Wrightsville Beach, N.C., has begun beach restoration as part of a $10 million project to replenish the eroded coastline. The project is scheduled to wrap up by the end of March. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and private contractor Weeks Marine are piping in sand through metal pipes, which they then flatten with bulldozers. The sand is brought in from the Masonboro Inlet and the south end of Wrightsville Beach, according to local news source WECT.
“The amount of sand they’re putting on the beach is 700,000 cu yards,” said Jim Matlock, project managed with the USACE.
The erosion control project has been a consistent practice for the beach every four years since the 1980s with the goal of limiting coastal erosion. The restoration crew is working against the clock to finish the project to avoid interfering with springtime sea turtle and bird nesting.
Funding for the erosion control beach restoration project is provided by the federal government, New Hanover County and the state of North Carolina.
