29 Reefs in 14 Months – Project Complete!!!

CLICK HERE to view full article from the Alabama Wildlife magazine (Winter 22 issue)

Thanks to the combined efforts of AWF supporters across Alabama, The AWF Nearshore Artificial Reef Project is complete. What started as a 26-Reef project turned into a 29-reef project completed in just 14 months. Over the last few issues of Alabama Wildlife, we have shared with you the deployment of reefs sponsored by Alabama Power Company, PowerSouth, Great Southern Wood, and the Edwards and Statham families. Take a look at the final nine reefs deployed on November 9, 2021 to complete the AWF Nearshore Artificial Reef Build-Out Plan.

The Big One
Sixty tons of decommissioned steam plant boilers donated by Alabama Power Company, inside a 195-foot by 35-foot barge donated by Cooper/T.Smith, dropped to the Alabama Gulf Coast bottom, eight miles south of Dauphin Island on November 9, 2021. This was “The Big One” and marked the final reef of an amazing 29 reefs deployed in 14 months to complete the AWF Nearshore Artificial Reef Zone Build-Out Plan. This final deployment was special on multiple fronts. First, both Alabama Power Company and Cooper/T. Smith have a long history of supporting AWF’s artificial reef efforts, including a major offshore barge/boiler deployment in 2016. Second, Alabama Power Company was the first partner to step up and support the project. They donated boiler material and deployment cost for the very first reef in the Build-Out Plan back in August, 2020. With the final deployment in November, 2021, Alabama Power Company’s involvement provided fitting starting and ending bookends for the project.
Earlier that same morning of November 9th, eight other reefs were completed thanks to a variety of great partners.

Great Southern Wood/PowerSouth Reefs
One adult reef-fish reef and two juvenile reef-fish reefs were deployed thanks to the support of Great Southern Wood and PowerSouth. Great Southern Wood donated the material for an adult reef-fish reef composed of six, 25-foot long and 6-foot inside diameter steel pipe sections. PowerSouth teamed up with Great Southern Wood and they both donated funds to cover deployment of that same adult reef-fish reef and two juvenile reefs. This marks multiple investments by Great Southern Wood and PowerSouth to help AWF complete the AWF Nearshore Artificial Reef Project. Special thanks to Kevin Savoy with Great Southern Wood and Gary Smith with PowerSouth for their investment in AWF and their impact on the success of this project.

John R. Miller, Jr. Memorial Reef
AWF Board Member, John R. Miller IV, contacted me a couple of months ago following one of our board meetings. His grandfather, John R. Miller, Jr. was an avid coastal fisherman and John had the idea of dedicating one of the reefs in honor of his grandfather. After a few conversations, John IV shared that ten of the grandchildren (John/Drue Miller; Dudley/Tyler Berry; Richard/Jennifer Melton; McGowin/Celina Miller; Billy/Beth Stimpson; Virginia/Garner Jeffery; David/Ashley Miller; Sands/Christina Stimpson; Richard/Megan Miller; Nancy/Will Vandervoort) had made the decision to donate funds to sponsor a juvenile reef-fish reef that will be known as the John R. Miller, Jr. Memorial Reef. What a great way to honor the memory of their grandfather and help AWF achieve our goal for the project. Tremendous thanks to the entire Miller Family for making this happen.

Bankers Reef
Gene Crane had a desire for River Bank & Trust to help with the project and inspire others to do so as well. Gene secured the assistance of fellow AWF Board Members Michael Delaney and Grey Cane and they reached out to their banking network to float a unique concept for sponsoring one of the reefs. As a result of their efforts, River Bank & Trust, Regions, Oakworth Capital Bank, ServisFirst, Century Bank, and United Bank teamed up to fund an adult reef-fish reef composed of 10-foot concrete reef pyramids. What a great team effort. Appropriately so, that reef will be known as “Bankers Reef.”

AWF Reefs
The final three juvenile reefs deployed that day were funded by AWF following a unanimous vote of the AWF Board of Directors.
This project is a true testament to what AWF can accomplish when our members and supporters, from one end of the state to the other, decide to make something happen. Collectively, we have provided material benefit to the marine fishery and enhanced nearshore angling and diving opportunities along the Alabama Gulf Coast. 29 reefs in 14 months – amazing! Make sure you see and save the coordinates chart in this article and share with us your fishing stories in the AWF Nearshore Artificial Reef Zone.

Thank You to our Reef Sponsors:
Alabama Power Company
PowerSouth Energy
Great Southern Wood
Greenbush Logistics
Cooper/T. Smith
Lee Edwards
The Statham Family
The Miller Family
Tom Jernigan
RiverBank & Trust
Regions
Oakworth Capital Bank
ServisFirst
Century Bank
United Bank