THE RE-RE-RE-REDEVELOPMENT OF THE WEST END OF DAUPHIN ISLAND, AL

Dauphin Island is a barrier island at the mouth of Mobile Bay with a long history of human habitation and greatly expanded development over the past 50 years following the construction of the first bridge. Human occupation of the low western portion which is outside the protection of the ebb tidal delta southwest of the mouth of the Bay has been problematic since it began. The recently increased tropical activity has highlighted the inadequacy of our understanding of the role of these barrier features as well as the failure of public policy to properly manage them. The projections of extended and expanded storm impacts make this discussion imperative.

The paper will chronicle the impacts; physical, economic, and sociological, of 30 years of storm impact. The reaction of the local community, state and federal programs, and the fiscal irresponibility associated with continued redevelopment will be described. Sustainability of human occupation of these high risk landforms will be discussed and some alternatives presented and reviewed.