Intracoastal Waterway bulkheads and docks in Gulf Shores

Get to know your waterfront

The waterway runs east to west through Gulf Shores, crossed by the Highway 59 bridge, which the zoning code calls the W. C. Holmes Bridge. The south bank holds Canal Drive, W Canal Drive and E 24th and 25th Avenues. Inside city limits the city issues building permits. Parts of the Oyster Bay shore farther west are outside the city, and the county takes over there.

Zoning Ordinance for the City of Gulf Shores (September 14, 2026, as amended by Ordinance No. 2228) · Canal Park · TIGERweb Places, County Subdivisions, Consolidated Cities (layer 4) · TIGERweb Census Current (2026) Legal and Statistical Entities, Incorporated Places layer (January 1, 2026 vintage), point-in-polygon queries

The Corps line, the zoning layers and the shore west of the bridge

Who controls the edge of the waterway?

• The Corps controls the channel and a strip of land along it.
• The city controls zoning and building behind that strip.
• State Lands controls the bottom.

The Corps lists the federal channel at 12 feet authorized depth and 150 feet wide. That covers the Alabama reaches named Bon Secour Channel, Foley Land Cut and Wolf Bay Channel. Corps channel framework

Many lots end at a Corps right-of-way line, or at a Corps easement on the south bank. Anything built inside that easement, including a city-required walking path, needs Corps approval. Zoning Ordinance Secs. 6-3G(4), 9-2

State Lands adds a distance rule. A structure on state submerged land must stay 100 feet from a federal navigation channel. It is also capped at one quarter of the water's width at that spot. ADCNR rule 220-4-.09(4)(d)

What do the ICW districts and the Waterway Village Overlay change?

The zoning code splits the waterway into a north-bank district (ICW-N) and a south-bank district (ICW-S). It limits north-bank heights and setbacks to protect south-bank homes. Zoning Ordinance Sec. 9-2

Sources: Zoning Ordinance Secs. 6-3G(4), 9-2 Zoning Ordinance Sec. 9-2D Zoning Ordinance Sec. 10-10 Zoning Ordinance Sec. 11-8 City Planning and Zoning page

The Waterway Village Overlay (WV-O) covers two neighborhood centers on the waterway. It protects "working waterfront" uses such as docks, lifts, ramps, boat repair, seafood markets and public access. Public water access is allowed by right. Zoning Ordinance Sec. 10-10

• Marinas may not fuel or launch within 50 feet of a residential line. They may not store fuel or place a pump-out tank over water. Every state and federal approval must be in hand at application. Zoning Ordinance Sec. 11-8
• New shared access from a multifamily building may not run through an R-1 or R-2 district. Zoning Ordinance Sec. 6-9

What is happening at Canal Park, the bridge and the roads?

Canal Park, at 50 West Canal Drive, sits under the Highway 59 bridge. It has a boat launch, parking, restrooms and a courtesy dock, open dawn to dusk. City Canal Park page

The launch nearly closed in August 2026 over strong currents, barge traffic and trailer conflicts. On August 26, 2026 the council agreed to renew the ALDOT agreement, so it stays open. FOX10, Aug 2026

• Pedestrian bridge: a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge is going in across the waterway, with plazas at both landings. A $3.6 million GOMESA grant covers the full $3,606,465 cost. The city estimated 12 to 14 months in February 2026. City update, Feb 2026
• Roads: a 2020 memo describes a roughly $54 million program. It reroutes Canal Road East on the south side and extends Waterway East Boulevard on the north. City memo, Feb 2020

How do wakes, currents and channel depth affect a wall?

A wall on a federal channel faces boat wakes, propeller wash and moving water all day, not only storms. Canal Park's currents and barge traffic show it. No measured wake data turned up.

• The waterway drains Wolf Bay, and its flow can turn toward Perdido Bay or Mobile Bay as winds and tides shift. Wolf Bay plan
• Two fixed bridges cross the cut. The Highway 59 span clears 125 feet wide and 73 feet high. The Foley Beach Express span is 250 feet wide and 73 feet high. Coast Pilot 5

Design the toe of the wall for scour and wash, not only surge. See riprap and shoreline stabilization and seawall replacement. Commercial owners should also read marina bulkhead repair.

Who permits the Oyster Bay edge west of the bridge?

West of the bridge the waterway runs through city land, county land and marsh. Lots on the south bank near Bear Creek and Sand Bayou are inside the city. Oyster Bay itself tests as outside it. Census place layer, 2026 Census boundary check

The city surrounds much of the area, so two neighbors can have different permit offices. Inside city limits, use the city. Outside them, use Baldwin County. County building page

• County path: a bulkhead or pier is a Flood Permit, sub-type Marine Accessory, in the CitizenServe portal. Corps approval and a State Lands notice come first. County marine permit page
• County fees: $75 flood permit in a mapped flood area, plus 1.5 percent of job value and two small add-ons ($15 and $10). County fee schedule
• Protected land: a $12,511,400 federal grant protects about 836 acres of tidal marsh, maritime forest and swamp inside the city, beside a Bon Secour refuge unit. NFWF award
• Disputed cause: some residents blame Corps maintenance dredging for erosion near Bon Secour Bay. The watershed plan says that claim needs more study. Bon Secour watershed plan

A 2022 archaeology study also confirmed an old canoe route, dated to about A.D. 600, that joined Oyster Bay to Little Lagoon. Digging near it could raise cultural-resource questions. Journal of Field Archaeology, 2022

Shoreline and boat-access facts for the bay are in the Plash Island guide.

Which offices and guides come next?

• Dock and lift jobs: docks and boat lifts and the permit overview.
• Larger frontage or shared owners: condo seawall repair and HOA seawall repair.
• Neighbors: the old-town canals to the south and Bon Secour along the river.

Several lots on one canal can plan together; see the neighbor project guide.

What could the work cost?

Waterway frontage often means engineered or commercial work. Angi lists $250 to $700 per foot for steel and $200 to $800 for concrete, so 100 feet runs about $25,000 to $80,000 before permits. The Corps fee is $100 for commercial work and $10 for personal use. ADEM charges $800 for a single-family pier and $2,400 for other piers.

These are published prices, not a quote. Local numbers come from Baldwin County public bids and Orange Beach permits. National guides fill the gaps and are labeled as national. Your wall depends on height, access, soil and permits.

Find the relevant permits and records

Prepare the questions for the responsible office.

How to find the line, the district and the office for your lot

Four checks before any design work.

1. Find the Corps line on your survey

   Ask your surveyor to mark the Corps right-of-way line or easement. Rear yards and path rules key off it.

   Zoning Ordinance for the City of Gulf Shores (September 14, 2026, as amended by Ordinance No. 2228)

2. Confirm your zoning district

   Ask city Planning and Zoning whether the lot is in ICW-N, ICW-S or the Waterway Village Overlay.

   Zoning Ordinance for the City of Gulf Shores (September 14, 2026, as amended by Ordinance No. 2228)

3. Confirm city or county

   West of the bridge, check the parcel against the city boundary. City lots use the city; others use Baldwin County.

   Permitting FAQs | Baldwin County Building Department · TIGERweb Census Current (2026) Legal and Statistical Entities, Incorporated Places layer (January 1, 2026 vintage), point-in-polygon queries

4. Search past permits

   Newer county permits (November 2020 onward) live in the CitizenServe portal. Earlier ones sit on a separate Building Permits Link page.

   Building Department - Search Permits & Reports

Keep planning

Nearby waterfront guides

Stanton Creek & the old-town canals, Plash Island & the Oyster Bay shore, Bon Secour & the Bon Secour River

View the local guide directory.