Beaches of the Gulf Coast

8. Beaches of Mississippi

8 Beaches of Mississippi T HE beaches of Mississippi are found on two distinctly different coasts: the mainland and four barrier islands that are several kilometers from the mainland (figure 8.1). None of the barrier islands is accessible by vehicle. For this reason and because they are mostly public land, the islands are pristine. A regular ferry schedule in spring and summer conveys people to West Ship Island, a federal park. The mainland beaches are among the most beautiful and best cared for along the entire Gulf of Mexico. Beach nourishment has been common on the mainland of Mississippi. The first such major projects were after Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Katrina (2005), which hit this coast very hard. A volume of 280,000 m3 of sediment Figure 8.1. Map of Mississippi coast showing barrier islands far offshore and the mainland beaches. Dauphin Island, Alabama (on the right), is also included. Courtesy NASA. 153 154 BeaChes alonG The GUlf of MexiCo CoasT was placed on the eroded beach at Pascagoula with the help of the federal government (figure 8.2). Farther to the west at Ocean Springs the beach is very well maintained. This area is dominated by fine sand with few shells. Wave energy is limited along this coast due to the offshore barrier islands that provide a level of protection. This low wave energy is evidenced by the vegetation near the strand line (figure 8.3). The Ocean Springs beaches also have groins to help maintain beach sediment. Figure 8.2. Beach at Pascagoula nourished after the destruction of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Figure 8.3. Beach at Ocean Springs showing vegetation near the strand line and groins in the distance. 155 BeaChes of MississiPPi Mainland The largest and most popular beaches along the Mississippi mainland coast are in the Biloxi-Gulfport area, where tourism dominates because of several casinos. These wide, well-maintained beaches appear to be stable (figure 8.4). This condition extends for several kilometers along the coast. Because these nice beaches are in a major tourist area, the powers that be in the management system think that it is necessary and a good practice to regularly manicure the beach by raking it (figure 8.5). However, this practice is not good. Some beach sand is lost on a daily basis, and the beach profile is not allowed to equilibrate to a natural shape. Another factor that can cause problems of a different type for the beach is the presence of storm drains throughout most of the beaches in the BiloxiGulfport area (figure 8.6). These drains can carry a wide variety of pollutants to the shoreline and into the shallow Gulf. As we continue toward the end of this reach, at Pass Christian the beach narrows, the shoreline becomes a bit irregular, and small structures are present (figure 8.7). There is also a vertical, poured concrete seawall at the landward side of the beach. This beach resembles that of Ocean Springs at the other end of this shoreline area. Oneof theprettiestsectionsof beachontheGulf Coastislocatedtothewestat the small community of Waveland.This coastal community consisted of beautiful homespriortoHurricaneKatrina.ThestormmadelandfallrightatWavelandand essentially wiped out the entire community (figure 8.8). Virtually every home, mostly Victorian, was completely destroyed.This is a wealthy community, and the residents went to work to rebuild both the homes and the waterfront. They have built a seawall complex that is quite unique and attractive. It is also nicely planted and well maintained. The beach was nourished, and fencelike structures were constructed to enhance dune development (figure 8.9). This project was funded entirely locally through implementation of a “seawall tax.” At the present time the houses are being rebuilt in the style of the original ones. Barrier islands The barrier islands offshore of the Mississippi mainland are the farthest from land of any in the Gulf Coast, about 15 km.The four islands extend for more than 100 km along the Mississippi coast. Obviously, none of the barriers are in any way connected to the mainland. Their distance from land has also negated any development other than a couple of parks and a nineteenth-century fort. 156 BeaChes alonG The GUlf of MexiCo CoasT The islands consist almost entirely of fine sand. The topography has limited relief, with small dunes in some areas. Unlike most coastal barriers, these have beaches on both the Gulf side and the landward side because...