How did coastal Alabama lose so much marsh? It’s ‘a thousand cuts’

2 months ago 19
Several feet of marsh in front of Andrew Saunders' property in Elberta, Ala. on July 31, 2026. In the background, Saunders' neighbor has placed a bulkhead around his property, an A metal dolphin sits above a wind compass on Andrew Saunders' pier in Elberta, Ala. on July 31, 2026. Saunders lives at the head of Wolf Bay and has worked to protect the marsh in front of his land. (Photo by Margaret Kates/mkates@al.com)Roots of a pine tree hang over the water off Andrew Saunders' property in Elberta, Ala. Erosion has eaten away and the sand and soil in which the roots grew, leaving them exposed to the air (and jeopardizing the health of the tree). (Photo by Margaret Kates/mkates@al.com)Andrew Saunders' pier into Wolf Bay in Elberta, Ala. on July 31, 2026. Saunders intentionally built his pier over the marsh grasses, hoping to disrupt their habitat as little as possible. (Photo by Margaret Kates/mkates@al.com)The view of Orange Beach from Andrew Saunders' pier on Wolf Bay in Elberta, Ala. The largely unobstructed path allows the wind fetch from the south to pick up, contributing to the marsh erosion Saunders is experiencing. (Photo by Margaret Kates/mkates@al.com)A view of the exposed pine tree roots on Andrew Saunders' property on Wolf Bay in Elberta, Ala. Saunders hopes to restore the shoreline under and in front of these trees, preventing further erosion. (Photo by Margaret Kates/mkates@al.com)Christian Miller, public sector program lead for the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, walks up the pier toward land at Bama Bay Oyster Farm in Coden, Ala. The beach on the property is one of just a few pocket beaches on the western shore of Mobile Bay, that helps protect against storm damage. (Photo by Margaret Kates/mkates@al.com)Andy Depaola poses on the observation deck of his pier on Fri., August 7, 2026. The pier leads up to his house, which sits on a 20-foot bluff above Mobile Bay. DePaola planted the trees and plants in front of the house to keep the bluff from eroding in the event of severe storms. (Photo by Margaret Kates/mkates@al.com)Birds sit on abandoned pilings on the western shore of Mobile Bay at Mon Louis Island on Fri., August 7, 2026. Frequent storms can destroy piers quickly, Depaola said. (Photo by Margaret Kates/mkates@al.com)Andy Depaola, a resident of Mon Louis Island south of Mobile, gestures to the place in the water that was once the edge of his shoreline on Mobile Bay on Fri. August 7, 2026. (Photo by Margaret Kates/mkates@al.com)Scuppernong grapes on Andy Depaola's bluff on Mon Louis Island on Fri., August 7, 2026. In order to prevent erosion of his 20-foot bluff, Depaola planted a variety of flora, like oak trees, oleander, and more. He hoped the grape vines would strengthen the tree root systems that keep the shoreline intact. (Photo by Margaret Kates/mkates@al.com)Debris on Andy Depaola's beach on the western shore of Mobile Bay on Fri., August 7, 2026. In July, Tropical Storm Bertha damaged his steps to the beach, even though it was a mild storm. (Photo by Margaret Kates/mkates@al.com)A pocket beach on the Bama Bay Oyster Farm property in Coden, Ala. The rock formation (called a breakwater) holds the beach in place, preventing erosion. The grasses on the beach naturally planted over time, strengthening the system, Wilson said. (Photo by Margaret Kates/mkates@al.com)

This is the first installment of a series from AL.com called “A Thousand Cuts.”

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