Dauphin Island's beaches slowly eroding

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. - Dauphin Island has a problem with sand...there's just not enough.

Some projections have shown the island erodes up to 10 feet per year in some areas.

"I don't know how we can live on a barrier island that over-washes as frequently as this one and that's the problem," said Dr. Scott Douglas.

Douglas is a coastal engineer and local professor at the University of South Alabama. He recently completed a three-month study that has shown the only answer is beach nourishment.

"Beach nourishment is basically just putting large amounts of good quality sand on the beach to widen the beach," he said.

Douglas said it's the same thing Gulf Shores did about eight years ago.

"They haven't lost property. They lost buildings, but not property. So, they're in a lot better shape than Dauphin Island because they have nourished their beaches."

Douglas said it's a problem and a solution many residents already know.

"If we do nothing, we'll see the same things continue that have happened for the last 150 years," said Douglas. That means the island will still be here, but some of the roads and houses will not.

Douglass said the next step is to fund a sand search to find good quality sand offshore.

In 2008, an engineering firm analyzed the potential cost of beach nourishment on Dauphin Island. The firm said the project would be more than $10 million.

At that time, it was estimated about 10 thousand feet of beach would require nourishment.