Several initiatives to safeguard the watersheds flowing into Wolf Bay have made significant strides. Leslie Gahagan, the Environmental Director of the city of Foley, detailed these efforts at a recent gathering at the Foley Senior Center. She highlighted how grants exceeding $3 million are being utilized to counteract erosion along waterways such as Wolf Creek and Sandy Creek in east Foley.

Gahagan explained that erosion, sedimentation, and obstructions have adversely affected numerous local streams. A notable incident occurred along Sandy Creek where a dam, previously used to form a pond, collapsed, resulting in significant erosion. This site, remote and unused, posed a challenge in identifying the problem's source. She described how they leveraged Google Earth to compare pre- and post-flood images to realize the pond's disappearance, which was causing the creek to turn milky with every rain. This led to an investigation that revealed the presence of natural clay, not a sewer issue as initially suspected by some.

The restoration work on Sandy Creek is predicted to mitigate flooding, caused by the stream's sedimentation. Gahagan also spoke about another project near Swift Church Road where a 10-foot-high erosion is gradually consuming properties of several homeowners. Here, the creek's rapid water movement has resulted in a curve. She assured the audience that upstream cleanup would stabilize the situation downstream.

Another problem area is a drain north of the OWA resort overrun with invasive plants. This, too, is part of the restoration agenda.

Beyond her role as Foley's Environmental Director, Gahagan presides over the Wolf Bay Watershed Watch, an organization committed to developing a watershed management plan for the area. This group has the distinction of being among the first in Alabama to develop a coastal watershed plan. For over two decades, its volunteers have been diligently monitoring the water quality in streams leading to the bay, testing for variables such as bacteria levels, temperature, and oxygen levels.

According to Gahagan, the database compiling the changes in these levels over more than twenty years is a valuable resource. The Wolf Bay Watershed Watch has continually monitored the watershed and the area's natural resources since 1998, working with local governments and being an active part of the community.