City, County, and State Methods to Protect Mississippi Bayous, Estuaries, and Marine Fisheries During the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

In the first few days of the April 2010 explosion and eventual sinking of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, the citizens and agencies of the Mississippi Gulf coast were obviously concerned. As the full extent of the tragedy unfolded in the following weeks, local, county, and state agencies organized to address the myriad issues they faced in their communities. With lingering issues from the environmental and economic impacts of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the coastal communities of Mississippi recognized they would need immediate action—swift political decisions and strong community support—to protect the Gulf Coast from this new crisis. Beginning at the local level, the City of Ocean Springs (COS) reached out to BP and the newly established Unified Command to hold community outreach meetings. It was at these meetings that COS began coordinating with state and federal agencies for guidance regarding protection of the nearshore and marine environment. During the development of the “BP MC252 Deepwater Horizon Block Grant Application,” the COS and Anchor QEA, LLC, designed and developed methods to protect Mississippi bayous, estuaries, and marine fisheries. Using available aerial photos, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and local knowledge of marine shorelines, detailed mapping and protection priority ranking were developed for sensitive resources within Ocean Springs. To support shoreline protection, adaptive designs were developed that fit the diverse and dynamic shoreline of Ocean Springs. The mapping, designs, and implementation methods were presented to the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) as part of the Block Grant to BP. Continued coordination with DMR led to an expedited permit process with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As a result, implementation of 2 miles of protective measures in Ocean Springs began on June 2, 2010, less than a month after the spill began. News of the protective measures and rapid permitting process quickly spread to other coastal counties of Mississippi. The Mississippi communities and Anchor QEA continued to design and develop innovative approaches to protecting the large bayous, jetties, and unprotected shorelines. Ultimately, 30 miles of protective measures were permitted for implementation. Where implemented, the innovative methods developed at the local level helped protect the bayous, estuaries, and marine fisheries of coastal cities and counties of Mississippi.