Client Type: Government and nonprofit
Description: Marsh restoration, water quality improvement, and shoreline stabilization for an overall upgrade to the Hammocks Beach State Park facility.
Services: Stormwater management; wetland restoration; shoreline stabilization; environmental permitting and regulatory coordination; site surveying; erosion control design; stakeholder interaction and education.
Overview
As part of an overall upgrade to the Hammocks Beach State Park facility, BLUE: Land, Water, Infrastructure was retained by the North Carolina Wetlands Restoration Program (NCWRP) to provide detailed planning, design, and management services for marsh restoration, water quality improvement, and shoreline stabilization.
Background and Details
Hammocks Beach State Park is located near Swansboro, Emerald Isle, Bogue Inlet, and the mouth of the White Oak River along North Carolina's Crystal Coast. It includes Bear Island and Huggins Island. The park is a natural area set aside for the public to enjoy unspoiled beaches, coastal islands, and other natural areas.
Sections of the bulkhead which had been constructed at the park were badly deteriorating and in need of replacement. Another bulkhead had previously been constructed at the site, but it too had deteriorated and was replaced. Instead of simply constructing another bulkhead at the site only to have it fail again, an alternative shoreline stabilization method was suggested by the North Carolina Coastal Federation (NCCF). A stone sill would be created in front of the existing bulkhead and tidal marsh would be restored landward of the structure. The stone sill and tidal marsh would act in concert to dissipate the wave energy affecting the shoreline. This method is less costly and more stable than a conventional bulkhead structure, it provides habitat for coastal wildlife, and treats stormwater pollutants before they enter the open water. The bulkhead removal is the first of the two projects and was made possible by the cooperation between the North Carolina Wetlands Restoration Program and the North Carolina Coastal Federation.
Last updated: 10/07/02 (BLUE: Land, Water, Infrastructure)
Deteriorating bulkhead at Hammocks Beach State Park
Old bulkhead at Hammocks Beach State Park
Planting Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens during tidal marsh restoration
Hammocks Beach site during its first full growing season