Georgia DNR Sinks Subway Cars Near Artificial Reef L
Keith Lusher 01.09.24
If you’re planning on doing any off-shore fishing off the coast of Georgia you may want to type in these coordinates: 31.74987, -80.60919. That’s the location of Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources’ Artificial Reef L. The reef is made up of battle tanks and barges but now will have a new addition. The DNR and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) have partnered to add the railcars to the reef that is located in over 60 feet of water. The location is about 23 nautical miles east of Ossabaw Island.
Cameron Brinton is a marine biologist with DNR’s Coastal Resources Division and said this is a plan that the two organizations have been working on for quite some time. “This project has been a long time in the works, and we are so glad to have these MARTA cars offshore now to provide essential fish habitat, diving opportunities, and another great offshore fishing location,” he said.
The railcars that are being used have been retired since July of 2022 and in the summer of 2023, MARTA’s Board of Directors voted to donate them to DNR. Before the railcars were sunk, they were stripped of any potential contaminants and hazardous materials, inspected, and approved for reefing by the U.S. Coast Guard. The railcars were stripped of hazardous materials and potential contaminants before inspection and approval for reefing by the U.S. Coast Guard. While the remains of the railcars are man-made, the reef that will form on the structures is entirely natural, Brinton said.
“Within a few months to a year, we expect corals, sponges, and other encrusting organisms to form on the railcars,” Brinton said. “The relief and structure of the cars will provide a habitat for fish to spawn and find refuge, which can be sparse off Georgia’s coast due to the low-sloping, sandy geology of the near and offshore undersea environment.”
The offshore reef is expected to be a popular fishing destination for those targeting sportfish. The reef is expected to attract King and Spanish Mackerel, sheepshead, triggerfish, cobia, snapper, and grouper. the reef will also be available to scuba divers immediately.
In addition to the railcars being deployed, 1,000 tons of discarded concrete culvert pipe and 200 tons of concrete power poles will help make up the new reef. Georgia Power and Concrete Pipe & Precast of Charleston, S.C. donated these items.
Doug Haymans, director of Coastal Resources Division, thanked all those involved who donated time, space, support, and materials to make the deployment happen. “From the members of MARTA’s Board of Directors, to East Coast Terminal allowing us to take up their valuable space with concrete pipe and subway cars, I thank you for your support,” he said. “The commitment to conservation displayed by all the parties involved in this important task shows Georgia is a state that cares deeply about its natural resources, and the future generations who will enjoy them.”
Subway cars aren’t new to the offshore artificial reef-building programs in Georgia. In the early 2000s retired subway cars were donated by The New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
A map of all of Gergia’s Artificial Reefs can be found here
