Oregon Inlet dredging could stop in June

OREGON INLET, N.C.

Unless a new funding source emerges, dredging at Oregon Inlet will cease in early June and conditions there will be at the mercy of Mother Nature during the height of the recreational fishing season, a $500 million industry in Dare County.

The $4 million budget for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the channel this fiscal year will be exhausted within the first week of June, said Col. Jeff Ryscavage, commander of the corps' Wilmington district.

When that money is gone, there is no plan to maintain the waterway for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.

If funding does become available, it most likely would come from one of two sources - or perhaps a combination of both. One option would be for the corps to transfer money from other projects to pay for dredging at the inlet, Ryscavage said. But any decision to do so would be made at the corps' headquarters in Washington.

"I have no indication one way or the other if (Oregon Inlet) is going to receive more funds," Ryscavage said, adding that he has expressed the need for new funding to his superiors.

Officials at corps headquarters did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Another potential source is the state of North Carolina. Gov. Beverly Perdue told the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce last week that the state may step in if the federal government does not come through with enough money to maintain the channel at depths and widths safe for navigation.

Perdue had pledged about $1.5 million if the corps replaced a sidecaster dredge with a hopper dredge, thought by some to be a more effective tool in combatting the shoaling problems at Oregon Inlet. The hopper dredge Currituck, which operates 24 hours a day, has been on site since Saturday and will remain there for about 30 days. Operating the Currituck costs $22,300 per day.

For now, the corps - not the state - is paying for the work.

State money is not off the table, but the governor would prefer to see the dredging paid for with federal dollars, Perdue spokeswoman Chris Mackey said Tuesday.

"The idea is to primarily look for the federal government to continue to keep that inlet open," Mackey said, adding that the governor is working with the state's congressional delegation to try to make that happen.

When the Currituck leaves, the corps will resume work with one of its two sidecaster dredges, the Merritt or the Fry, Ryscavage said. But, at current funding levels, the federal money will run out around June 5.

Conditions began deteriorating quickly in Oregon Inlet last month. Despite regular dredging, sand was building up around the main navigation span beneath the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge faster than it could be removed. As a result, shallow water and sharp turns around the bridge have increased the danger of navigating the already treacherous channel.

The crisis has renewed conversations about the need for a jetty to stabilize the inlet, an idea that was debated for decades before federal agencies killed it in 2003 because of environmental concerns. But until the bridge is replaced in 2015, coastal engineering experts say that dredging is the only way to keep Oregon Inlet consistently open for navigation.

Four industries, which together are estimated to generate about $682 million per year, depend on the inlet. So far, the crisis has had the biggest impact on seafood processors and commercial fishermen. Commercial vessels - which are generally larger and therefore require a deeper and wider channel to access the ocean - have been diverting to ports in Virginia or southern North Carolina to land their catch.

Erin James, (252) 441-1711, erin.james@pilotonline.com