Mobile County’s boat dock will close for three months Monday for $2 million upgrade

A public boat ramp in Mobile County will close next week for a major renovation of the facility, which is being funded by $2 million in revenue from oil and gas leases held by the state of Alabama.

The Mount Vernon public boat ramp will be closed starting Monday and will not reopen for about three months while construction continues.

According to a press release from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division, the facility upgrades include a new launch pad, a new access pier, a larger parking lot and a new weigh-in pavilion for tournament fish.

Funding for the project was announced by Governor Kay Ivey in 2023, when she unveiled a list of projects receiving funding through an allocation of $67 million to Alabama as part of the state’s revenue through Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) funds.

The state receives 37.5 percent of federal royalties from new Gulf oil and gas leases under a 2006 law that established GOMESA. Three other Gulf states — Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana — also share in revenue from the leases.

The funds are used for coastal conservation and protection projects, hurricane protection, and support for ecotourism. In Alabama, GOMESA revenues have funded park expansions, land acquisitions for conservation and beach access, new boat ramps, fishing piers, trash traps, and more.