U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · Ocean Isle Beach Renourishment Project
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Project News
Ocean Isle Beach Renourishment
And Storm Damage Reduction Project
February 2001 VOL. IIIRight-of-Way Acquisition Completed
COE Receives Construction Bids Within Budget
Project Is On Schedule for Spring ConstructionEasement Acquisition Complete
The OIB project encompasses 3.25 miles of shore beginning at Shallotte Blvd on the east end and extending to a point near Duneside Drive on the west end. Easements were required on all parcels touched by the project. Lee Wrenn & Associates, Inc. completed all easement acquisitions on Nov 7th, eighty-one days ahead of schedule, clearing the way for construction prior to the turtle nesting season.Current Project Status
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently reviewing bid certification data for bids that were received on January 18th. Award of the contract to the low bidder is expected to be on February 22nd, with construction beginning no later than Mar.15th.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 adding 1.6 million cubic yards of sand to the strand. 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.
