The city of Foley is collaborating with Baldwin County to remove debris slowing drainage in the Magnolia River basin.

Mayor Ralph Hellmich announced that the city will clear the stream south from the bridge near Pine Rest Cemetery. Hurricane Sally left debris clogging many area waterways when it struck South Baldwin County in 2020.

“We’re going to be working from the bridge just down to about Plantation Hills,” Hellmich said. “This area has a lot of storm debris in it from Sally and has caused some problems.”

Baldwin County officials are also working to clear the Magnolia River basin in areas outside Foley city limits.

“They bought property on the south side and are doing a project similar to what we did on the Bon Secour River, creating an area where floodwaters can go there rather than downstream,” Hellmich said.

Hellmich said the county project will reduce the workload for Foley.

“It’s helping us out,” Hellmich said. “We’re working jointly with them to clean that out.”

Once the material is cleared, the basin can be designated as a managed stream by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This designation would allow the city to receive federal funding to remove debris after future storms.

Foley has also removed debris from the Bon Secour River and other areas, Hellmich said. The city began working in 2023 to clear debris and improve drainage along the Bon Secour River. Some of the debris had washed into the river after Hurricane Sally struck the Gulf Coast.