The state legislature of Alabama has passed a bill banning “mud dumping” in Mobile Bay, a term used to describe how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers distributes sediment after dredging a channel in the bay.
“As Baldwin County’s state senator, protecting Mobile Bay and preserving the environment that makes our area such a special place to live, work, worship, and raise our families rank among my highest priorities,” Alabama Senator Chris Elliott (R-Josephine) told the Alabama Political Reporter. “With passage of this bill, we have shielded the commercial and sport fishing industries, ensured that our waters remain clean and clear, and protected the important oyster beds, seagrasses, and other aquatic life that mud dumping harms.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has defended its operations, saying it only practices “thin-layer placement” in redistributing sediment after dredging shipping channels.
“Thin-layer placement is not ‘mud dumping.’ It is a measured, monitored, and science-based sediment management practice designed to mirror natural sediment processes that have shaped Mobile Bay over thousands of years. This practice has been used in Mobile Bay for more than a decade under state and federal permits, with continuous environmental monitoring and regulatory oversight,” Army Brigadier General Zachary L. Miller said in a 23 January open letter. “Claims that Corps dredging is the primary driver of oyster or seagrass decline are not supported by comprehensive scientific data. Long-term monitoring and environmental analyses consistently show that changes in these resources are influenced by a complex combination of factors, including extreme weather events, freshwater inflows, salinity variability, disease, historical harvesting practices, and broader climatic conditions.”
However, the open letter did little to assuage Alabama lawmakers’ concerns, with both the state senate and house passing the “Save Our Bay” bill in early February.
“Today is a great day for the Bay and the people who work it, live on it, and enjoy it. I’m proud to have unanimously passed HB181 to stop irresponsible mud dumping in Mobile Bay and to see it headed to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law,” Alabama Representative Rhett Marques (R-Enterprise) said in a social media post.
