More than 500,000 cubic yards of sand is coming to the Ocean Isle Beach strand during 2010.
The town is scheduled for another beach nourishment project, which Mayor Debbie Smith said should be the largest project of the year.
“That’s always a welcome addition to the storm protection strand out there,” she said.
The renourishment project, which is in conjunction with Carolina, Kure and Wrightsville Beaches, will bring 509,200 cubic yards of sand to the beach, according to the town’s Web site. The sand will be placed as far east as Shallotte Boulevard and as far west as Concord Street.
“This will go the furthest west than any renourishment has gone since original construction in 2001,” Smith said.
Ocean Isle Beach has contracted with the Corps of Engineers in a 50-year, $150 million contract for beach renourishment.
Smith said the beach renourishment project is coming at a good time for the east end of the island, which has had quite a bit of erosion recently.
“Right now most of it’s OK, but some of the eastern regions are getting narrower where they don’t offer the protection they need in case of a storm,” she said.
Smith is also hopeful about hearing a positive response from The Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) regarding the possibility of the town building a terminal groin at the east end of the island. The CRC has undertaken feasibility studies, which Smith hopes will help persuade the General Assembly the structures are necessary in the effort to fight beach erosion.
Currently these structures are not permitted by law.
Thee studies began earlier this year after a bill to make terminal groins legal stalled in the N.C. House. House Bill 709 was meant to “address erosion control issues,” and would give permission to the CRC to conduct a study of the feasibility and advisability of a terminal groin as an “erosion control device.”
Mayor Debbie Smith said that she hopes the House take positive action.
