- Beachbook
- Coastal Review Online
- Dare County
- Duck
- Island Free Press
- Kill Devil Hills
- Kitty Hawk
- Manteo
- Nags Head
- Nighthawk News
- Southern Shores
- The Sentinel
- Bill's OBX Beach Life
- Life Beneath the Waves
- N.E.S.T Online
- Natural Outer Banks
- Red Headed Beach Girl
- Rosie Hawthorne
- See more local blogs »
Hatteras, Oregon inlets receive emergency funding
Sidecaster dredge Merritt. (Rob Morris)
Funding from the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act will also provide $2 million to dredge Rollinson Channel, the route between Hatteras and Ocracoke where shoaling has limited the state ferry system to its smallest vessels.
The act was signed into law Dec. 23, U.S. Rep. Walter Jones said.
A total of $53.4 million was allocated to the Corps of Engineers to dredge channels and repair damage caused by the August storm. Of that, $27.6 million came to the the Corps Wilmington, N.C., District.
“Fishermen and boaters depend on safe navigation through this channel,” Jones said in a statement. “I am very pleased that the Corps agreed to use the money appropriated by Congress to help address the serious problems at Oregon Inlet.”
For a short time, it looked like Hurricane Irene helped Oregon Inlet when southwest wind a sound surge blew sediment out of the channel at the end of August.
But northeast storms quickly filled the channel back in.
The Corps was figuring on around $2 million in money carried over from fiscal 2011 and possibly $1 million the president proposed in the 2012 budget. The state has also promised to make available $1.5 million to keep the area safe during construction of a replacement for the aging Bonner Bridge.
Of the $1 million proposed, $980,000 has been allocated for Shallowbag Bay, which includes the network of channels in the sound, surveying and Oregon Inlet. With the emergency and carryover money, the total comes to $7.48 million in federal funding for Shallowbag Bay, according to Ann Johnson, chief of public affairs for the Wilmington District.
With the new money, the Corps now has about as much money as it has averaged over recent years, though still not nearly the amount it would take to maintain the Oregon Inlet channel at 10 to 12 feet.
Money from another new pot of discretionary funding will go toward dredging Silver Lake at Ocracoke and the emergency ferry route from Stumpy Point to Rodanthe.
Discretionary funding included $346,500 for the emergency channel and $252,450 for Silver Lake, which is used by the ferry routes from Ocracoke to Cedar Island and Swan Quarter.
The two projects will receive addition money from the emergency fund — $200,000 for Silver Lake and $15,000 for the Rodanthe route.
See what people are saying:
Join the discussion:
- MOST READ
- MOST DISCUSSED
ekim says:
I know we have to fix this, But how do we do it RIGHT?
Donnie Smith says:
What about the channel at Hatteras Inlet?
Ocracoker says:
What about dredging the Hatteras – Ocracoke route?
KDH Rezident Evil says:
Tax policy has often been used to help modify societal behavior (see “sin taxes” for examples). How about impose a massive tax on these enormous commercial drift net trawlers that vacuum the oceans clean of anything that swims, and that tax goes to support dredging of the channel. The local fishing outfits, both recreational and commercial, which have a much smaller impact on fish species, will benefit along with the fish themselves.
That or one of our local shipwrights needs to come up plans for a shallow draft fishing boat that can operate in an ocean environment so dredging becomes a moot point.
eeyore says:
Good question ekim.
Ocracoker HI-Ocr too….
http://hamptonroads.com/2012/02/congress-army-corps-ok-outer-banks-dredging-funds
We can argue forever how much ($) but we know these inlets are important to the local economies. I’m very happy they are going to dredge but for once and for all then do something long term!
Koyaanisqatsi says:
The inlet does need to be stabilized so dredging can be minimized. Possibbly a groin on the north side.
Does the State DOT still have a dredge ? They used to dredge the Ferry channels. As long as we have to spend the money it would be good to keep it here and not pay dredge companies from somewhere else.
Ibxer says:
$4.5 million. Crazy.
Harold says:
For those of you that missed it:
“Funding from the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act will also provide $2 million to dredge Rollinson Channel, the route between Hatteras and Ocracoke where shoaling has limited the state ferry system to its smallest vessels.”
Junkman says:
I can’t wait to hear from the people who hate “big gub’ment”. Here’s another $4.5 million, on top of millions alreadyspent on this project. I’m guessing they think its a subsidy and the free market will work things out. Its time for a toll……$ XX per foot of draft per transit. Get the gub’ment out of the business…..right ?
Native son says:
Our boats don’t use drift-nets,that’s the Japanese and Koreans,we use trawl-nets.Just build the jettys and give Bodie Island Spit to the birds,it’s where it’s headed anyway.Shallow draft oceangoing commercial fishing vessels are’nt feasible our they would already be in use.Let our boats fish.
ekim says:
Everthing the GOV has done at OI has failed an cost millions, Groin the other side! WE all know that will work.
Hatteras says:
Manteo gets $7.48 million for it’s “network of channels in the sound.” How about sending even a fraction of that to Hatteras Island so we might begin building just a channel or two off our sound-side coast, which remains a ghost-town since there’s pretty much no way to travel via water between, or even within, the villages.
If you forced a boater from Manteo or Carteret County to try to navigate the sound off of Hatteras they would be appalled at the lack of attention to our waterways.
HI Resident says:
Trying to stabilize Oregon Inlet will do nothing but waste more and more money.
Its time to recognize the dynamic nature of barrier islands.
Its time for new thoughts and approaches to solve our problems.
We can’t rely upon the old guard to lead us.
Its time for new people and new ideas.
Ferry Man says:
To those who like to skip through articles and then blast away haphazardly: Hatteras to Oceacoke Ferry Channel will be dredged. Though not the way it should be, it will be better than it is now…hopefully. As a Ferry Division employee I can tell you one point I agree with: Put the Ferry Division State Dredge to work! Stop paying these guys to sit on this wasted vessel playing around all year and put them doing work that will save the State and Federal Governments! We need to get rid of the waste and this is one way to do it!