Posted on January 22, 2024
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – There could be new life for Snow’s Cut park soon as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is working on a plan to mitigate the erosion problem there.
The Wilmington district of the USACE says it’s getting $15 million as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to do this work.
You might remember when New Hanover County terminated its lease with the USACE back in 2021, due to the dangerous conditions at the park from the erosion.
Neighbors, such as Janet Horton, have expressed concerns about their properties that backup to Snow’s Cut. They say just in the past two years they’ve noticed some big changes with less beach area and more standing water closer to their properties.
“The whole area stays flooded a lot more than it used to. And one of my joys was watching the birds and the different creatures that we had here. And they’re pretty much gone, the trees are dying, the marsh grasses are gone. So I’m now kind of stuck with a lot more waterfront property than I ever wanted,” Horton said.
Horton and many other neighbors tell WECT that they’ve been in contact with the USACE about their concerns. Officials have responded saying they’re currently working on a plan for what exactly needs to be done before any work begins. But Horton says she hopes to see that work starting soon.
“We moved here it would flood when we had a storm. Now it floods if it rains, if a big boat goes by, it doesn’t take a whole lot before water is just everywhere, which continues to erode like the trees, trees on his property that the trees behind me are dying,” Horton added. “I want this to be here for my grandchildren, I want them to be able to sit on my porch and see the marsh grasses and to see the birds and to enjoy all the beauty. What concerns me is is that going to happen, am I going to end up having to put some sort of wall around my property to keep the water out.”
There’s no timeline for the shoreline stabilization project yet, but the Army Corps of Engineers says once the work is complete, they are willing to look at starting another lease with any local government that might be interested.
