Posted on August 28, 2024
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — Auburn University researchers are recommending dredging and aerators to help improve the sediment and water quality in two popular Orange Beach water bodies.
The study was funded by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the RESTORE Council. The shallow waters and canals of Terry Cove and Cotton Bayou have long been a nursery habitat for wildlife, but over the years development has replaced natural shorelines with seawalls, resulting in sediment accumulation. This is disrupting natural water mixing, which can impact water and sediment quality.
“Both of those are coves that don’t have a good flow through there. Sometimes, with all the development in those two areas, sometimes the water gets stagnant there. We have low dissolved oxygen or fish kills at times, from time to time. The study was to see what could be done to improve water quality in those two areas,” said Chris Blakenship, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources commissioner.
Poor ecological health and low water column oxygen levels are contributing to algal blooms and fishkills in terry cove and cotton bayou. The purpose of the study was to find a way to improve the low water column oxygen levels.
“Degrading water quality is not good for anybody, the people or the animals that use it, so looking at how that water quality could be improved, Orange Beach is thought was very important for the quality of life for the people in those two areas,” said Blakenship.
Auburn University scientists developed a 3-D hydrodynamic model to evaluate possible restoration options. Researchers tested four scenarios and collected data on each scenario’s impact on water quality.
“Now that they have some information from the research that’s been done, they can make some decisions on what funding to go after, how they might do some of the things they were suggesting to improve their water quality” said Blakenship.
Researchers concluded that a mix of targeted dredging and bottom aerators would likely be the best restoration option. Through testing, the scientists discovered the combination would help maintain high water oxygen levels.
“The city of Orange Beach, I’m sure we’ll be working with to try and find funding for some construction, and then coordinating it with the Alabama RESTORE council that’s administered through the department of conservation,” said Blakenship. “Hopefully in the next year or two, some work can be done to install these and improve that water quality there.
