"Roads to Reefs is an artificial reef building partnership between the Alabama Department of Conservation - Marine Resources Division, the Mobile County Engineering Department, the Alabama State Docks, Mobile County Wildlife and Conservation Association, the Alabama Wildlife Federation, the Coastal Conservation Association - Alabama, the Alabama Seafood Association, Choctaw Pipe, Inc., Bayou Block, Inc. , Austal LLC, and Woolpert, LLP.
A total of 10 reefs have been constructed in Mobile Bay, and the Mississippi Sound. The Mobile Bay reefs are located at Choctaw Pass, Brookley Hole, Austal/Bender (Hollinger's Island), Denton Reef, Sand Reef, Klondike Reef, Battles Wharf, Zundel's Landing and Upper Bay Barge. The old Shrimp Boat Reef site is located in the Mississippi Sound. These artificial fishing reefs are located in both Mobile and Baldwin County waters. The reefs are constructed from recycled concrete block, concrete culvert pipe and oyster cultch material.
Choctaw Pass Reef, Bender/AUSTAL Reef (Hollinger's Island), Lynn Dent Boykin Reef (Sand Reef), and Klondike Reefs were constructed in 1999-2000.
Four of the fishing reefs serve as dual purpose reefs. The dual purpose reefs will serve as oyster nursery areas. An example of a dual purpose reef is the Admiral Denton Reef, located in western Mobile Bay near Fowl River.
The recycling of this pipe, concrete and block enables the material to continue to serve a productive use and not take up space in landfills. The new fishing reefs are an asset to the coastal resources of Mobile Bay and the Mississippi Sound.
The "Roads to Reefs" project enables future generations of outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen to continue enjoying the coastal resource benefits that we have today. Anglers now have easy access to quality public fishing reefs from any location in the Mobile Bay coastal area. A similar effort is now underway in the Baldwin County coastal area.
