Posted on November 9, 2026
The Dare County Board of Commissioners voted Nov. 2 to formally acknowledge that a $15 million promissory note associated with the Miss Katie dredge has been satisfied in full, marking the completion of a financing arrangement established in 2019 to improve dredging capabilities at Oregon Inlet and Hatteras Inlet.
The board approved a Certificate of Satisfaction confirming that the repayment obligations have been fulfilled through the value of discounted dredging services provided to Dare County.
Under the original agreement, executed in June 2019, the county provided a $15 million forgivable loan to EJE Dredging, the private company that owns and operates Miss Katie, to help finance construction of the shallow-draft hopper dredge.
Rather than requiring conventional loan payments, the agreement allowed the debt to be satisfied through discounted dredging services. According to the county, the savings generated by those services have now met or exceeded the original $15 million loan amount, fulfilling the repayment requirements, including principal and accrued interest.
Although the promissory note has been satisfied, the county’s agreement with EJE Dredging will remain in effect through 2029.
The original arrangement established a 10-year contract beginning in 2019, ensuring that Dare County would continue receiving discounted dredging services after the loan was repaid.
Under the contract, the county’s dredging rates are indexed to rates charged by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, helping maintain the county’s negotiated discount compared with prevailing market rates.
The agreement was established through a public-private partnership authorized by the North Carolina General Assembly, with the goal of providing a dedicated dredge capable of maintaining shallow-draft navigation channels.
The 156-foot-long Miss Katie was constructed in Louisiana and arrived at its homeport in Wanchese on Aug. 19, 2022. The vessel began dredging operations at Oregon Inlet on Aug. 24, 2022, under the direction of the Oregon Inlet Task Force.
Since then, the dredge has been used to remove accumulated sand from navigation channels, helping maintain access for maritime traffic.
According to Dare County’s October 2025 report to the North Carolina General Assembly, Miss Katie removed 723,897 cubic yards of sand from Oregon Inlet and its interior channels during fiscal year 2025.
The same report documented another 95,423 cubic yards removed from Hatteras Inlet during that fiscal year.
Maintaining navigable channels is particularly important for the commercial fishing industry. Both Oregon Inlet and Hatteras Inlet experience recurring shoaling as currents and tides move sand into navigation channels, creating shallow areas that can restrict vessel access.
The county has invested in dredging operations to supplement work performed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and help address areas where sand accumulation creates navigation problems.
According to Dare County’s Miss Katie program information, the county annually allocates $250,000 in local funding for dredging at Hatteras Inlet, supplemented by $750,000 in state funding.
For Oregon Inlet, the county identifies an annual local allocation of $3 million, with an additional $9 million available through state matching funds.
These allocations support dredging operations and are separate from the original $15 million financing agreement used to construct Miss Katie.
Approval of the Certificate of Satisfaction formally closes the promissory note, while preserving the county’s access to discounted dredging services through the remainder of its contract with EJE Dredging in 2029.
