Alabama

United States Department of the Interior

Content:
John Rowland

Pagemasters:
Alice Drew
Marcia Oliver

Alabama

Coastal Alabama is a center for regional tourist, recreational, industrial, and military activities. The Main Pass of Mobile Bay divides the coastal region into two sections: Dauphin Island to the west and the Morgan Peninsula to the east. Each coastal segment contains archeologically, historically, and environmentally sensitive areas. For example, an archeological site from the Mississippian Indian culture (900 - 1700 A.D.) is located on Dauphin Island. Sites with modern historic significance include: Fort Gaines on the eastern tip of Dauphin Island and Fort Morgan on the western end of the Morgan Peninsula. The sites were pivotal factors during the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864.

Alabama’s shorelines are retreating. Severe losses are documented along the shores of Dauphin Island. The Morgan Peninsula also has significant shoreline erosion along its entire length to the Florida State line, particularly along the west side of Perdido Pass and the west side of Little Lagoon Inlet. The joint cooperative effort has determined that the Gulf shoreline of southeastern Dauphin Island could be restored to the 1955 shoreline position by applying approximately 1.8 million cubic yards of sand. Little Lagoon Inlet will need approximately 120,000 cubic yards of sand to mitigate the erosion problem.

High altitude view of Alabama's Morgan Peninsula including Baldwin County. Photo courtesy of GSA

The State of Alabama, represented by the Geological Survey of Alabama (GSA), continues to work with us to determine the feasibility of using sand from Target Site 4, a large sand resource located in Federal waters, to nourish the eroding Dauphin Island. The second year of the planned 3-year project focuses on modeling the regional geological system incorporating the area offshore Dauphin Island. The impact of Hurricane Danny on the Alabama Coast heightened public support for use of offshore sand to repair the Morgan Peninsula beaches. The Cooperative conducted geological reconnaissance and site assessments of the offshore region in 1998. Starting in 1999, the MMS/Alabama Cooperative began efforts to involve other agencies and groups in the process of developing the Federal sand resources offshore of the Morgan Peninsula, and is continuing detailed assessment of coastal and nearshore sedimentary and erosional regimes.

On September 2001, a CD-ROM was released from the GSA, entitled "Sand Resources and Shoreline Profile Geospatial Data and Interactive Map." By October 2002, another CD-ROM was also released by the GSA, entitled “Sand Resources and Shoreline Profile Geospatial Data and Interactive Maps.” The second CD-ROM uses state-of-the-art GIS technology such as ArcIMS to assist the reader in accessing and using the data and information from the cooperative project. Please contact John Rowland for a copy of the CD.

Completed Studies

The GSA representing the State of Alabama continues to work cooperatively with us to further evaluate the near-term lease potential of sand resources identified on the east Alabama continental shelf offshore of the Morgan Peninsula, Alabama. The current cooperative’s efforts focus on the project entitled “Cooperative Continuation (Year 4): Assessment of Continental Shelf Sand Resources and the Regional Geologic Environment as Related to Potential Public Works Projects Along Coastal Alabama" (U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service Cooperative Agreement No.1435-01-98-CA-30935.) The cooperative relationship and efforts remain important to both us and the State of Alabama. Furthermore, local support remains strong for the coastal beach restoration and hurricane protection projects. Support for the cooperative endeavor is evident from reports in local newspapers and the media and communication with local coastal citizens groups.

Among the fourth year activities are:

the creation of additional GIS data layers and an enhanced web site,

the continuation of the assessment of the coastal and nearshore sedimentary environment, and

the development of a report that summarizes accomplishments, methods, and analyses while providing a database in GIS format. The report provides recommendations relating to the known potential for use of sand resources offshore Alabama and to relevant topics requiring further evaluation by the cooperative members.

The MMS also completed an environmental study to examine the impacts of dredging for regional beach nourishment sand. The study involved collecting biological and physical data at five borrow sites and the assessment of adverse impacts before any dredging occurs (please see Alabama Studies for further information).

Links

City of Gulf Shores

City of Mobile, Alabama

Gulf Coast Research Lab

USACE Mobile District

University of Alabama, Chemical Engineering

University of Mississippi Geology and Geological Engineering

Last Updated: 07/08/2004, 02:23 PM