State-Wide Shoreline Changes

The figure below summarizes the shoreline change trends in Alabama since 1970.  It is based on careful analysis of air photos.  The portions of the coast marked in yellow are those that have clearly receded (i.e. the beaches have eroded).  Statewide, about half of the Gulf beaches have become narrower in the past three decades. 

All of the Gulf of Mexico beaches of Alabama naturally fluctuate in width in response to the variable wave climate.  The dry portion of the beach often builds wider when the waves are milder and gets narrower when the seas are stormier.  The long-term trends underlying these fluctuations are important.  Half of the Alabama beaches, while they fluctuated in width, did not have a trend in either direction.  Only a few miles of beaches have widened and most of this widening has been due to engineering.  

Summary of shoreline change trends since 1970

Most of the dramatic shoreline change in Alabama is near the tidal passes or inlets. Some of this shoreline change is probably in response to natural inlet fluctuations.  But, man’s engineering has influenced much of it.  Each of the three passes in the state has some structures and/or dredging to maintain adequate water depths for navigation.  And each pass has had a significant impact on the nearby beaches.   Most of the shoreline changes shown here are due to the engineering at the passes.