east end of Walker. That’ll be more than 20 acres of marsh.”

Equipment is being mobilized later this month, the team has fenced off sensitive areas, and surveying will start soon on the islands, leaving people wondering what’s happening there.

“It’s my understanding that folks are thinking ‘Wow, this is going to be a development,’” Haner said. “Of course, it’s not. What’s being staged out there already is fencing to keep the contractors within certain bounds for when we start.”

Other work planned for the islands includes:

• Planting trees and shrubs for nesting and roosting wading birds
• Controlling vegetation in shorebird nesting and loafing areas
• Cordoning off areas to maintain distance between birds and humans
• Installing signs for public awareness (seagrass, no motor, no dogs, trash, etc.)
• Enforcing rules and regulations to protect the natural resources and for public safety

Part of this will include dredging sand to be used in the project and the area will look like a construction project during the work.

“Throughout this process, TNC will post signage and regular social media updates about the status of construction activities, which will initially look “ugly” before long-term improvements to natural habitat and recreational access become more visible,” the website states. “Restoration can be ugly, but mother nature heals quickly, so thank you for bearing with us.”

Project funding will come from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and Natural Resource Damage Assessment funds from the Deepwater Horizon spill, administered by NOAA through the Alabama Trustee Implementation Group (TIG).