The Virginian-Pilot
©
CAROVA BEACH
Which came first, wetlands or potholes?
Currituck County has planned for nearly four years to grade three miles of Ocean Pearl Road, a rough, sandy road in Carova Beach that serves as a main artery though the four-wheel-drive area.
But in recent meetings with environmental agencies, the Army Corps of Engineers told the county to mark and measure wetlands affected by the project up to 300 feet from both sides of the road. Including the 100-foot right of way on Ocean Pearl Road, the swath is 700 feet wide.
Currituck hired an expert who mapped more than 9 acres of wetlands along the road right of way. By federal definition, three pond-sized potholes in the road qualified as about one-tenth of an acre of wetlands.
The e stimated cost to fix the road and dig drainage swales on both sides is $300,000. The Corps of Engineers may also insist that the county mitigate or replace wetlands elsewhere, at double the roadwork cost, adding $637,316.
If the corps forces the county to mitigate the wetlands, the project climbs to nearly $1 million, a shock to Currituck officials.
"It's untenable to me that the corps can come in and call roads that were platted in the 1960s wetlands," said Currituck Commissioner Paul O'Neal. "It's unbelievable."
Currituck has applied for a permit to fill only the potholes without having to mitigate the other wetlands.
As part of the application, Currituck makes the point that old ditches near the roadbed haven't drained the existing wetlands.
U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., has been asked to intervene for the county.
"They are not wetlands," O'Neal said. "They are mud puddles."
Wetlands were there before the road was, said Susan Clizbe, spokeswoman for the Corps of Engineers in Wilmington.
"The road runs through wetlands," she said.
The corps has not ruled on Currituck's permit, she said. Typically, applicants get three options -avoid the wetlands, minimize the effects on them, or mitigate them, she said.
The road needs fixing, O'Neal said.
"It's very important that we get this road restored," he said.
The county made attempts to create a road-improvement district in the communities of the four-wheel-drive area for about 20 years.
Residents were opposed to improvements, concerned that better roads would bring more people and more vehicles at higher speeds and put t he wild horses grazing along the roadside in danger.
But three years ago, residents agreed to improve a section of Ocean Pearl Road, only in Carova Beach, the northernmost community.
Ocean Pearl Road serves as an artery for emergency and construction vehicles and is the address for many high-end beach rentals. A fire and EMS station sits along Ocean Pearl Road.
Dozens of renters were stranded in 2006 and emergency vehicles could not get through after Tropical Storm Ernesto.
Along some roads, underground phone lines surfaced and were crushed by big tires, knocking out service to several homes.
Mud holes also tend to be breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Jeff Hampton, (252) 338-0159, jeff.hampton@pilotonline.com
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artical virginian pilot corova beach roads 1-9-2011
As far as the army corps of engineers and spokesperson Susan Clizbe go I am sick and tired of how these lebrial thinking people put all forms of life above human life as long as it is not their life. How stupid can you be to claim that the roads are now wet lands now that they need repair. Some how some way all these concerns were not important when this community was developed. You can not wave all the rules of wet lands to develope and sell to honest people and then pull the plug after millions have been spent on homes here. You people wether you like it or not do not have the right to now strand us out here. Where was the corps of engineers and Susan when Swan beach & corova beach was plotted for residentual development. Why were they not apposed
NCDOT contract
NCDOT just let a contract to raise the section of NC 12 just South of the Bonner Bridge, known as the Canal Zone, because it is repeatedly flooded, by rain and/or ocean/sound water.
Wonder if the Corp will try to declare that area of asphalt wetlands and stop the project ???????
Know the problem well
Cape Point area & light house road has an extensive drainage system. During extreme flooding, a drainage ditch was typically dug as a relief valve.
Afater Isabel in 2003, the drainage ditch was closed becuase it was draining wetlands. It took years to return to normal.
At this point the man made pond has grown, the campground floods, and light house road floods all the way back to the ranger station. Flood waters have even encroached on Buxton woods and the well fields that supply our water.
When we complain we are told the system can't be repaired because it drain wetlands and while past practice may have been to drain wetlands that doesn't make it right now. They tell us the percieved flooding is normal.
Not a new problem
When thr NPS did not want to repair the potholes in the sand road to Hatteras Inlet, after Isabel, they called in the Corps who declared them wetlands. Some of the holes were only about 3 feet accross but the NPS said thir hands were tied and the holes are still breeding mosquitos to this day.
Why can't I stop laughing.
Why can't I stop laughing. It doesn't get any nummer than this.
This shows just how out of whack the Army Corps IS
I used to say Jokingly that eventually the Army Corps would call a mud-puddle a "wetlands" and assert their Jurisdiction Everywhere.
If this wasn't so ridiculous it would be funny. Unfortunately based upon this latest determination the Army Corps is now declaring Potholes wetlands that require "their" permission to fix. I just can't get over this over reach by a federal agency. Don't worry the new congress is about to take the Army Corps down a notch or 2.
I have a friend that after Floyd and Isabel made the soil turn to slurpee material called in experts to help him grade and divert water away from his house. The house had been there for 73 years. Because of the Army Corps the house had to be abandoned.