The erosion threat keeps federal, state and local 

 managers searching for ways to save North Carolina's 

 beaches. 



The state made one of its first moves in 1974 when it 

 passed the Coastal Area Management Act. 



Since 1979, new houses built near the beach must 

 meet stringent setback standards. Regulations require 

 homeowners to build behind a line 30 times the annual 

 erosion rate. For larger buildings, it's 60 times the rate. 



In addition, oceanfront property owners can no 

 longer put up bulkheads, seawalls and revetments. 

 Although these hardened structures sometimes help 

 the immediate property, they often rob sand from the 

 beaches on either side. 



It's already happened in New Jersey. Little to no 

 beach remains in towns such as Cape May and Asbury 

 Park that erected bulkheads. 



To help prevent such disasters, North Carolina aims 

 its regulations at preserving beaches, not beach 

 houses, says Dave Owens, director of the N.C. Division 

 of Coastal Management. 



The ultimate goal is "not to do anything in the short- 

 term that will affect the long-term public use of the 

 beach," he adds. 



"In North Carolina, we have a tradition of high 

 recreational use of our beaches," says Walter Clark, Sea 

 Grant's coastal law specialist. "To allow this tradition to 

 continue is to keep it in the public's hands." 



The public owns the beach below the high-tide line 

 in North Carolina. And in general, the dry sand beach 

 above the line belongs to adjoining private property 

 owners. 



As the beach erodes, the high-tide line moves in and 

 owners lose some of their private property, Clark says. 

 In places with severe erosion, houses actually may be 

 trespassing on the public's beach. 



"The beach is always going to be there," Owens says. 

 But the problem is the beach moves and development 

 doesn't. 



So the conflict between migration of ownership and 

 public right continues. And it intensifies with increased 

 development at the coast. 



Many beachfifont property owners think bulkheads 

 and seawalls should be allowed. Or that federal flood 

 insurance should help them pay to have their houses 

 moved. 



Not everyone agrees. 



But, Owens says, "We still have some choices— the 

 opportunity to protect our beaches and to use them in 

 a reasonable fashion." 



Spencer Rogers outlines the options in North 

 Carolina. 



Relocation 



Historically, the most common effective erosion 

 method for an individual homeowner has been to 

 pick up a house and move it. The N.C. Coastal 

 Resources Commission is urging local, state and 

 federal management commissions to get involved 

 in this. 



Many residents have already moved. The cost 

 varies, but averages $15,000 (lot not included). 



Beach Restoration or Renourishment 



Rogers considers beach restoration the best long- 

 term public structural solution. Huge volumes of sand 

 are deposited in precise locations to build up the 

 beach or restore it to its original state. 



Restoration works well in low-erosion areas away 

 from tidal inlets. 



But it's expensive. And in high-erosion areas, the 

 sand has to be replaced too often, Rogers says. 



And most of the time, renourishment is "the treat- 

 ment of the disease and not the cure," he adds. 



Topsail Beach and Long Beach want to implement 

 such projects, but the cost is prohibitive at $1 million 

 a mile. Most of the money towns have now for 

 erosion control comes from a 3.5 percent N.C. 

 accommodations tax. 



Sand From Navigation Dredging 



Sand often must be cleared fi'om waterways in high- 

 erosion areas like inlets. As sand is dredged, it can be 

 pumped to eroded areas at little or no cost to the 

 community. 



Dredging projects are generally smaller and use less 

 sand than renourishment projects. 



But in some areas, it is not cost-effective. And often 

 dredged sand is not coarse enough to build up the 

 beach. 



Temporary Erosion-Control Structures/Sandbags 



When the foundation of a house is less than 20 feet 

 away fi'om the erosion sccirp, residents can use sand- 

 bags. The 5-by-lO, two-ton bags offer temporary help. 

 But they often fail in severe storms. When bags are 

 heavy and numerous, they can cause peripheral 

 erosion. 



Bulldozing 



Most coastal towns use bulldozers to move sand to 

 erosion-prone areas. Although bulldozing is relatively 

 inexpensive, Rogers believes it is not effective. 



"It just moves around the same sand that is already 

 on the beach," he says. 



Artificial Seaweed Or Similar Sandtraps 



In theory, artificial seaweed acts as an underwater 

 sand fence that builds sandbars. But tests in North 

 Carolina, other states and Europe consistently have 

 shown that it is ineffective in controlling wave-induced 

 shoreline erosion. 



Most of these options require a permit from the 

 N.C. Division of Coastal Management. For more infor- 

 mation, contact the division. 



