GCCDS

Bayou Auguste extends a half mile into East Biloxi neighborhoods, passing through property owned by the Biloxi Housing Authority, Biloxi Public Schools, the City of Biloxi, and private landowners. Bayous in such urban settings have two important and sometimes competing functions: to be part of the natural tidal marsh habitat and to be part of the stormwater drainage system that moves water from urban streets to the ocean. The Bayou Auguste Greenway Restoration project is a community-based effort with several partners working together to improve both of these functions.

Decades of neglect and surrounding development have resulted in portions of tidal marsh being filled and the natural habitat being affected by garbage, pollution, and invasive plants. The goal of the project is to clean-up and restore Auguste Bayou and to work with various community partners to improve stormwater practices, helping the neighborhood reduce garbage and pollution that ends up in the natural environment.

In addition, the project will create trails and overlooks to increase the benefits of Bayou Auguste for walking and for viewing nature. Local organizations and people in the community have worked together to create a master plan for Bayou Auguste to expand tidal marsh, reshape the banks into a more natural environment, and replant with native plant species. Plans for a series of walking trails, viewing platforms, and fishing piers will turn a neglected and inaccessible urban bayou into a 12 acre neighborhood nature park.