Weeks Bay Reserve, Alabama

Location: The Weeks Bay Reserve is located near Mobile Bay’s eastern shore in Baldwin County, approximately 40 miles southeast of Mobile, Ala., and 50 miles west of Pensacola, Fla. The reserve property lies in and around Weeks Bay and the tributaries of the Fish and Magnolia rivers. The Interpretive Center and main offices are located on U.S. 98, approximately 12 miles southeast of Fairhope, and just west of the Fish River Bridge. Total Acreage: The reserve includes 6,525 acres that encompasses the water bottoms of Weeks Bay, Fish River, Magnolia River and a small portion of Mobile Bay, and includes over 1,600 acres of swamp, marsh and upland areas Designation: 1986 Lead State Agency: Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Mailing Address: Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve 11300 U.S. Highway 98 Fairhope, AL 36532 Phone: 251-928-9792

Weeks Bay is a small estuary, about 3 sq. miles (8 sq. kilometers), receiving freshwater from the Magnolia and Fish rivers, and drains a 198 sq. mile watershed into the portion of Mobile Bay. This sub-estuary of Mobile Bay averages just 4.8 ft deep (1.5 meters) and is fringed with marsh (Spartina, Juncus) and swamp (pine, oak, magnolia, maple, cypress, bayberry, tupelo and others). The reserve lands also include upland and bottomland hardwood forests, freshwater marsh (Typha, Cladium), submerged aquatic vegetation (Ruppia, Valisneria) and unique bog habitats (Sarracenia, Drosera). Weeks Bay is a critical nursery for shrimp, bay anchovy, blue crab and multitudes of other fish, crustaceans and shellfish that support robust commercial fisheries providing $450 million/year for Alabama.

The Weeks Bay Reserve includes over 6,000 acres of coastal wetlands and waterbottoms that provide rich and diverse habitats for a variety of fish, crustaceans and shellfish, as well as many unique and rare plants. The Weeks Bay estuary, "where rivers meet the sea,” is an important site of scientific research on estuarine ecology. The Weeks Bay Interpretive Center offers the public opportunities to learn about coastal habitats through its exhibits, live animals displays and collections of animals and regional plants. Self-guiding nature trails wind through wetlands, marshes, bogs and forests.

The Weeks Bay Interpretive Center is located 12 miles east of Fairhope on U.S. 98, and open Monday-Saturday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., and Sunday 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. The center is closed state and federal holidays, and admission is free. Guided tours are available by advance request.