Rising sea level, sinking land, low topograp 



The figures are startling. 



For the past 18,000 years, erosion has been 

 claiming parts of the North Carolina estuarine 

 shore. An average of two to three feet is lost each 

 year, with storms swiping up to 20 feet at a time : 

 the U.S. Soil Conservation Service estimates that 

 more than 60 million tons of earth have been 

 eroded in the past 30 years. 



"Basically, the entire North Carolina shoreline 

 is eroding," according to East Carolina University 

 (ECU) geologist Stan Riggs. "A few places are 

 accreting, but that's ephemeral and local. The 

 long-term process taking place is one of erosion. 



"The reason is simple. We have a rising sea 

 level — about one foot per century. Plus we have a 

 good share of North Carolina — the northeast — 

 which is sinking. A third factor which is very 

 critical is that there is very low topography on 

 most of North Carolina's eastern estuarine shore. 

 This means that a very slight rise in sea level 

 makes a very great change in elevation. With land 

 that's only two feet above sea level, in 200 years 

 you can see a tremendous effect." 



Before North Carolina's mainland shores 

 considered prime property, no one worried m 

 about erosion. The loss of land was accepted 

 "nature's way." But now with vacationers clan 

 ing and paying top prices for second-home s 

 with water frontage, the estuarine shorelin< 

 more valuable. So when "nature takes its coui 

 and causes a little of the precious soil to sink 

 low water level, there is quite an economic imp 



Riggs, ECU geologist Michael O'Connor 

 ECU biologist Vince Bellis have been looking 

 estuarine erosion, with the help of Sea Grant fui 

 for the past two years. They have tracked 

 1,400 miles of the coast on their hardy ves 

 "Sweet Agona," a 37 foot Chesapeake Bay oyi 

 boat named after the Indian maiden of "quest 

 able looks" who fell in love with Beggar Toe 

 the Lost Colony, much to his agony. 



Riggs, Bellis and O'Connor have suffered sim 

 hardship in their quest to understand the procei 

 at work along the estuarine shores. They've ] 

 tied copperheads and uncooperative boat engi 

 braved mats of marsh and swayed through m 



Old cars, hunks of concrete and even a kitchen sink have been used- 

 erosion. A scene on the Neuse. 



>ften futilely — to slow estua 



