2 days ago
Former casino boat to become Alabama's largest artificial reef
BAYOU LA BATRE, Ala. (WKRG) — Two old casino riverboats lie unused at the Bayou La Batre City Docks. One of them could become the next artificial reef off the coast of Alabama.
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Officials with Alabama Marine Resources told News 5 they're still working toward an agreement with the owner to get the big boat on the floor of the Gulf.
'If our marine resources can execute an agreement to turn one of the barges into a reef, that would be our goal,' Russell Rigby from Alabama Marine Resources said. 'We've been working hard towards that goal, and we think we're gonna be able to make it happen.'
Preparations aboard the boat have already begun.
Robert Akridge and his crew are tasked with getting the boat ready to sink. They've been dismantling the four story floating casino for the past month.
'Our job is to gut it and make it an iron shell to put at the bottom of the sea floor,' Akridge said.
He said the process should be wrapping up within the next few months.
'I'm thinking by October this thing will be on the sea floor,' Akridge said.
Alabama Marine Resources said they have a sinking location picked out, around 22 miles south of Orange Beach.
Some are saying this could be the largest man made reef off the coast of Alabama.
'It is 3000,000, probably square foot plus,' Akridge said. 'It's going to be huge and it's going to be incredible.'
'I know it's going to be the largest one for the state of Alabama,' Bayou La Batre Mayor Henry Barns said. 'I think the state would make a lot of money from the tax revenue of people fishing and diving off of it. And just because they're casino boats, 'oh, I wanna go dive that!''
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It could become an underwater attraction for fish and fishermen.
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