Dauphin Island Causeway Shoreline Restoration Project

The Dauphin Island Causeway Shoreline Restoration Project is one of the largest and most significant investments in Alabama coastal restoration projects. It has been backed by Governor Kay Ivey and championed by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, and Alabama Port Authority. The Project is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund and Emergency Coastal Resilience Fund.

The multi-year project will:

PROTECT

Dauphin Island’s only access road (evacuation route) from storm impacts and erosion.
Approximately 300 acres of salt marsh habitat to the west side of the Dauphin Island Causeway – many fish, shellfish, and native birds call this marsh home.

RESTORE

Tidal habitat.

REBUILD

Shoreline on the east side of the Dauphin Island Causeway from Bayfront Park to Cedar Point - approximately 3.3 miles - to 1917 locations.

Phase 1 (Figure 1) - Completed September 2024

Segmented breakwaters were constructed along the 3.5 miles of the Causeway (northern segment from Bayfront Park to Jemison's Bait Shop; southern segment from Heron Bay Cutoff to Cedar Point). Approximately 150 tons of rock was used in this phase of construction.

Phase 2 (Figure 2 & 3) - Fall 2024 - Spring 2025

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Mobile District will place dredged materials from Mobile Bay (Choctaw turning Basin) between the breakwaters and the Dauphin Island Causeway. This will create the marsh platform. The dredged materials will be transported down the ship channel via barge and pumped into the site through a pipeline. The pipeline will extend from an offloading area to the site.

A sand berm will be constructed immediately adjacent to the breakwaters to provide additional containment and mimic the natural sand ridges observed in the native marsh of Mobile Bay (Figure 2).

Marsh fill will be pumped behind the sand berm The sediment material being placed at the site has been tested and permitted for open water disposal and is free of harmful contaminants. Immediately after completion of Phase 2, the site will look like a dark beach (Figure 3).

Phase 3 (Figure 4) - Summer 2025 - Future

Once the marsh platform is established, native marsh grasses will be planted and tidal creeks will be created. The gaps in the breakwaters will allow for tidal flow in and out of the restored marsh, providing a nurse habitat for species such as shrimp, crabs, and fish. The site will take approximately 3-5 years for the vegetation to fully establish.

Questions about this project can be submitted via email at DICshoreline@mobilecountyal.gov.

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