U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · Ocean Isle Beach Renourishment Project Lee Wrenn & Associates, Inc.  Easement Acquisition & Project Management Specialists

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	Project News Ocean Isle Beach Renourishment And Storm Damage Reduction Project April 2000   VOL. I
Ocean Isle Beach Moves Forward With Renourishment Project
Project Background The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers first evaluated the feasibility for a shore protection project for Ocean Isle Beach in 1966 as a part of the Brunswick County Beaches Project. The entire Brunswick County Project was classified as inactive when it proved to be economically unfeasible for some of the municipalities in the project. In 1989, Ocean Isle Beach town officials requested reactivation of the Ocean Isle Beach portion of the project for separate consideration. In 1995, the Corps recommended six possible plans. The town carefully considered the plans and chose the locally preferred plan based on a balance of the maximization of protection for properties and the maximization of the benefits for dollars invested. Initial Construction Scope The initial project construction will involve the nourishment of 3.25 miles of beach. The initial nourishment will add 1.6 million cubic yards of sand. The project design profile, which will be maintained over the 50-year life of the project, calls for the beach to be increased in width by approximately 125 feet in areas that have a full construction profile. The construction profile on both ends of the project will be tapered back to the existing profile in the transition areas. Advanced maintenance fill will also be placed at the time of construction, which will add an additional 50 feet of width to the beach. This will allow for shifting of fill material into the near shore area, as well as erosion, until the next maintenance renourishment. Sand will be dredged from the Shallotte Inlet channel borrow site on the east end of the island. Sand will be pumped onto the beach where bulldozers will form the desired beach profile, which will be very similar to the natural profile. The use of sand from the Shallotte Inlet will provide a dual benefit. Sand grain sizes are very compatible with existing beach sand making the new fill material stable and less prone to rapid erosion. Secondly, the removal of this fill material from the inlet will provide increased depth to the inlet channel benefiting navigational interests. Periodic Renourishment After the initial construction, the beach is scheduled for periodic renourishments every 3 years for the 50-year life of the project. Funding The total cost over the 50-year life of the renourishment project is estimated to be $45.9 million. The initial construction is estimated to cost $8.2 million. Project costs are shared between federal, state and local sources. The federal share is 65% and the non-federal share is 35%. Non-federal funding is cost shared between the state and local sponsors. Current Project Status Easement Acquisition Phase Now in Progress The Town of Ocean Isle has begun the right of way acquisition for the beach renourishment project, which will allow for construction of a renourished beach strand beginning early in 2001. To keep the project on schedule, the project easements must be obtained from the oceanfront property owners whose deeds show that their property extends onto the beach within the nourishment area. The sponsors anticipate little, if any, difficulty in obtaining the easements since the project will enhance the appearance of the beach and protect properties from high tide and storm events. Ocean Isle Beach has contracted with Lee Wrenn & Associates, Inc. to obtain the required easements. Questions concerning the easements should be directed to Lee Wrenn & Associates, Inc. Surveys maps are nearing completion and title searches are now being completed to determine the owners of the affected lots. When the maps and title searches are completed, owners of affected parcels will be contacted and asked to provide permission for the placement of sand on that portion of their property that lies out on the beach strand. Information Source: General Reevaluation Report, October 1997, by Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District   Top   5                                                                                     Go To Newsletter  2  3