Orange Beach, Ala. — (GSN) — A shoreline restoration project years in the making is finally moving forward along Wolf Bay in Orange Beach. The Nature Conservancy, the City of Orange Beach, and engineering firm Moffat & Nichol have joined forces to plan and implement a full restoration of the Waterfront Park shoreline. The effort follows last year's successful restoration of Robinson and Walker Islands. Coastal Regulatory Manager Woody Speed briefed the Orange Beach City Council on the project during an early September meeting.

The project is funded by the remaining balance of a $12.8 million National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grant. Speed said the project has been discussed for more than 10 years. "We're excited about it," Speed said. "Initially, we weren't really prepared, but things have changed, and it looks like TNC will be able to fund a longer stretch of shoreline than we originally thought."

If everything falls into place, the restoration will proceed in three phases. Phase one focuses on the shoreline in front of the Orange Beach Wind and Water Learning Center. Work will include beach fill, marsh creation with native vegetation, and low-elevation nearshore riprap breakwaters to reduce wave energy and future erosion. Speed said that phase one is fully permitted and is scheduled to begin construction in late October.

Phase two covers the Coastal Arts Center shoreline and includes restoring about 430 feet of Bayfront. The plan calls for marsh fill, native marsh plantings, rock sills, geotextile stabilization, and strategically placed breakwaters. The project would use approximately 2,975 cubic yards of marsh fill, 750 cubic yards of breakwater material, and more than 15,000 native plants.

The phase two design aims to protect the existing public walkway boardwalk while improving habitat and the Arts Center waterfront's appearance. A separate plan to extend the walkway is also underway. Speed said phase two could begin before the end of 2026 or in early 2027.

If funding remains after phase two, Speed said a third phase would renourish the beach around the base of the Waterfront Park Pier. Speed noted that continuous erosion along the Wolf Bay shoreline has long been a concern. He added that the breakwaters and marsh habitat are expected to improve fishing in the area as well.

In the past, the waters at Orange Beach Waterfront Park have experienced environmental challenges, including periodic swimming advisories issued by state and local agencies in conjunction with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) due to elevated bacteria levels exceeding thresholds. Additionally, community monitoring programs like Mobile Baykeeper's SWIM report have regularly tracked water quality and bacteria levels in the area to help residents make informed recreational decisions.

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Council Chairman Pro-tem Jeff Silvers expressed enthusiasm for the long-awaited initiative. "We're pretty excited about those improvements," Silvers said. To see it come to fruition after 10 years of talking about it, "it's pretty awesome," Silvers said.

The project is made possible by the city's partnership with The Nature Conservancy and the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program.