![]() The fund provides the state share for dredging projects, and requires that state funds are matched 50-50 with local funds. One way to secure additional funding has been the development of the Shallow Draft Navigation Channel & Lake Dredging Fund in North Carolina. Yet the largest hurdle remains to secure adequate funding sources. In North Carolina, potential MOAs are in development for both the Morehead City channel and the Oregon Inlet. The Corps already has permits for dredging, as well as trained staff. There are alternatives to federal funding, such as developing a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Army Corps and providing state funding to the Corps to conduct dredging. According to a report from the Assistant Secretary for Environment, in 2011, federal funding for shallow draft channels in North Carolina was $12.7 million while in 2015, it was $6.4 million – a 50.4% decrease. Federal funding has been supplemented occasionally with state funds, particularly as federal funding has declined in recent years. A fact sheet from the Army Corps of Engineers – Wilmington District describes the federally authorized shallow draft waterways and harbors along the North Carolina Coast in addition to funding recent allocations for each project. When inlets are federally authorized, it means that the federal government maintains them if funding is available. Construction dredging: the removal of materials to facilitate new navigation channels or water projects, such as locks and dams.Maintenance dredging: the periodic removal of accumulated sediment from navigation channels and harbors to maintain authorized depths and widths.There are primarily two types of dredging: The National Ocean Service defines dredging as “the removal of sediments and debris from the bottom of lakes, rivers, harbors, and other water bodies…” necessary “because sedimentation-the natural process of sand and silt washing downstream-gradually fills channels and harbors.” For more information on the actual dredging process and how it works, check out this guide. It is shallow draft inlets that have been the cause of biggest problems, due to their tendency to shoal rapidly. ![]() Historically, deep draft inlets have not been an issue in North Carolina. There are two deep draft inlets in the state: Wilmington Harbor & Morehead City. Shallow draft inlets refer to those with a 15-foot depth or less, while deep draft inlets are those of more than 15-foot depth. ![]() There are two types of federally authorized channels or inlets in North Carolina: shallow draft inlets and deep draft inlets. Hopes were high that the added funding would be bring some relief by the end of summer 2015, helping the state’s second-busiest port get back to normal traffic patterns. State officials sought emergency measures because of the direness of the situation, and the Obama administration freed up $4.1 million for Morehead City. According to a report to the Joint Transportation Appropriations Committee by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), routine dredging and maintenance are necessary for these inlets to remain open to support North Carolina’s economy.Īn article in the News & Observer in June 2015 estimated that the state’s biggest shipping customer was losing $2 million a month because the sand-clogged navigation channel at Morehead City was too shallow to handle fully laden freighters. The North Carolina coastline has a wide variety of inlets that are critical to coastal commerce, such as for commercial traffic at ports, commercial and charter fisherman, and recreation & tourism.
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