Brunswick County initiates Lockwood Folly dredging project with local funding partnership

The Lockwood Folly dredging project is set to move forward, with Brunswick County officials announcing significant progress during the recent Board of Commissioners meeting. Neil, a representative involved in the project, detailed the plans to dredge the Lockwood Folly Inlet to a depth of 8 feet using a side caster dredge, which will not deposit sand on nearby beaches but will instead place it on either side of the inlet.

The project is scheduled for late June to July, with a total cost of $744,500. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will cover approximately 75% of the expenses, amounting to over half a million dollars, through the state’s shallow draft inlet fund. Brunswick County's local match will be 25%, totaling $186,125. Historically, this local match has been shared between Brunswick County, Oak Island, and Holden Beach, with Brunswick County's share amounting to $93,062, while each of the other jurisdictions would be responsible for about $46,000.

Discussions with Holden Beach have been positive, but Oak Island is still deliberating its commitment. To keep the project on track, county staff recommended that Brunswick County pay the entire local match upfront, with plans to seek reimbursement from both Holden Beach and Oak Island in the future. The board is expected to authorize this financial move to ensure the dredging project proceeds as scheduled.