Little Lagoon Preservation Group to Tackle Septic Tanks, Marinas at Gulf Shores Meeting

Residents concerned about the long-term health of Little Lagoon will get an update this week on a package of environmental proposals aimed at protecting the eight-mile coastal waterway in Gulf Shores.

The Little Lagoon Preservation Society has invited the city’s environmental and grant coordinator, Daniel Bond, to speak at its quarterly membership meeting Thursday, October 16, at 5:30 p.m. at the Gulf Shores Adult Activity Center. Bond is expected to walk through a set of recommendations the nonprofit previously submitted to City Administrator Steve Griffin.

According to the group’s vice president, the request covers several fronts. Chief among them is a push for Little Lagoon to earn an Outstanding Alabama Water designation, a state classification that would bring additional protections against pollution and unregulated development along the shoreline.

The society is also asking the city to develop an incentive-based plan to phase out septic tanks ringing the lagoon in favor of connections to the public sewer system. Failing or aging septic systems have long been cited by area residents and environmental advocates as a source of bacterial contamination in the shallow lagoon, which is a popular spot for swimming, fishing and boating.

On the development side, the group wants the city to limit new commercial marinas around the lagoon, or at minimum require environmental impact studies before any new marina applications move forward. The proposal would also restrict future commercial and multifamily construction along the lagoon’s edge to parcels already zoned for that kind of use, effectively capping the intensity of shoreline development going forward.

Fisheries management is another piece of the request. The society wants the city to coordinate with Alabama Marine Resources on managing fishing, crabbing and shrimping activity in the lagoon to keep fish and shellfish populations at sustainable levels. Members have also raised concerns about seawalls, which can accelerate erosion on neighboring properties and disrupt natural shoreline processes, and the group intends to discuss ways to discourage their use around the lagoon.

After Bond’s presentation, the meeting will include a status report on construction progress at the Little Lagoon Pass bridge, along with results from a recent Coastal Cleanup effort based at Mo’s Landing on the lagoon.

The Little Lagoon Preservation Society has advocated for the waterway for 23 years and holds its meetings open to the public. Residents interested in the lagoon’s water quality, upcoming construction projects or the group’s advocacy work can find more information and contact details through the organization’s website.

About Little Lagoon and the designation

Outstanding Alabama Water is a use classification assigned by the Alabama Environmental Management Commission and administered by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. Waters with the designation receive stricter protections, including limits on new discharges that would lower water quality. Little Lagoon connects to the Gulf of Mexico through Little Lagoon Pass.