Robin's Blog for Dauphin Island

Dear Dauphin Island Property Owner,

We have forwarded and will continue to forward certain information from various origins having to do with the oil crisis and the preparation and response that is being undertaken on and around the island. This message has to do with the work that is being done on the west end to build sand barriers along the south side of Bienville Blvd and also closer to the water. The message included from Wanda Sandagger explains this in detail.

As you see, more sand is needed. Property owners on the north side of Bienville are requested to make their sand available to not only help with the barrier construction , but to also to remove what many consider to be excess deposited by Katrina. If you are a north side owner who would like to take advantage of this opportunity, please contact Wanda Sandagger 251-861-5525 , ext 229; or Corey Moore . 251-234-7466.

Bruce Jones

Dauphin Island’s response to the Deepwater Horizon Incident:

Why all that sand is being piled up on the west end?

The Town’s recent and ongoing attempts to prepare for the approach of any oil slick by constructing a protective sand barrier on the west end of the island are summarized here.

For a few hours on several days at the end of April and the beginning of May, the west end of the island overwashed due to high tides caused by a full moon and strong southeast winds. The overwash waters reached north of Bienville Blvd and into the Mississippi Sound along some portions of the west end of the island – not unlike many similar episodes in the past several years.

It became apparent that all of the other efforts (booms, barriers, etc.) to protect the north side (critical/sensitive habitats) of the island from the oil were vulnerable until something was done to prohibit water from crossing over from the south side. BP officials agreed and appropriated funds to build the protective barrier you see today. Subsequently, the island received an additional $2.5 million from BP (via the State of Alabama) to essentially "beef up" the levels of protection in and around Dauphin Island. These funds will primarily be used to strengthen the existing barrier and place more sand in critical areas.

The second and southernmost barrier was constructed to keep oil on the beach face, where it can more readily be collected by beach cleaning equipment. This pile of sand will likely erode naturally in the next several weeks (picture date: May 12)

The first sand barrier was built just south of Bienville Blvd extending from St. Stephens Street to the Town park at the west end of Bienville Blvd. It was built in several days as an emergency effort with the goal of stopping the island from overwashing completely from the Gulf side to the Sound side during the next high tides. Most of the sand in that pile was trucked to the island from a variety of sand pits in south Mobile County (and one just over the Mississippi state line). Gaps were left at every driveway and street end (with homes) along with additional piles of sand next to the gaps. The plan is to close the gaps with those additional piles of sand IF the oil slick comes this way and is accompanied by high tides/wave actions that could overwash the island. And those closures would likely only be temporary until the threat was no longer imminent. This pile of sand had a typical triangular cross-section shape with a height of about 6 to 8 feet and a base of about 15 to 20 feet (it is now being widened as described below).

A second sand barrier was then built right along the beach on the west end of the island with the goal of containing the oil spill on the beach face if it arrives on a normal tide (not a storm). A sand-filled geotextile tube may be placed immediately north of that southern sand pile to strengthen the protective barrier system. This south sand pile can be expected to erode naturally in the coming days or weeks during normal or storm conditions. This southmost sand pile was placed just landward of the high spot directly north of the beachface (the actual storm “berm” as defined by coastal geologists) from the previous week’s overwash and will likely erode naturally in the coming days and/or weeks during normal or storm conditions. Where homes were in the preferred location, a decision was made by the contractor to move north, south or not construct the pile. Most of the sand in this south sand pile came from digging sand from the north side of the island. The south sand pile was completed around Wednesday, May 19^th and extends from around Ryan Court to the west end of Bienville Blvd.

Since May 20, the first sand pile (the one just south of Bienville Blvd.) is being widened where there is room. Sand is being added, typically on the south side of the pile to widen it with the goal of providing enough sacrificial sand volume to survive a small tropical storm without complete overwash. At the request of the Water and Sewer Board, this newly widened sand pile will not cover any hydrants or emergency valves, will not cover most of the water meters or sewer stubs, and will not cover the water main with the full depth of sand. Sand is not being placed under or immediately adjacent to houses or on driveways. Thus, there will be portions of this wider sand pile that will not be any wider than it has been for the past two weeks. Where there is room, the typical cross-section has a height of 7 to 10 feet, side slopes of 1½:1 or 2:1 (horizontal:vertical), and top widths between 15 and 20 feet.

Consideration is being given to extending the protection along the east end of the island.

The largest and northernmost sand barrier being constructed in preparation for the oil slick will (hopefully) remain in place long after the emergency is over and become an integral part of the island's west end physical make up. In fact, it would be wise for our community to embrace this as a natural dune structure, plant vegetation and erect sand fencing to ensure it remains in place as a protective dune system in this fragile environment.

This oil-spill crisis highlights the need for complete restoration of the barrier island system of the Gulf. Barrier islands serve a critical role in the ecosystem and protection of the mainland. The sand being moved around on the west end is not barrier island restoration and will be wiped out in the next hurricane. “Katrina cut” should be closed with sand now and large amounts of good quality sand should be pumped onto Dauphin Island to restore the width and elevation of a healthy barrier island. The studies for the island restoration design are underway with funding from NOAA and preliminary results indicate that there is an adequate source of sand for economically viable barrier island and beach restoration. The primary remaining need is for the funding for the construction of the project.

Contractor beginning construction on May 2 of the first pile of sand south of Bienville Blvd to stop island overwashing (note the standing water from the overwash event that day)

WANDA M. SANDAGGER

BUILDING DEPT. ADMIN. ASST.

TOWN OF DAUPHIN ISLAND

1011 BIENVILLE BLVD

DAUPHIN ISLAND, AL 36528

TEL

251-861-2154 FAX

WSANDAGGER@TOWNOFDAUPHINISLAND.ORG