Overlook Park Site

As mitigation associated with the Anguilla Rail Yard, the Georgia Ports Authority donated funds to GADNR to support the creation of the Overlook Park site, located adjacent to the public fishing pier, on HWY 17 in Brunswick.

Strategy

To construct 0.055 acres of essential fish habitat using materials suitable for larval oyster settlement including recycled oyster shell bags placed on top of wooden pallets to encourage reef formation along the shoreline. It is hoped that the area between the oyster reefs and the marsh will fill with sediment and marsh grass. It is hoped that the area between the oyster reefs and the marsh will fill with sediment and marsh grass. In 2013, 3,153 recycled oyster shell bags were deployed in parallel rows on top of 195 wooden pallets along a vegetative edge.

Results

Monitoring was conducted periodically since the initial deployment. By 2014 most of the initial deployment was covered in sediment. From 2014-2015 several alternate materials were tested at this site to overcome the high sedimentation rate including wire bundles, bamboo spat sticks, and oyster balls. In 2016 a maintenance deployment of 100 oyster balls and 75 shell bags on double pallets were deployed to provide addition substrate for oyster recruitment. Site monitoring will continue to determine if additional materials are needed for reef sustainability.