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County Works on Artificial Reef Program
09/03/08 - 09:39 AM

WMBB News Department

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Artificial reefs are meant to attract fish and more importantly- money spending fishermen. Now Bay County’s Commission says they want their slice of the pie when it comes to the reefs.

Though Florida’s coast is substantially larger than Alabama’s, The Army Corps of Engineers has permitted three times as many artificial reefs for our neighbors to the west.  According to a map put together by the Emerald Coast Reef Association, the Corps’s Mobile Office has permitted the largest artificial reef program in the country for Alabama.

Bay County’s Commission agreed in a vote that they want to work towards putting together a public reef within eight miles of the coast so that everyone can enjoy good fishing only a short boat ride away.  But, county leaders worry that Jacksonville’s Army Corps Office won’t be as receptive or timely as Mobile’s office.

“We are under the Jacksonville Office which doesn’t seem to be too sensitive to time nor what the County prefers.  So they are, or have been, difficult to deal with.  But we’ll keep trying,” says Assistant County Manager Dan Shaw.

News 13 spoke with a representative with the Corps Wednesday.  He says the Corps stands ready to review a reef proposal from Bay County.  He says any time an application is recieved the Corps tries to approve permits within 120 days, but complex projects can take much longer.