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Coastal NC

New Hanover County:

New Hanover County includes Bald Head Island, Masonboro Island, Carolina Beach, Wrightsville Beach, and Figure Eight Island. These are extremely popular places for tourists to visit, except for Bald Head Island and Figure Eight Island which would secede if they could... but only to keep the riff-raff out.

Bald Head Island (photos below) is a private resort only accessible by boat; they don't allow cars or trucks on the island. From the air, the dune and beach ridges are evident. Much of the interior of the island is maritime forest and golf course(s).Bald Head engaged in a lengthy dispute with the NC Division of Coastal Management over the placement of shoreline engineering structures on the ocean coastline. NC law prohibits the use of artificial erosion control devices on the ocean shoreline except in very rare and unusual circumstances. Bald Head felt that since they were a private community, they should have the right to employ these devices. Coastal Management disagreed, but the inevitable political pressures pushed through an exception and the structures were placed. A series of sand-filled textile tubes were place perpendicular to the shoreline; they were intended to function as groins, and trap sand being moved by longshore transport. Recent hurricanes have left the groins (called Longard Tubes) in poor condition.

Masonboro Island is an undeveloped state-owned barrier island. It's low-lying and frequently overwashed.

Carolina Beach is a narrow barrier island that is more or less attached to the mainland. Carolina Beach and Wrightsville Beach have both relied heavily on expensive beach nourishment projects in the past. The net effect of these projects has been to change the character of development from largely single-family homes to multi-family condo and high-rise beaches. Carolina Beach Inlet is an artificial inlet that was opened in the early 1950s in order to provide more convenient access to the ocean from the sound. Hurricanes have typically had major impacts on Carolina Beach. The photos below show the high-rise character of development in Carolina Beach, as well as a large overwash fan left by Hurricane Bonnie in 1998.

And, of course, Wrightsville Beach (left). Wrightsville is near and dear to me, since I spent many summer weeks and weekends here when I was in college. It's a short drive from Chapel Hill (2.5 hours) and a guy I hung out with had a family cottage there. Wrightsville has a very interesting history. It's actually two islands, joined when Moore's Inlet was artificially closed in 1965. This joined Wrightsville Beach with Shell Island to form a single continuous island. For many years, a Holiday Inn stood at the location of this old inlet; it was referred to by many locals and geologists as the "Holiday Inlet." The structure was damaged extensively during Hurricane Fran, and was demolished. The developers sued the town when their redevelopment permit was denied (they wanted to replace the original 4-story structure with a 9-story one), and an out-of-court settlement allowed a 7-story hotel to be built on the original site.

The northernmost inlet, Mason Inlet, is another matter. This inlet is rapidly migrating southward. At the very northern end of the island sits Shell Island Resort, and a "temporary" sea wall of sandbags. The Shell Island Resort Homeowners Association requested a permit to construct a permanent sea wall to prevent Mason Inlet from migrating into the lobby of their structure. The permit was denied, in accordance with state law, and Shell Island sued. Twice. Both lawsuits were thrown out of court for a variety of reasons. The simplest reason was that Shell Island filed suit rather than appeal the permit denial; they did not exhaust all legal remedies available to them before suing the state. Meanwhile, Mason Inlet has continued to migrate southward and is in the process of undermining the sandbag seawall.

Technically, sandbags are supposed to be removed within three years. The permit recipient is supposed to use his/her three years wisely, and seek an alternative solution to the problem. After three years, the sandbags come out. However, the recipient can always ask for a variance, and request an extension. Shell Island asked the Coastal Resources Commission for the variance, and got one. The latest plan is to relocate the inlet some distance north, and to (in theory) re-align the inlet channels such that it no longer migrates southward at such a fast clip. One problem with this plan is that it requires the cooperation of Shell Island's neighbor to the north, Figure Eight Island.

Figure Eight Island is another privately owned island, and is where former Vice-President Al Gore has been known to vacation. Figure Eight Island has a guard house at the bridge onto the island, and has a reputation for being somewhat prickly when dealing with their neighbor to the south (Shell Island). After mutual lawsuits, however, apparently Shell Island and Figure Eight Island have agreed in principle on the relocation of the inlet. Now if only the state of North Carolina will go along...

Updated:

The state and feds agreed to permit the relocation of Mason Inlet. Here are some links to check out...

Updates from Spencer Rogers of NC Sea Grant

Ground level photos from wrightsville.com

Before any structures were erected on Figure Eight Island, sand excavated from finger canals was used to elevate the part of the island. This did not prevent shoreline erosion, and some expensive beach nourishment projects ensued. Mason Inlet to the south is a highly variable migrating inlet, as is Rich Inlet to the north.