N.C. Division of Coastal Management objected to the proposed Wilmington Harbor project to deepen and widen the channel, stating that the Army Corps of Engineers’ review of the project fails to fully evaluate potential impacts to the environment, people and historic and cultural resources.
dredging
Ocean Isle seeks to modify permit, nourish beach at east inlet
Officials in Ocean Isle Beach seek federal approval to have up to 70,000 cubic yards of sand placed east of the Brunswick County town’s terminal groin where erosion gnaws at the shoreline in front of a luxury neighborhood.
Elizabeth II unable to leave for overdue maintenance … again
Once again, shoaling in a Roanoke Sound channel is preventing the state attraction Elizabeth II, a vessel representative of Lost Colony-era ships, from leaving its moorings at Roanoke Island Festival Park for maintenance.
Division OKs Corps’ request to pause state consistency review
The N.C. Division of Coastal Management has granted a request by the Corps of Engineers to indefinitely pause the division’s review of whether the proposed project conforms with state coastal management program laws, regulations and policies.
Dredging, sand placement project underway on Oak Island
A dredging and sand placement project that began last week in Oak Island will continue through to January and is one of three projects that will result in the beachfront getting an injection of more than 1.6 million cubic yards of sand.
Wilmington residents see no good in proposed harbor project
None of the proposed alternatives for the State Ports Authority’s plan to accommodate larger container ships at the Wilmington port would boost the local economy and any benefit would be offset by environmental costs, public hearing attendees said.
State accepting comments on proposed harbor dredging
The deadline is Dec. 5 to submit comments to NCDEQ’s Division of Coastal Management on the proposed project to widen and deepen the Wilmington Harbor.
Port’s Cape Fear dredge project fails taxpayers, environment
Guest commentary: Deepening the Cape Fear River will only worsen flooding around the downtown Wilmington waterfront and the North Carolina Battleship site and lead to a substantial loss of vital wetlands and floodplains.
Cape Fear ghost forests tell tale of ever-saltier water upriver
New findings in a report from the University of North Carolina Wilmington that examined tree cores and sediment samples from a nearby tributary show how the loss of cypress forests and protections they afford could worsen with further Cape Fear River dredging.
Corps awards dredge contract for Ocracoke Island channels
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District has awarded a more than $11 million maintenance dredging contract to clear out two channels used by state ferries to Ocracoke Island.
Corps, Dare meet to discuss suspended dredge permits
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers representatives met to “determine a path forward” with Dare County officials a week after all five of the county’s permits were suspended for dredging deeper and wider channels than allowed.
Corps suspends Dare dredge permits for noncompliance
The Army Corp of Engineers has suspended all five of Dare County’s dredge permits after EJE Dredging Service, which operates the Miss Katie, repeatedly dug deeper and wider than the permits allowed.
Cape Lookout dredge spoils used to restore vanishing island
A haven for waterbirds since at least 1970, the quickly vanishing Sandbag Island near Harkers Island was recently expanded from a tenth of an acre to 5 acres using spoils from a dredge project around Cape Lookout Lighthouse.
Some coastal NC towns’ beach sand needs may go unmet
Amid a tug-of-war over claims to available nearshore borrow sites and studies pointing to critical shortages of beach-quality sand, some North Carolina beach towns are looking for sources beyond state waters.
Cape Lookout dredging, beach nourishment work complete
The channel between Harkers Island and the lighthouse has been widened to 100 feet with depths of 7 to 9 feet, and the sand was used to renourish the beach in front of the lighthouse.
Public meetings set to discuss Wilmington Harbor project
The Army Corps’ Wilmington District has scheduled a series of public meetings next month to discuss the Wilmington Harbor deepening project.
