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Gulf State Park pier opens July 23
July 6, 2009
From the article “Gulf State Park pier to open July 23: post-Ivan reconstruction finally nearing end” by Jeff Dute in the Press-Register:
Shortly after Hurricane Ivan destroyed the Gulf State Park Pier in September 2004, many fishermen began counting down the time until a new pier would be built. On Tuesday, Alabama conservation department officials announced that the clock would officially reach 00:00 at 9 a.m. on July 23. That's when Gov. Bob Riley is expected to cut the ribbon to open the 1,520-foot-long pier after more than 18 months of construction and a bid cost of $16.2 million.
"As you know, good things come to those who wait. We had hoped to open the new Gulf State Park Pier this spring, but Mother Nature decided otherwise," state conservation commissioner Barnett Lawley said. "That said, the new pier will be the longest on the Gulf Coast and will reach more than 1,500 feet into the Gulf of Mexico. This facility will provide unparalleled educational opportunities for students and teachers alike to view and experience first-hand the intricate ecosystem that thrives on Alabama's coast. It will also give Alabamians and visitors unequaled access to great sightseeing along our beautiful beaches and shoreline. The wait will be well worth it."
That also appears to be the sentiment among fishermen who regularly fished the old pier, said David Thornton, who spent 35 years learning to catch fish along its weathered rails. Thornton said he has kept in touch with many of the people who shared those rails with him. "I think the consensus is that it's been worth the wait," Thornton said. "The pier will be a very consistent, accessible place to fish and there's a lot of camaraderie that developed over time on the old pier, and it's that social aspect of fishing on the pier that we've been missing, too."
Thornton predicts the new pier will open up new opportunities to catch fish species that were out of reach of the old pier, whose end octagon stood in about 12 feet of water. The new pier's end will be in 26 to 28 feet of water. "There are a bunch of us who are eager to give a shot and get a taste of what we knew we were missing. The old pier was always a good inshore pier because of the shallow water and there were good pelagic (migratory) opportunities at certain times of the year," he said. "Now, it's like there are two piers out there. We'll still have the good inshore fishing, but we'll also have a whole new pier outside that second (sand) bar."
For the complete article see http://blog.al.com/press-register-sports/2009/07/gulf_state_park_pier_to_open_j.html
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