Bear Point Stormwater Master Plan Lists $16.7 Million in Possible Fixes as Orange Beach Rules Out Diversion Channel

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — A newly completed stormwater master plan identifies nearly $16.7 million in potential drainage improvements for Orange Beach’s Bear Point community, though city officials say the list is a menu of options rather than a set of approved projects. The plan follows a September City Council meeting where residents pressed officials about one of the study’s ideas, a diversion channel the city has since ruled out.

Update: Master Plan Puts Possible Bear Point Fixes at $16.7 Million

The recently completed Bear Point Drainage Basin Study & Stormwater Master Plan, prepared for the city by Thompson Engineering, attaches a price tag to the full list of options at the center of that debate. City officials stressed that the figure represents every recommendation in the study, not a construction budget.

“While the comprehensive implementation of all recommended improvements is estimated at $16,694,000, certain adjustments may not be practically or operationally feasible,” Coastal Resources Deputy Director Nicole Woerner said.

City Engineer Chris Pappas echoed the point that residents raised at the council meeting: the document lists options, not commitments.

“The improvements in this study are data driven suggestions and suggestions only,” Pappas said. “The mayor, city council and city staff can use this study as a guide to see where funding and efforts could be used to address drainage in Bear Point. Not all improvements are feasible.”

What the study found

The study documented a familiar list of problems in Bear Point: homes in low-lying areas, clogged drainage infrastructure, standing water in yards and ditches, and tides that can change how water drains out of the neighborhood.

“The primary causes are general geography as Orange Beach is an island, which means that several areas sit close to sea level making them susceptible to flooding,” Pappas said. “Other causes include existing drainage infrastructure, low elevations development and impervious surfaces. These issues aren’t unique to Bear Point, but the severity of these issues in Bear Point needed to be addressed.”

How engineers tested the system

Thompson Engineering built a computer model of Bear Point’s existing drainage network and ran it against a range of rainfall and coastal conditions. The model was tested using 2-year, 10-year and 100-year rainfall events, storms of increasing severity that have roughly a 50%, 10% and 1% chance of occurring in any given year.

To check that the model matched reality, engineers compared its results with real events, including Hurricane Sally in 2020, past flash floods and a major 2014 flood. From there, they flagged areas at risk, proposed possible solutions, and ranked the recommendations by priority with cost estimates for each.

Low-impact ideas, but no driveway mandate

The plan also recommends low-impact development techniques, which aim to cut runoff by letting more rain soak into the ground rather than sheeting off concrete and asphalt. Pappas said that does not mean current residents would be required to tear out paved driveways.

Paid for in part with RESTORE Act money

The study was funded in part with federal money from the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council under the RESTORE Act of 2012, according to Woerner. That law directs most of the Clean Water Act civil penalties from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill to environmental and economic recovery projects in the five Gulf states, and planning studies like this one are among the uses it supports.

What comes next

The mayor and City Council are now reviewing the master plan to decide which project should come first. Consistent with what officials told residents in September, any individual project would still need funding and council approval before work begins, and the city has already said the Suarez Drive diversion channel is not among the options it will pursue.

Background: Residents Questioned the Study at the Sept. 15 Council Meeting

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — The Orange Beach City Council heard concerns about drainage plans affecting Bay Launch Estates and Bear Point at its Sept. 15 meeting, with residents questioning whether flood-control work could send more water into an existing canal. Officials said they are considering improvements but have rejected a proposed diversion channel.

What Residents Asked

Becky Lowry, representing Bay La Launch Estates, raised concerns about a publicly announced Bear Point water drainage proposal. Residents sought confirmation of information Chris Pappas told them: that drainage would not be directed into the canal at Bay La Launch Estates.

Residents also questioned a possible diversion channel project on Suarez Drive. They said the project had been reported publicly despite previous assurances that it would not proceed.

A Study Option, Not a Plan

City staff said the diversion channel was one of several theoretical solutions considered in an engineering study.

Officials said the study examined ways to reduce water but did not account for costs, construction challenges or the sensitivity of populated areas. The city said it does not consider the diversion channel viable because of its cost, complexity and potential impact on residents.

The proposed project would include 2,800 lineal feet of a 10-by-4-foot box culvert. Officials confirmed the project is not feasible and said they would not recommend it to the mayor and council.

The gap between what an engineering study contains and what a city intends to build is the source of much of the friction here. A drainage study’s purpose is to identify and evaluate every hydraulically plausible option, including ones the commissioning agency has no intention of pursuing. When that document becomes public, options listed for analytical completeness can read to residents as proposals under active consideration.

No Written Guarantee

City staff said they cannot provide a written guarantee that the project will never occur, noting that future circumstances or legal requirements are unpredictable. However, officials reiterated that no current agreement exists to pursue the diversion channel.

Council members said they cannot legally sign agreements that would bind a future council to specific actions.

That constraint is real rather than evasive. Municipal councils in Alabama generally cannot contractually bind successor councils on discretionary policy decisions, and a promise structured to do so would be unenforceable.

What the City Is Actually Doing

Current flood-mitigation discussions include cleaning ditches and culverts, opening outfalls and installing new pumps. Officials said a pump on the west side of Bear Point is among the possible improvements under consideration.

The city said the engineering study was intended to provide options for flood relief, not a complete solution. Officials said the focus is on making improvements rather than pursuing the $2.63 million levy project.

Current work focuses on practical improvements, including larger ditches, pipes, pumps and improved outfalls.

That incremental approach — maintenance and capacity upgrades to existing infrastructure rather than a single large capital project — is the more common path for coastal drainage systems, and it is generally faster to execute and easier to fund.

Why Bear Point Floods

Officials said new construction in Bear Point and other vacant lots can create surface-water issues for nearby properties. They added that the island’s geography, winds and tides make it difficult to move water out of the area.

Changes to the floodplain and older homes built below road level also contribute to flooding in Bear Point, officials said.

The tidal constraint is the fundamental difficulty in low-lying coastal drainage. Gravity systems rely on discharging water to a lower elevation, and when wind and tide raise the receiving water body, outfalls lose their gradient — which is why pumps appear on the improvement list. Pumps can move water when gravity cannot.

Homes built below current road elevation face a related problem: as roads and adjacent development are raised over time, older properties sit at the low point of the local grade.

‘Not Solving One Neighborhood’s Problem by Creating Another’

Residents said a diversion into the Bay Launch Estates canal could devastate the neighborhood and shift flooding from one area to another. City leadership said it does not intend to solve one neighborhood’s flooding problem by creating a new problem elsewhere.

Officials said new construction should not shift water problems onto existing residents.

Residents said the report appeared to pit one neighborhood against another. Officials denied that was the city’s purpose, saying the report included suggestions from an outside company that did not necessarily reflect the city’s plans or agreements.

Officials thanked residents for reviewing a 123-page report but encouraged them to contact the city with questions. A city official asked residents to call rather than email.

Resident Kenny Wilton said he wanted to protect his neighborhood, and council members said they shared that commitment.

Other Areas Facing Similar Issues

The council also discussed water movement and drainage concerns in the Martinique, St. Lucia and Terry Cove areas. Officials said those areas face problems similar to those at Bear Point, and that the city is willing to acknowledge that it is examining the issues while avoiding promises it cannot keep.

The city said it has completed significant work in Bear Point and nearby areas and is developing another plan with help from Public Works Director Tim Tucker.

Personnel Announcements

At the Sept. 15 meeting, Skyler Wade was introduced as the new assistant planner for the Community Development Department. Wade will assist with plan reviews and other projects. The council also introduced Stacy Hinson as the city’s new assistant engineer.

Tyler Davidson was announced as the new Public Works Director. He will shadow Tim Tucker for a year until Tucker’s retirement.

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