New Nature Reserve to Open in Foley Next Year
By Isabella Gomez
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
May 6, 2026
FOLEY, Ala. Foley has announced that sometime next year, a new nature reserve will open in a mixture of rural and suburban settings.
The Andrew Jones Wetland Reserve, a 95-acre site, will give residents and visitors another place to explore, relax and enjoy the outdoors.
This project is named after Andy James, a former Volkert engineer who designed and spearheaded this project who sadly passed away in 2023.
It’s a combination of dealing with stormwater runoff while also providing more places for folks to explore in the area.
The site sits near Bon Secour and has an array of wildflowers, grass and wooded area and it’s surrounded by nature.
Foley is a mix of rural and suburban areas and when it rains the water must go somewhere. This reserve in the southwest corner of the city will allow the water to be controlled while providing habitat for many different species of animals.
One of the main benefits is that the site will clean runoff from urban and agricultural areas.
The site also has a litter boom on the river to collect debris that will make its way into the water.
The project costs about $6 million, paid for through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
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