Home » Travel » Southeastern U.S. » Rebuilding the Beach

Rebuilding the Beach

© Martine G. Bates

For the last several years, Gulf Shores has been losing beach. Currents, hurricanes, development, all were robbing the most beautiful beaches in the world of their shoreline. Now, Gulf Shores is fighting back.

In some areas, the beach had eroded so badly that buildings were in danger. I will freely admit to enjoying my stay in one section of the Holiday Inn that was so close to the water that the spray hit me in the face when I sat on the balcony. It was neat, being that close, until I realized that the same water splashing up on my balcony was also wearing away the foundation of the building I was sleeping in—not a comforting thought.

Beach erosion is a common problem in coastal areas in the United States, particularly in developed areas that have been swept clean of natural protections, like sea oats. Building jetties and other structures, and dredging channels for boats redirects water flow and contributes to the destruction. The natural action of tides—as with any water movement—causes erosion. For an example, look at the Grand Canyon. The most dramatic damage to the Gulf Shores area, however, results from hurricanes that sweep ashore in the area.

On a recent visit to the area, I was amazed to see the project in progress. The Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company has run thousands of feet of 30” pipe into the Gulf of Mexico, and is busily pumping sand onto the beach. The pipe is moved as needed until the entire target area has been covered with new sand. The sand is spread around, then the process begins again.

The project is currently making the beach about 250 feet wider than before, but the final configuration, which should take about a year to develop, will add 80 to 100 feet to the beginning width of the beach. After the sand is replaced, the city will erect dune fences and plant 140,000 sea oats in hopes of building sand dunes that will remain for a few years.

The dunes, according to city officials, should last several years unless a major hurricane washes them away.

The staging area is a mess, and sections of beach being worked on are cordoned off for short periods, but otherwise, I was unaffected by the project in a recent stay. My hotel was only a few feet from the area under construction, but the noise was minimal and the beach at my hotel undisturbed.

The copyright of the article Rebuilding the Beach in Southeastern U.S. is owned by Martine G. Bates. Permission to republish Rebuilding the Beach in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.