Long Live the Beach
Renourishment is a consistent and necessary factor of life in southeastern North Carolina.
Generally speaking, it involves the (re)placement of sand and sediment along the beach. It can also include dune vegetation planting to help reinforce the dunes and berms.
The Benefits of Beach Nourishment
- Rebuilds dunes and berms lost due to storms and natural erosion
- Replaces and widens existing beaches
- Protects the communities and infrastructures along the shorelines
In other words, beach nourishment ensures that we all have beaches to enjoy from summer to summer, year after year. With Brunswick County, North Carolina beaches in particular, forms of nourishment are used to deepen and widen the paths used by cargo ships as they travel up the coast to the ports of Wilmington.
Information and Resources
While most local projects are coordinated during the off season, and/or outside of turtle nesting season, Margaret Rudd & Associates is aware that projects can impact guest vacation plans. As a result, we hope to provide you with information and resources regarding current and/or ongoing nourishment projects to help you plan your best beach vacation.
- The Current - Reach about all of the current news and events with the Town of Oak Island's monthly newsletter.
- Beach Nourishment - Learn about any past and present Beach Nourishment projects per the Town of Oak Island.
**Please note that the best way to ensure a long life for our beaches, and that projects are completed in a timely manner, is to stay clear of all work zones and to not walk over the dunes. Our responsibility as residents and visitors is to help ensure that the dunes do not experience negative impacts which could significantly alter their protective nature for our coast.
Beach Nourishment Projects
FEMA Phase II: Hurricane Florence
The Phase I: Hurricane Matthew project (previously referred to as the 2020/2021 Nourishment Project) serviced areas from SE 63rd Street to just before Middleton Avenue and was completed in May of 2021. Phase II of this project took place over the winter and early spring months of the 2021 to 2022 season. As of May 2, 2022 per the Town of Oak Island website, "all dredging, construction, and equipment demobilization phases have been completed. The Project is currently working to provide planting of vegetation in the newly constructed dune areas. This process is expected to take several weeks. As of this update:
- All dredging and sand distribution operations were completed April 21.
- All equipment demobilization was completed by April 29.
- Installation of post-and-rope guides at all new Shared Access Pathways was completed by April 30."
CURRENT OKI NOURISHMENT INFORMATION
MRA Guests Traveling During Beach Nourishment Project Phase II
While MRA realizes the importance of the project, we also understand the inconvenience this may pose for our guests with regard to their vacations. MRA would like to provide flexibility for our guests due to the possibility of this inconvenience and/or disturbance.
Flexible options available to MRA Guests traveling during the projected Phase II timeline:
- Cancel your current reservation and receive a refund,
- Reschedule your current reservation for a later date based on property availability and the then market rate, or
- If you maintain your reservation and are impacted by an active work zone while on property, you may contact the office to determine what we may be able to offer you to rectify any inconvenience.
Please note that disruptions and any flexibility will be determined on a case-by-case basis according to the length of stay, timeframe of interruption, and property availability. At this time, it is difficult for us to know if and when you will be directly affected as we do not have an exact schedule or additional specifics on locations for active work zones during your travel time.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as the Town works to stabilize our oceanfront, and as we navigate the potential effects on our guests. Should you have any questions, please email the office at information@rudd.com.
Beach Rules
The Town of Oak Island needs your help in ensuring an enjoyable beach experience for everyone. With that said, please follow the Town's full list of rules as shown below.
Help Protect the Dunes
- Do not walk, run, play, climb or other traffic of any kind on or across the dunes and berms, except in the designated areas.
- Do not bring glass containers on the beach or in the beach access areas.
- Do not place beach equipment, personal property, or other obstructions within 15 feet of an emergency vehicle access, and ten feet of marked sea turtle nests.
- Remove all gear (including chairs, canopy frames and all personal items) brought onto the beach at the end of the day, or by 8:30pm. All unattended items left between 8:30pm and 7:00am will be removedand can be recovered by paying a $50 fine to the Town of Oak Island.
- Use only the designated walkways, pathways and access locations to get to the beach.
- Leave the beach better than you found it! Remove all trash completely from the beach area - containers are provided at all Town beach access locations.
- Fill and level ALL holes prior to leaving for the day. This ensures the safety of others and the nesting sea turtles.
- Keep ALL dogs on a lease at ALL times between March 16th and October 15th.
Please remember that the Oak Island Police Department is empowered to enforce the ordinance through civil citations of up to $500 per offense.