Officials said the project near the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge visitor center will mitigate the type of overwash that caused the highway to be closed for a period in mid-November.
Archives
EPA to NC: Solvent discharge limits deadline ‘mandatory’
A pending lawsuit notwithstanding, the Environmental Protection Agency has put North Carolina on notice: There’s no extension of the time frames for addressing the federal agency’s objections regarding the discharge of 1,4 dioxane into waters upstream of the Cape Fear.
By land or by sea
Kevin Hardy of Wilmar, near Vanceboro, fishes along Cape Lookout National Seashore as a commercial fishing trawler offshore heads southwest. Photo: Dylan Ray
Environmental Secretary Reid Wilson fills top agency roles
Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson last week named to his staff several individuals familiar to those in and around state government.
Sleepy Creek trail segment planners intend to ‘keep it wild’
The idea behind a planned new portion of Mountains-to-Sea Trail through the Holly Shelter Game Land’s lush pocosin in Pender County is to lure hikers safely away from Highway 17 and most other signs of civilization.
NOAA model designed to help assess coastal flood risks
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released an online, visual, interactive tool based on decades of modeled and historical water level and wave information for roughly every quarter mile along the U.S. coastline.
Brunswick County seeks input on development ordinance
Brunswick County community members may ask questions and provide input on updates to the county’s unified development ordinance this month.
Permaculture prerequisites: Learn your land, lean on nature
Permaculture is about observation and understanding how your property’s natural elements can help you to create more bounty with less work, even in North Carolina’s challenging coastal conditions.
Fort Fisher to mark 160th anniversary of US forces’ capture
Daylong living history demonstrations and programs are planned for Jan. 18 at the state historic site, which during the Civil War was crucial in the Confederacy’s defense of the Wilmington port.
Historic Bodie Island structure closed indefinitely after fire
The fire on Tuesday in the Bodie Island Double Keepers’ Quarters was extinguished with no reported injuries.
Coastal Federation’s lost fishing gear recovery underway
The 2025 project to collect displaced crab pots is focusing on Marine Patrol Districts 1 and 2, the waters between the Virginia-North Carolina border and N.C. Highway 58 bridge to Emerald Isle.
Flooded barrier islands, rising mainland risks: USGS study
A new U.S. Geological Survey report finds that accelerating sea level rise and intensifying storms pose a threat to barrier islands like those of the Cape Lookout National Seashore, which the superintendent says confirms what park staff have been observing over the years.
Icy conditions
An egret hunts along the shore of an icy marsh Thursday near Pelletier Creek in Morehead City. Don’t look for a quick thaw as much of coastal North Carolina is under a winter weather advisory from 4 p.m. Friday until 10 a.m. Saturday. The forecast calls for the potential for light accumulations of ice and snow, although little to none is expected from Hatteras Island to Ocracoke Island. Photo: Dylan Ray
Coastal Land Trust secures final million to buy ‘The Point’
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is awarding $1 million to the state and conservation organizations to protect the 150-acre, undeveloped tract at the southern end of Topsail Beach.
Wilmington TreeFest to put up for dibs thousands of plants
Set for Jan. 17-18 in Wilmington’s Independence Mall, residents can select up to five trees or grasses from the available selection for free, but a minimum $5 donation is welcome.
State awards $450M deal to build new Alligator River bridge
The contract terms call for the new bridge to open to traffic in fall 2029, with demolition of the current one to begin in early 2030, officials said.
