Gaillard Island
Encyclopedia
Gaillard Island is a dredge disposal island located in Mobile Bay
near Mobile, Alabama
. The island is an important site for colonial nesting seabirds and shore birds in coastal Alabama and has been the only nesting site for brown pelican
s (Pelecanus occidentalis) in Alabama - first discovered in 1983.
The dredged material was transported by barge and hydraulically pumped to the island site to make the dikes. Tests were performed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
to determine how to maintain the island and not allow it to dissipate into the bay. A triangular shape was designed and floating tire breakwaters were used to protect the island from erosion due to wave action. Marsh plants were used to develop an established root system to assist with long term integrity of the island. This was a state-of-the-art technique which has been widely studied, found to be effective and is now used nationwide.
s. The island is also known as Pelican Island by locals. The island is owned by the Alabama State Docks and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
DDT
. At that time, they were placed on both the Alabama and federal endangered species list. Partly due to increased nesting and propagation of the brown pelicans on Gaillard Island, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service dropped the species from the state’s endangered species list, and in 1998, the brown pelican was removed from the federal endangered species list.
Today Gaillard Island is an important habitat for thousands of birds representing 15 different species of skimmers, stilts, terns, pelicans, egrets, herons, ducks, and rails. Gaillard Island is also the only Alabama nesting site for caspain terns, sandwich terns, royal terns, and laughing gulls. The first recorded nesting of herring gulls occurred on Gaillard Island in 1986. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
has closely monitored the colonial nesting shore and seabirds conducting annual surveys since 1998. During the first survey, they estimated that there were10,000 nests present on the island.
Vegetation
is diverse on the island and consists of saltmeadow cordgrass, saltmarsh bulrush, salt marsh cattail, and American threesquare that naturally flourished behind the berms. Originally, smooth cordgrass was the only species that was planted.
(FEMA) division approved $8.6 million of financial assistance to restore Gaillard Island after the tidal surge associated with Hurricane Katrina
on August 29, 2005 eroded and destroyed the island’s levy/berm system.
and mullet
. Shrimp are also harvested
Mobile Bay
Mobile Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, lying within the state of Alabama in the United States. Its mouth is formed by the Fort Morgan Peninsula on the eastern side and Dauphin Island, a barrier island on the western side. The Mobile River and Tensaw River empty into the northern end of the...
near Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
. The island is an important site for colonial nesting seabirds and shore birds in coastal Alabama and has been the only nesting site for brown pelican
Brown Pelican
The Brown Pelican is the smallest of the eight species of pelican, although it is a large bird in nearly every other regard. It is in length, weighs from and has a wingspan from .-Range and habits:...
s (Pelecanus occidentalis) in Alabama - first discovered in 1983.
Geography
The Island is 1300 acres (5.3 km²) and is configured in a triangular shape. It is located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Theodore Industrial Park Complex and approximately 11 miles (17.7 km) to 12 miles (19.3 km) southwest of downtown Mobile, AL. Thirty-one million cubic yards of dredged material pulled from the bay and nearby land was used to form the island. The excavated material consisted primarily of hard red clay from the land and silty sand infused with small amounts of shell and gravel from the bottom of the bay.The dredged material was transported by barge and hydraulically pumped to the island site to make the dikes. Tests were performed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
to determine how to maintain the island and not allow it to dissipate into the bay. A triangular shape was designed and floating tire breakwaters were used to protect the island from erosion due to wave action. Marsh plants were used to develop an established root system to assist with long term integrity of the island. This was a state-of-the-art technique which has been widely studied, found to be effective and is now used nationwide.
History
In 1979 Gaillard Island was created as a disposal island for a ship channel made to connect Mobile Bay and Theodore Industrial Park where a navy port was built. The project consisted of dredging a deep draft ship channel about 5.2 miles (8.4 km) long, 300 ft (91.4 m) wide and 40 ft (12.2 m) deep. The project was controversial from an engineering and environmental standpoint. The engineers thought the island would not hold up in an open body of water and the environmentalists were concerned about the impact on the bay from an ecological standpoint. The island has been a success from the onset and has become an environmental showcase, home to thousands of birds, particularly brown pelicans. The island is named after Dr. M. Wilson Gaillard, a Mobile dentist. He was also an environmentalist who envisioned the island as a nesting haven for both shore and seabirdSeabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
s. The island is also known as Pelican Island by locals. The island is owned by the Alabama State Docks and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Ecosystem
Various birds were noted to be inhabiting the island by the time it was completed in 1981. In 1983 a biologist discovered four brown pelicans nesting on the island. This was the first sighting in Alabama since their decline due to hunting in the early 1900s. Pelican feathers, in that era, were used for women’s hats. Further decline came in the 1940s due to the widespread use of the pesticidePesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
DDT
DDT
DDT is one of the most well-known synthetic insecticides. It is a chemical with a long, unique, and controversial history....
. At that time, they were placed on both the Alabama and federal endangered species list. Partly due to increased nesting and propagation of the brown pelicans on Gaillard Island, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service dropped the species from the state’s endangered species list, and in 1998, the brown pelican was removed from the federal endangered species list.
Today Gaillard Island is an important habitat for thousands of birds representing 15 different species of skimmers, stilts, terns, pelicans, egrets, herons, ducks, and rails. Gaillard Island is also the only Alabama nesting site for caspain terns, sandwich terns, royal terns, and laughing gulls. The first recorded nesting of herring gulls occurred on Gaillard Island in 1986. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
OverviewAlabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is the state agency responsible for the conservation and management of Alabama's natural resources including state parks, state lands, wildlife and aquatic resources. ADCNR also issues hunting and fishing licenses for the state...
has closely monitored the colonial nesting shore and seabirds conducting annual surveys since 1998. During the first survey, they estimated that there were10,000 nests present on the island.
Vegetation
Vegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
is diverse on the island and consists of saltmeadow cordgrass, saltmarsh bulrush, salt marsh cattail, and American threesquare that naturally flourished behind the berms. Originally, smooth cordgrass was the only species that was planted.
Threats to the island
The human factor is not a threat to the island as boaters and jet skiers can reach the sand beach but are prohibited from walking on the island which would disturb the nesting grounds and disrupt the ecosystem of the island. Three hurricanes, however, have damaged the island. They were Hurricanes Danny, George, and Katrina respectively. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management AgencyFederal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
(FEMA) division approved $8.6 million of financial assistance to restore Gaillard Island after the tidal surge associated with Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
on August 29, 2005 eroded and destroyed the island’s levy/berm system.
Sporting
Bird watching is the primary sport associated with the island. The Mobile Bay Audubon Society conducts tours for local enthusiasts and conservationists. The spring months are the best time for viewing the nesting activities. As a side effect, marine life is abundant around the island making this area a favorite spot for fishermen who catch speckled trout, flounderFlounder
The flounder is an ocean-dwelling flatfish species that is found in coastal lagoons and estuaries of the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.-Taxonomy:There are a number of geographical and taxonomical species to which flounder belong.*Western Atlantic...
and mullet
Mullet (fish)
The mullets or grey mullets are a family and order of ray-finned fish found worldwide in coastal temperate and tropical waters, and in some species in fresh water. Mullets have served as an important source of food in Mediterranean Europe since Roman times...
. Shrimp are also harvested
External links
- http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/cepa/pubs/oldpubs/may97/story11.htm
- http://www.naturephotographermag.com/-freeToRead/howeGaillard.htm
- http://www.weeksbay.org/photo_gallery/pelicans/pelicans.htm