Parts of the old Gulf Breeze Fishing Pier are dropped into the Gulf of Mexico to create the Lane Gilchrist Reef. The first load of concrete materials from the demolition of the Gulf Breeze Fishing Bridge was deployed in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, Dec. 15. The reefing is a collaborative project between City of Gulf Breeze and Escambia County.

The Gulf Breeze Fishing Bridge was damaged beyond repair by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Escambia County Marine Resources Division manager Robert Turpin has been working with the City of Gulf Breeze to ensure the concrete demolition materials are used to create habitat for marine life and fishing and diving opportunities to local residents and visitors.

The Gulf Breeze City Council voted unanimously Monday night to name the reef in honor of late Mayor Lane Gilchrist, who passed away in 2009 after serving 27 years as a councilman and Mayor.

“Not only are these reefs a great asset for the community,” praised Mayor Beverly Zimmern, “this is a great way to remember Lane as much as he loved fishing.”

“Economists have measured the economic benefits of artificial reefs to many Florida counties” said Turpin, a Gulf Breeze resident. “An economic assessment of artificial reefs in 1998 measured annual expenditures of nearly $120 million and 2,457 jobs generated in Santa Rosa and Escambia counties. Now that we have the world’s largest artificial reef, the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Oriskany, and the other materials we’ve deployed since then, those annual benefits are probably much greater.”

The 960 tons of reef materials consisted of 12 concrete bridge-deck spans, each weighing 80 tons. Each deck span is cut into four pieces to facilitate removal, loading and off-loading at the reef site.

According to Turpin, the materials were the first of multiple deployments that will eventually form two or more “mega-reefs” approximately 5 nautical miles southeast of Pensacola Pass.

Turpin managed construction of nine other mega-reefs using concrete demolition materials from the Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge and Interstate 10 bridge over Escambia Bay. Like the Gulf Breeze Fishing Bridge, these structures also were damaged by Hurricane Ivan, and Turpin requested reefing as the preferred “disposal” alternative.

Escambia County’s artificial reef permit had to be modified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to accommodate the mega-reef.

“Initially, the Army Corps permit limited reef height to 8 feet, which is difficult to ensure when you are pushing large concrete pieces off a barge,” Turpin said.

With an allowable reef height of 16 feet, the reef materials can be stacked much higher and closer together to form the mega-reef.

“Using scuba to inspect the Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge reefs and I-10 reefs after they were constructed, I’m impressed with the amount of fish and other marine life on these megareefs,” Turpin said. “The amount of habitat created is equivalent to some of our larger natural reefs. As a recreational fisherman, I’ve enjoyed great fishing success on these reefs, and I hear similar reports from many local fishers and divers.”

It will take several months to load and transport the rest of the concrete. The amount of time and barge loads will depend on many factors including weather, barge and equipment capacity, to name a few.