April 24, 2014--Earth Day began with a clean sweep at Dog River in Alabama.

Press and local residents gathered Tuesday, April 22 as cleanup crews from Chris Lovorn Pile Driving Inc. removed four derelict vessels from the shorelines.

Dog River is a seven-mile river located on the northwest side of Mobile Bay with 60% of its watershed in the City of Mobile. The NOAA Marine Debris Program funded the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) in researching abandoned and derelict vessel impacts, removal of vessels, educating boat owners and the public on better ways to secure vessels prior to large storm events, and restoring damaged habitat. Now, 14 of the 28 vessels slated for removal are out, and the salt marsh in Dog River and the habitat can begin to recover. Researchers from Dauphin Island Sea Lab will return to the site on May 17 to begin restoration work.

For more information about the removal project, visit the NOAA Marine Debris Program's website or contact the program's Gulf of Mexico regional coordinator, Kim.Albins@noaa.gov.

Go back to OR&R Weekly Report.