Ivey Signs Law Curbing Mud Dumping in Mobile Bay

MOBILE, Ala. -- Gov. Kay Ivey signed House Bill 181 into law on Feb. 11, 2026, prohibiting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from dumping dredged sediment into Mobile Bay via 'thin-layer placement.' Sponsored by Rep. Rhett Marques, R-Enterprise, and state Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, the bill requires 70% of material from the Mobile Ship Channel expansion to go toward beneficial uses like marsh creation and shoreline restoration on Dauphin and Sand islands.

The legislation empowers the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to enforce provisions through the Alabama Coastal Area Management Program. It explicitly bars depositing dredged material into public waters unless for restoration projects, overriding federal allowances pushed by U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Montgomery. HB181 takes effect Oct. 1, 2026, amid concerns over sediment smothering bay habitats critical to Alabama's $3 billion seafood industry and tourism along the Gulf Coast.

Local advocates hailed the bill as a victory for 'Save Our Bay,' following years of controversy over Corps dredging that clouded waters and threatened oysters, fish nurseries and bird habitats in Mobile Bay, Alabama's largest estuary. 'This protects our coastal heritage,' Marques said during legislative debates. The port's economic role in shipping remains intact, with beneficial reuse creating jobs in restoration.