Salt Aire Shoreline Restoration To Begin Soon

The Mobile County Commission has approved a grant amendment with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and awarded a construction contract to advance the Salt Aire Shoreline Restoration Project along Mobile Bay. The grant amendment provides additional funding through NFWF’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund to restore and protect marsh shoreline on the western shore of Mobile Bay. The new total grant award is $15.7 million, and no local match is required from Mobile County. Commissioners also awarded a $7,480,001 construction and dredging contract to Viking Dredge, LLC. All construction costs will be reimbursed through the NFWF grant. The Salt Aire Shoreline Restoration Project will restore approximately 30 acres of marsh and help stabilize a portion of the western Mobile Bay shoreline that has experienced decades of erosion. Healthy marsh habitat supports fisheries, wildlife and the working waterfront, while serving as a natural buffer against everyday wave action and coastal storms. Construction is expected to begin in April and take approximately 10 months to complete.