Posted on January 3, 2024
Dredging of Bogue Inlet began Jan. 1, and the project will eventually result in material being placed on western Emerald Isle beaches.
The long-planned project is expected to last about six months.
It’s being coordinated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) and the Carteret County Shore Protection Office.
The project has resulted in some changes in Emerald Isle beach driving.
Town officials have prohibited beach driving from the Doe Drive beach ramp west to The Point through Feb. 15.
“This area of the beach will be unavailable and off-limits to beach driving during the duration of the dredging and beach nourishment project,” the town said in a press release. “We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding during the completion of this project.”
The closing is necessary because heavy equipment will be moving up and down the area.
If the project is completed sooner than scheduled, the town will reopen the area.
Bogue Inlet runs between the western tip of Emerald Isle and the eastern end of Onslow County and is the crucial passage from the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway to the ocean for fishing boats and other vessels in the western part of Carteret County and the eastern part of Onslow County. It is known for shifting channels because of shoaling.
The plan is for the ACE to dredge about 50,000 cubic yards of material from the inlet.
A state grant is paying for three-fourths the $2.65 million cost, with the town and equally splitting the remaining fourth.
This will be the seventh time Bogue Inlet has been dredged since 2006.
The N.C. Division of Water Resources (NCDWR) and ACE have a long-term memorandum of agreement in place under which non-state/local funds are provided to NCDWR, which in turn matches the funding and provides the sum directly to the ACE. The state money comes from the N.C. Shallow Draft Navigation Channel Dredging and Aquatic Weed Fund, which was established in 2013 and is endowed by designated portions of boater registration fees and the marine fuel excise tax.
