Posted on March 26, 2018
By Amanda Thames, JDNews.com
The North Topsail Beach Board of Aldermen were recently given options on how to fix the New River Inlet.
Photos of the inlet in the presentation given by Environmental Consultants with Dial Cordy and Associations showed that over time a large chunk of the north end of the beach has eroded into the ocean.
“Something really needs to be done to address the problem that we’re having,” said NTB Interim Town Manager Steven Foster. “As the inlet sits now, it’s a problem for just about everybody.”
Everybody includes those who use the inlet for commercial, recreational, and military reasons, and ensuring the dependency of the inlet was identified as a top priority.
The water flow is unstable, Foster continued, and during the presentation showcased how the flow moves in different directions.
The current there is strong coming and going, which has negative effects on the civilian and military sides of the inlet, Foster said. They can change the way the flow moves and it would help address some of the issues with stabilization, he added.
Other things the town has to consider include:
– The long-term stabilization of the shoreline
– The long-term protection of residential structures
– Cost-effectiveness of the management strategy
– Maintaining the authorized depths and dimensions of the inlet as a renewable sand resource for beach nourishment
Out of the options available, which include a jetty or inlet realignment, the board decided a terminal groin would likely be their best option.
A groin, according to the presentation, is a barrier to a longshore drift and is constructed of large rocks, among other materials. Several examples given to the board included rubble mounds, sheet piles, and natural coquina outcroppings.
The town is now working to obtain a permit to allow them to build the groin.
In an email to Senator Harry Brown, NTB Mayor Dan Tuman discussed the previous attempts of the town to restore and protect its beaches, including a 1.5 mile project in 2011 and a 3.5 mile project in 2014.
“Unfortunately, the 0.5 miles of beach adjacent to the inlet continue to have a high rate of erosion and it has been concluded that only a terminal groin will solve problems there,” Tuman wrote.
He expects permits to be approved no later than 2019 with construction beginning soon after.
This project, which includes the groin and dredging, would cost approximately $12 million, Tuman wrote, with $1.5 million in state funds, 67 percent of dredging costs paid for by the state, and the potential for a USDA loan to cover the remaining costs of construction estimated at $6.5 to $7 million, which the town has verbal support for.
The town is hoping to partner with Onslow County, with the county paying the annual $350,000 to cover beach maintenance costs while North Topsail Beach covers the costs of the groin and dredging, Tuman wrote.
Foster compared the town to a state park, saying they often borrow millions to keep up the beaches which a large number of people use and enjoy.
Visitors come from Onslow County for day trips and others from across North Carolina and out of state, Foster said. Those additional 30,000 or so people enjoy the beaches without having to put forth money to keep them up.
“Unlike other municipalities, the town is almost exclusively a resort-oriented business with 85-90 percent of our residential structures dedicated for year-round tourist related purposes,” Tuman wrote.
That money, he continued, generates a substantial income for the county and the state as well as local jobs and economic growth opportunities for nearby communities, too.
Source: JDNews,com
