Posted on July 13, 2026
By Freda Ross
Mississippi and Alabama are collaborating to restore an island in the north Mississippi Sound.
Funds from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement will be used to address erosion at Grand Butture Island in Jackson County. The area off the coast of Mississippi stretches into Grand Bay in Alabama.
Chris Wells, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, said the work will cover approximately 100 acres of shoreline.
“That once protected thousands of acres of coastal marsh and was composed of natural sand beach and back barrier marsh habitats. The headland is now almost completely eroded away,” Wells pointed out. “In many areas, the marsh here is eroding well over 6 feet per year.”
The project will restore habitats for many species, including brown and white shrimp, blue crab, oysters and seagrass. Construction is expected to begin in 2030, following the engineering and permitting phases. The fund was established after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 and $55 million from the settlement was allocated for the Grand Butture Island project. It is the first time the funds will be used for a development crossing state lines.
Wells noted in addition to restoring natural habitats, the work will protect the mainland from storm surges.
“Reduce erosion rates, protect essential coastal marsh, and recreate crucial island habitat for many wildlife species, including shorebirds and the diamondback terrapin. Provide critical habitat protection for the largest expanse of coastal wildlands in Mississippi and Alabama,” Wells outlined.
Mississippi will install a living shoreline at the front of the island to prevent water from eroding the newly restored material. The shoreline will use natural materials and native vegetation to create a buffer against environmental effects.
