Representative David Rouzer

Dear [salutation],

North Carolina’s 7th Congressional District is fortunate to have some of the most beautiful beaches in the United States. Our beaches, inlets and waterways are an integral part of infrastructure in Southeastern North Carolina and across the nation. Much like highways and runways, our inlets and waterways play an important role in the transportation of cargo, passengers, and military equipment. The condition of each is a direct contributor to our state’s vibrant tourism as well as recreational and commercial fishing.

This storm season, our coastline has endured repeated tidal impacts, including the very recent Nor’easter as well as the offshore hurricanes. The currents from these storms accelerate beach erosion, putting vital infrastructure, homes, and local economies at risk of more significant impacts with future storms.

Like so many in our coastal communities, I am concerned about the significant damage resulting from the year’s storms too and have been working closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and local governments to ensure our communities receive the resources and support they need.

Beach nourishment, funding for recovery, and tools utilized to address erosion events like those we’ve experienced up and down the coast this year differ depending on the Federal status of each beach. There are three categories of beaches in terms of recovery support: Federal partnership-maintained beaches, beaches eligible for federal recovery dollars, and private beaches. How nourishment is handled for each of these categories differs.

I remain committed to doing everything within my power to prioritize beach nourishment and ensure the protection of our coast and beaches in North Carolina’s Seventh Congressional District.

Below is an informative guide on how beach nourishment works for the three primary categories of beaches. Given the critical role our beaches play in our local economy and way of life, I thought you would find this information useful.

Science of Beach Renourshiment

For some who might not be familiar with beach nourishment, it is the process of recycling sand that has eroded from local beaches to restore their width and protect the shoreline and coastal communities from future storms.

In summary, there are three categories of beaches in terms of recovery support. Federal partnership-maintained beaches, beaches eligible for federal recovery dollars, and private beaches. How we handle nourishment for each of these categories differs.

For Southeastern North Carolina, our beaches are as follows:

Federal Partner Beaches

Wrightsville Beach
Carolina Beach
Kure Beach
Ocean Isle Beach
Surf City

Federal Emergency Assistance-Eligible Beaches

Oak Island/Caswell Beach
Holden Beach
Topsail Beach
Sunset Beach
Bald Head Island

Private Beaches

Figure Eight Island

Federal Partnership-Maintained Beaches

These coastal communities have met strict criteria demonstrating a need to conduct regular nourishment. As a result, they have entered into a partnership with the federal government, through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to become a part of the Coastal Storm Risk Management Program (CSRM). CSRM communities enter local-federal partnerships to fund and conduct periodic nourishment of public beaches to protect against coastal erosion. These nourishments generally occur every three to five years, although some are conducted less frequently depending on the need. While these projects are typically on a regular cycle, when a coastal community with a CSRM project is hit by a federally declared disaster, there are ways to access nourishment quicker to return an area to pre-storm conditions.

Typically once a nourishment project is approved, the Army Corps of Engineers works with the local jurisdictions to conduct environmental impact studies, put together a project budget and cost-share agreement, and then puts a contract out to bid. Projects are done in the winter months to avoid major weather risks and steer clear the typical tourist season.

Funding for these projects is often conducted in phases, regular federal appropriations are necessary for the local Corps district to conduct the project, and local jurisdictions must also pay for a certain portion of the project.

Here is an update on the five CSRM beaches:

Carolina Beach and Kure Beach joint project: Scheduled to begin sand placement in late November of this year. All work must be completed by April 30, 2026.
Wrightsville Beach: Scheduled for fiscal year 2028 under the regular timeline. (But that does not mean remedies would be put off until then.)
Ocean Isle Beach: Scheduled for fiscal year 2028, if necessary.
Surf City: Awaiting final approval from the Army Corps. Target date to begin the project in late 2026.

Beaches Eligible for Federal Recovery Dollars

Other communities conduct their nourishment cycles with state and local funding only.

In certain circumstances, such as Topsail Beach, a nourishment project outside of the periodic cycle can be warranted after large scale natural disasters like a hurricane.

However, beaches relying solely on state and local funding for their periodic nourishment are sometimes able to receive federal emergency resources following a federally declared disaster under Section 406 of the Stafford Act. For example, Topsail Beach received FEMA reimbursement funding following Hurricanes Florence and Isaias.

These beaches can receive federal resources through a process called beneficial use sand placement. When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredges our navigation channels to keep commerce moving, any beach-quality sand is placed back on nearby beaches that naturally supplied it. This “beneficial use” approach strengthens dunes and berms, supports storm resilience, and aligns placement with regular channel-maintenance cycles.

When it comes to specific beaches in this category:

Bald Head Island: Scheduled for local nourishment September 2026, it also receives ‘beneficial use’ sand placement twice every 6 years from Wilmington Harbor navigational dredging, with the next placement expected in 2028.
Holden Beach: Scheduled for local nourishment using Lockwood Folly Inlet dredging this Winter (2025–26) with State and local funds; larger town-led nourishments generally occur on a 10–15-year cycle absent major storms.
Oak Island / Caswell Beach: Scheduled for local nourishment this Winter (2025-26), it also receives ‘beneficial use’ sand placement once every 6 years from Wilmington Harbor navigational dredging, with the next placement expected this Winter.
Sunset Beach: No nourishment is scheduled at this time as Sunset Beach is generally adding sand naturally on a yearly basis.
Topsail Beach: Scheduled for local nourishment in 2027–28, with follow-up cycles about every four years under the current plan.

Private Beaches

Private beaches cannot access public funds for nourishment projects. Figure Eight Island is the only beach in North Carolina’s 7th Congressional District within this category. Resident fees such as a Homeowners Association and community insurance can be used to address damage on private beaches.