mative years of inlet delta development. As the shoreline adjacent to the 

 inlet eroded, successive shoreline sections south of the inlet retreated to 

 an alignment approximately parallel with the predominant approach of wave 

 crests from the northeast. Once one section of the shoreline attained this 

 new alignment, sediment transport from that section to the adjacent downdrift 

 stretch decreased and caused the adjacent segment to undergo an alignment 

 change as well. Thus, through this process of progressive erosion and reori- 

 entation, the inlet-induced shoreline erosion moved into the northern portion 

 of Carolina Beach by the time the first stage of construction of the hurricane 

 and shore protection project was completed. 



6. The initial stage of construction of the authorized hurricane wave- 

 shore protection project was completed in April 1965 with the placement of 

 2,632,000 cu yd of borrow material obtained from the Carolina Beach Harbor 

 area. Immediately following the initial placement, considerable erosion oc- 

 curred along the entire length of the fill. Over the southern 10,000 ft of 

 the project (sta 0+00 to 100+00), the erosion was caused by hydraulic sorting 

 of the borrow material by waves and the movement of the borrow material down 

 slope to deeper portions of the active beach profile. These initial sorting 

 and slope adjustments continued until 1967 when the southern 10,000 ft became 

 fairly stable. By the time stability was reached along this 10,000-ft seg- 

 ment, the cross section of the fill was somewhat less than the authorized 

 section. 



7. Erosion along the northern 4,000 ft of the project (sta 100+00 to 

 140+00) was considerably greater than could be explained by hydraulic sorting 

 and slope adjustments. Within the first year following initial fill place- 

 ment, essentially all of the fill material was eroded from this northern sec- 

 tion. Accordingly, authority was granted to proceed with emergency measures 

 involving additional beach nourishment and the construction of a temporary 

 timber groin at the northern terminus of the project. A special investigation 

 of the erosion problem was also authorized to determine the cause of the 

 inordinate erosion and to recommend a feasible long-term solution. 



8. Emergency corrective measures were completed in March 1 967 with the 

 construction of a timber groin and the placement of 411,000 cu yd of fill. 

 The emergency fill was completely eroded, and the temporary groin was rapidly 

 deteriorating within a year. Continuation of severe erosion necessitated 

 additional emergency action involving the construction of a 2,050-ft-long 



