Marques, Elliott file bill to stop mud dumping in Mobile Bay

Alabama Representative Rhett Marques and Senator Chris Elliott said that they will today announce legislation at the Fairhope Municipal Pier that would effectively end the practice of in-bay, thin-layer dredge disposal – known as “mud dumping” – in Mobile Bay.

When enacted, the law would mirror federal law enacted by Senator Katie Britt in 2024, requiring USACE to use at least 70 percent of dredged material for beneficial use, such as marsh creation, shoreline protection, industrial or commercial applications, and restoration of eroding coastal habitats.

Following Senator Britt’s legislation, the Mobile District began referring to mud dumping as “beneficial use.” This state legislation stipulates that dumping dredged material inside Mobile Bay does not classify as “beneficial use.”

According to officials, “the Corps would still be responsible for maintaining the ship channel. The state legislation would not require any modifications to the maintenance dredging itself, only that the federal government funds modern, responsible disposal options now that the cheapest option – dumping mud into the Bay – would be significantly curtailed.”

Disposal of dredge material from maintenance of the Mobile Harbor Ship Channel is 100 percent federally funded, following legislation advanced by Britt and her colleagues in 2024.

The bill will be filed on January 13, the first day of the 2026 legislative session, giving Alabama the opportunity to join the growing number of states that have established state policies against mud dumping, including Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Virginia, and others.

This legislation is endorsed by a litany of supporters, including Mayor Barnes of Bayou La Batre, Mayor Bass of Spanish Fort, Mayor LeJeune of Daphne, Baldwin REALTORS, Alabama’s Beaches: The Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Point Clear Property Owners Association, the Fort Morgan Civic Association, the Little Lagoon Preservation Society, Alabama Commercial Fishermen’s Association LLC, Eat Alabama Wild Seafood, Admiral Shellfish Company, Bama Bay Oyster Farm, Mobile Baykeeper and the Organized Seafood Association of Alabama.