Andrews Island

Description: Andrews Island is an U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredge spoil disposal site adjacent to the waterfront of downtown Brunswick, Georgia. The disposal area is surrounded by a 20+ foot tall dike with water control structures to remove the water after the spoil has settled out. The site is used as a feeding and resting area by a wide variety of local and migrating species of a wide variety of families. When water is present, shorebirds, wading birds, and ducks are present in large numbers feeding on the invertebrates, which were introduced by dredging and flies, and mosquitoes, which lay eggs in the water to use the rich nutrients. When water is absent, many shorebirds use it as a resting area around high tide when their feeding areas outside are flooded. The land owner/managers are the Georgia Ports Authority and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The island is connected to the mainland by a causeway; however, access to the site is limited by the Corps, Georgia Ports Authority, and Glynn County.

Survey Method: Ground surveys around the disposal area.

Selection Bias: None as long as surveyor has permission from the appropriate agencies to access the spoil site.

Measurement error: *

Measurement bias: *

Pilot Studies: None.

Local Contacts: Mike Chapman, Coastal Georgia Audubon Society, IBA Nominator