Fowl River Shoreline and Marsh Stabilization and Restoration

Fowl River was identified as a high-priority watershed through ESA’s support of more than seven Watershed Management Plans developed for the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP), including those for Dauphin Island, Bayou La Batre, West Fowl River, Dog River, the Western Delta, and Eastern Shore basins. Spanning over 14 miles, Fowl River is characterized by a complex system of winding waterways, coastal spits, and islands where brackish water flows into Mobile Bay. These spits—narrow landforms shaped by sediment deposition from wind and waves—form sheltered lagoons that support vital salt marsh habitats. Working in collaboration with the local community, ESA helped identify vulnerable areas within the watershed and prioritize restoration actions aimed at protecting these ecologically significant features and enhancing the health of the broader coastal system.

Unlike many coastal protection measures, which involve installing hard engineering solutions such as seawalls, jetties, and breakwaters, MBNEP sought to develop natural alternatives and adaptive management strategies that could create long-lasting solutions.

Over the course of four years, ESA’s coastal engineers and scientists worked closely with MBNEP to develop nature-based engineering and design approaches to stabilize shorelines, enhance marsh habitats and restore natural processes to restore ecosystem function, and establish long-term sustainability.

The first phase of the project focused on addressing shoreline erosion, increasing marsh elevation, and protecting seagrass. Engineer of Record Bryan Flynn, PE, designed a novel series of interventions, including timber wave screens and sediment placement to protect the spits. The wooden wave structures serve as attenuators to dissipate wave energy and protect the shoreline against boat wakes, preserve nearby seagrass beds, and aid in the natural replenishment of sediment and sand deposited onto the shorelines. Installation of a thin layer of sediment will also raise the elevation of the marsh spits to mitigate chronic submersion and saltwater intrusion into the marsh.

The first phase of construction began in summer 2024 and is nearing completion. ESA is providing ongoing construction monitoring during the active construction phases and will perform post-construction monitoring for 5 years. Monitoring will guide adaptative management decisions and inform future nature-based approaches in the region and beyond. Phase two construction will begin later this year and includes additional placement of material on the marsh platform to address future impacts of sea level rise.