University Of South Alabama Foundation Donates Dauphin Island Property To University

The University of South Alabama (USA) Foundation has donated more than a quarter mile of bayfront to the University, opening additional access for teaching and research, officials announced at a news conference this week. The property is on Dauphin Island’s Aloe Bay, 35 miles south of the University of South Alabama campus. The Foundation valued the gift, which includes sandy beachfront, marsh and submerged land, at $1.92 million. USA Foundation Managing Director Maxey J. Roberts said, “The Foundation board believes that this will assist and advance the research for, specifically, the Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, but also programs in the College of Engineering as engineering looks at coastline restoration and protection.” The Town of Dauphin Island intends to dredge the Aloe Bay channel to a developed area just south of the Dauphin Island bridge. The dredged sand will be used to extend the beach area of the property up to 150 feet into the bay, back to its historical shoreline. On the donated land, the uplands will be restored to their natural salt marsh state, while oyster reefs will be installed just off the shoreline. Sand will be placed beyond the reefs, offering a double layer of protection for the shoreline. The shallow water environment allows students a safe area to work. After the restoration, the plan is to hold as much of the land as possible in a preserve, which will be the island’s first preserve on the water’s edge. The Foundation has owned the land for approximately 35 years with the intention of eventually giving it to the University.