(ORANGE BEACH, Ala.) -- Construction is underway on a long-planned shoreline restoration project at Orange Beach Waterfront Park, where lower-than-expected construction bids could allow the city and its partners to restore a larger portion of the Wolf Bay shoreline than originally anticipated.
The project, developed through a partnership between the City of Orange Beach, The Nature Conservancy, and engineering firm Moffatt & Nichol, is intended to address ongoing shoreline erosion, restore coastal habitat, and protect public infrastructure. City officials say the improvements have been discussed for more than a decade.
Photo credit: City of Orange Beach
According to an August 24 memorandum from the city’s Coastal Resources Department, The Nature Conservancy and Moffatt & Nichol received construction bids for the project’s first phase that were lower than anticipated. The reduced costs created an opportunity to extend restoration work beyond the Wind and Water Learning Center to include the Coastal Arts Center shoreline and a recreational beach area near Waterfront Park Pier.
The restoration is being funded through the remaining balance of a $12.8 million National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grant. The $12.8 million represents the overall grant award, not the individual budget for Waterfront Park. The city’s memorandum does not specify the amount allocated to the project or identify the construction contractor.
Three Areas Targeted for Restoration
The first phase focuses on the shoreline near the Wind and Water Learning Center, where erosion has affected the existing beach. The work includes placing sand, creating marsh habitat with native vegetation and installing low-elevation rock breakwaters offshore.
The breakwaters are designed to reduce the force of waves and boat wakes before they reach the shoreline, helping prevent further erosion while providing additional habitat for marine life.
Phase one was fully permitted and scheduled to begin in October 2026. During an October 29 interview with WKRG, Orange Beach Coastal Regulatory Manager Woody Speed confirmed that construction was underway and said the first phase was expected to be completed before Christmas.
The second portion of the project would restore approximately 430 feet of shoreline near the Coastal Arts Center. According to the August memorandum, the proposed improvements include approximately 2,975 cubic yards of marsh fill, 750 cubic yards of breakwater material, and 14,360 native plants.
Photo credit: City of Orange Beach
The design also incorporates rock sills and geotextile stabilization to protect the existing public walkway while improving the surrounding shoreline habitat. A separate extension of the walkway is also planned.
A third component would restore approximately 350 feet of recreational beach near Waterfront Park Pier using an estimated 2,960 cubic yards of beach material. The improvements are intended to rebuild the existing beach, protect exposed upland habitat, and provide additional protection against erosion.
A Project More Than a Decade in the Making
During the September 1 Committee of the Whole meeting, Speed said the restoration had been discussed for more than 10 years. Changes in the project’s funding outlook have since made a more extensive restoration possible.
“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.”
Council Chairman Pro Tem Jeff Silvers also welcomed the progress, describing the prospect of seeing the improvements completed after a decade of discussion as “pretty awesome.”
The Waterfront Park improvements follow the restoration of Robinson and Walker Islands in 2025, another coastal restoration effort involving The Nature Conservancy and the city.
The Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program is also a partner in the Waterfront Park initiative.
Speed indicated that the second phase of the project could begin before the end of 2026 or in early 2027, with the third phase potentially following a similar timeline.
“We may be able to get that one done as well,” Speed told council members.
To add to or correct any information in this report, please contact me at neeli.f@lead4earth.org.
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