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Coastal Hazards and
Management in North Carolina
Braxton Davis
April 14, 2015
Coastal Facts and Figures
• 320 miles of ocean beaches
• 12,000+ miles of estuarine shoreline
• 2 million + acres of sounds, creeks, and marshes
• 43 million annual visitors
• Coastal tourism generates ~ $1.4 billion in annual
revenue and directly supports over 15,000 jobs
• Since 1978, over 48,000 CAMA permits issued
N.C. Coastal Area Management Act (1974)
• Balances competing coastal pressures
through development permitting and creation
of a Coastal Resources Commission
• Addresses coastal growth and related issues
through local/state partnership
• Conserves undeveloped land for education
and research through a Coastal Reserve Program
• Enhances public access to beaches and coastal
waters through grants to local governments
DCM Overview
• Regulatory Program
– 4 District Offices; Local Permitting Officers
• Policy and Planning Program
–
–
–
–
Policy development w/ CRC
CAMA Land Use Planning
Waterfront Access Grants
Clean Marina Program
• Coastal Reserve Program
– 10 Coastal Reserves
– Focus on research and
education
4
Coastal Resources Commission
• Since 1974, establishes policies and rules under
CAMA and the NC Dredge & Fill Act
• 13 members appointed by the Governor, Senate, House
• Designates “Areas of
Environmental Concern”
and related rules & policies
• Adopts land use planning
guidelines and certifies
CAMA land use plans
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Science Panel on Coastal Hazards
• 10 coastal geologists & engineers
• Scientific input for CRC policy development:
– Calculating long-term beach erosion rates
– Establishing sediment criteria
for beach nourishment
– Delineating Inlet Hazard Areas
– Monitoring and analysis of
terminal groin effects
– Synthesizing information
on sea level rise
Ocean Hazard Areas
• DCM jurisdiction includes:
– Ocean Erodible Area
– High Hazard Flood Areas
– Inlet Hazard Areas
– Unvegetated Beach Area
• Erosion rate-based setbacks
•
•
based on size of structures
Ban on permanent erosion
control structures
Rules governing beach and inlet projects
Coastal Storms
• Hurricanes of the 1990’s
•
•
• Bertha, Fran, Bonnie, Dennis, Floyd
Hurricane Floyd (1999)
• 9-10 ft. storm surge & heavy rains
• >$6B economic losses
• Up to 11,000 homes destroyed
Hurricane Isabel (2003)
• $3-5B economic losses
• 2000’ wide inlet on Hatteras Island
8
DCM Responses to Irene and Sandy
• Assessed damage & assisted property owners w/ permit needs
• Implemented Emergency CAMA General Permit
– No fee, can be issued quickly for replacement of small structures
– Issued ~1,000 Emergency GPs, authorized 100’s of additional repairs
• Worked w/ NCDOT on NC-12 inlet breaches
• Worked w/ FEMA on siting of temporary trailers for storm victims
Beach Erosion: Chronic vs. Storms
• Chronic, long-term erosion caused
by changes in sand supply and
relative sea level
– Long-Term Average Erosion Rates
(LTER) used to measure building
setbacks
– 2/3 beach stations show long-term
erosion
• Storm-induced erosion resulting
from hurricanes, nor’easters can be
dramatic
10
Ocean Hazard Areas/Setbacks
• Graduated, erosion-based setbacks based on size of
structures and local long-term erosion rates
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Min. Erosion = 2 ft/year
< 5000 sf… x30
5-10K sf… x60
10-20K sf.. x65
20-40K sf.. x70
40-60K sf.. x75
60-80K sf.. x80
80-100Ksf.. x85
Over 100K.. x90
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Increasing Beach Nourishment
Dec - 2012
Nov - 2012
Number of Nourishment Projects
Cubic Yards
80
40,000,000
70
35,000,000
60
30,000,000
50
25,000,000
40
20,000,000
30
15,000,000
20
10,000,000
10
Dec - 2014
0
Cubic Yards
Linear (Cubic
Yards)
5,000,000
Photos: Town of North Topsail Beach
0
1970's
1980's
1990's
2000's
2010's
1970's
1980's
1990's
2000's
2010's
Sandbag Use
• 283 sandbag structures
on N.C. beaches / 7 miles
• Prior enforcement issues
led to rule amendments
 8-year time limit (if
pursuing beach fill or
other option)
 Removal of one-time-perproperty restriction
Inlet Hazard Areas
• Oscillating inlets tend to move back & forth – accreting on one side,
•
eroding on the other
Migratory inlets tend to migrate in one direction – less common
Inlet Relocation
Shell Island
Resort
1998 Photo
Mason Inlet
• Separates
1998 inlet
channel
Shell Island
Resort
•
•
2012 Photo (10 years after 2002 relocation)
Wrightsville
Beach &
Figure Eight
Island
Project began
in 2002
Maintained
every 3-5 yrs
Terminal Groins
• Up to 4 terminal groins now allowed in NC inlets
by S.L. 2011-387
• VBHI received first CAMA permit for a terminal
groin – construction beginning soon
• Figure 8 Island, Holden Beach & Ocean Isle Beach
have expressed interest
and are at different
stages in permitting
process
2015 CRC Beach and Inlet Priorities
Complete Science Panel IHA Study
• State Port Inlet Management Areas
• Beneficial Use of Dredged Material Policy
• Alternatives to Beachfront Static Line Rule
• Extended dredging windows
• Emergency Beach Bulldozing / Sandbag Rules
Estuarine Shoreline Protection
• Living Shorelines use native
materials and enhance habitat
– marsh plantings, oyster
shells, minimal amounts
of structural materials
• Maintain existing connections
•
between upland, intertidal, estuarine,
and aquatic areas
Specific site conditions important –
living shorelines will not work at every site
Riprap Marsh Sill
Student Training/
Workplace Skills Needed
• Experience in both science and policy/mgmt
• Writing, presentation, GIS, and data analysis are
•
key skill sets
Check out Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship,
NOAA Coastal Fellowship programs
Questions?
www.nccoastalmanagement.net & join CAMAgram!