Orange Beach, Alabama – (OBA) –
Alabama Power and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) have partnered to create new offshore reefs by repurposing decommissioned equipment to support Alabama's extensive marine habitat while addressing landfill space issues. Concrete pylons and transmission tower segments originally used in Alabama Power's infrastructure are now part of the Christopher M. Blankenship Reef Zone, a 65-mile stretch of artificial reef habitat located between 10 and 20 miles off the coast of Alabama.

During the reef construction, the concrete piles were arranged in a criss-cross pattern reminiscent of the classic game of “Pick Up Sticks” to optimize the vertical relief and create sufficient surface area for marine life to thrive. Alabama Power's Environmental Affairs Division worked closely with the ADCNR's Marine Resources Division (MRD) and used materials precisely to maximize habitat diversity.

“We appreciate the opportunity to work with the state,” Carlee said. “This is the fourth reef that Alabama Power has deployed. This reef used concrete distribution and transmission poles as well as steel grids of transmission towers. We used The Reefmaker out of Orange Beach to set up the material and Stewart Walter lays out the material very carefully. The goal was to stack the poles in a criss-cross manner, similar to pick-up sticks, to provide some relief rather than just lying flat on the ground. He also added some transmission tower segments between the towers. There is a lot of surface area for barnacles and other marine life on these concrete piles to get the reef complex going.”

Newton, who oversees Alabama's unprecedented reef zones that cover more than 1,200 square miles of land on the Gulf of Mexico, said the Blankenship Reef Zone was approved in 2021 and named by Gov. Kay Ivey in the commissioner's honor. Shortly after approval was granted, MRD began constructing reefs in the zone, ending with 123 reefs using 164 superpyramid reef structures before final constructions.

“We have developed a mutually beneficial partnership with Alabama Power, and they have repurposed these concrete power poles and other materials to build this additional reef in the Blankenship Reef Zone, which enhances the diversity of habitat types available to reef fish in this area available has increased significantly. said Newton. “The concrete poles provide a unique habitat that differs from the 25-foot-tall concrete pyramids in that there are more nooks and crannies in which fish, crabs and invertebrates can seek refuge and live. It is an exceptionally diverse reef habitat in 90 feet of water.

“I'm not sure if kids today know what pick-up sticks are, but if you can, imagine a configuration that is similar to pick-up sticks in the way these concrete rods are deployed . In addition to the electricity pylons, parts of a transmission mast were built next to and on top of the electricity pylons. This provides a higher vertical relief and also a significant number of small gaps.”

Newton said the reef will be the primary habitat for red snapper, Alabama's signature reef species, as well as gray triggerfish and gray (mangrove) snapper.

“It should be particularly productive for breeding gray snapper,” he said. “The way they behave is that they prefer to have relatively small, tight spaces with the habitat. This utility pole configuration and transmission tower sections will provide this unique habitat for the gray snapper to thrive in.”

Commissioner Blankenship envisions a long-term collaboration with Alabama Power to continue reef construction off the coast of Alabama.

“I appreciate the partnership with Alabama Power on reef building,” said Commissioner Blankenship. “Their commitment to sustainability by reusing post-consumer materials to create new habitats for marine organisms is commendable. The Alabama Power staff and leadership have been great to work with. I look forward to many future projects.”

With the support of Alabama Power, MRD also deployed another reef in the Blankenship Reef Zone, but it was a decommissioned tug, the William Lee. The tug was donated by Hooks Towing of Chickasaw, Alabama, and Alabama Power provided financing for the deployment.

The tug was 45 feet long and 25 feet wide. The William Lee was stationed 17 miles south of Dauphin Island in the Blankenship Reef Zone.

“The tug William Lee has been cleaned and fully sanitized to remove all compounds that would not harm the marine environment,” Newton said. “The empty steel hull had holes cut into it so the fish could use the entire structure. The William Lee lies on the bottom about 105 feet below the surface and extends about 15 to 17 feet into the water column.

“It will not only be a good habitat for the typical red snapper and triggerfish, but also for the great amberjack. The water is a little too shallow to be considered a really good amberjack reef, but at certain times of the year and under certain environmental conditions we expect there to be good amberjacks on this reef.”

Alabama Power began its reef deployment activities through a partnership with Cooper/T. Smith (CTS) and the Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF) planned to build their first artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico in 2016. Two retired boilers from plants in Washington County and Theodore were loaded and secured onto a CTS recovery barge and deployed to a zone 25 miles southeast of Dauphin Island.

In 2019, three 13-foot by 26-foot storage tanks from the Washington County and Barry facilities were repurposed and deployed by The Reefmaker as the first reefs in AWF's newly established Nearshore Artificial Reef Zone.

In November 2021, Alabama Power deployed another retired boiler and other material from the Gogen plant in Washington County. The material was welded again in a CTS recovery vessel and deployed in the AWF Nearshore Artificial Reef Zone.

Alabama Power's Carlee pointed out that these reefs provide numerous benefits to Alabama residents.

“Alabama has created a world-class offshore reef fishery, and I understand that other states are trying to emulate Alabama’s example,” Carlee said. “This is huge for recreational and commercial fishing. Attracting tourists from other states to fish these reefs is also incredible for economic development.

“But it’s wonderful to be able to work with the state and find a way to reuse materials that have reached the end of their useful life in our system. It is better for both the customer and us to put it to another use rather than taking up space in the landfill. The state has done an outstanding job managing the reef system.”

Newton said there are currently about 10,000 artificial reefs within the 1,200-square-mile reef floor in the Alabama Artificial Reef Program (www.outdooralabama.com/saltwater-fishing/artificial-reefs).

“The private sector has been extremely important to reef building off the coast of Alabama,” he said. “That’s what really sets our program apart from other programs. It's the partnerships we have formed with the private sector so that private companies can go through a simple permitting process and build their own reefs.

“Over the last seven or eight years we have significantly expanded our already amazing artificial reef program.”

MRD received permits for an additional 60 square miles of waterfront between 6 and 9 miles offshore and added the 65 square miles of bottom in the Blankenship Reef Zone. Following the cleanup of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, MRD deployed several thousand new reef modules in the new reef zones.

“We have really changed the dynamics of the fishery and provided significantly greater access to reef fish populations with the addition of these offshore artificial reefs,” Newton said. “For example, a family can travel 6-7 miles on an afternoon outing and have a respectable chance of catching a good red snapper. Before this expansion, this was simply not possible due to limited habitat. With the development of these new reefs, we have significantly improved access to natural resources.”