Commissioners approve application for no‑wake zone at Oak Island bridge; marina owners press for larger boundary

The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners on July 21 voted to authorize county staff to apply to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to establish a no‑wake zone adjacent to the Oak Island (Barbee) Bridge and agreed to include a letter expressing support for extending the zone beyond the 50‑yard area recommended in the wildlife agency’s preliminary investigation.

Public commenters representing local marinas urged a broader buffer. Mike Bianchi, general manager of Safe Harbor South Harbor Village Marina, told the board the county’s proposed 50‑yard zone “will not help us or others” and urged the commissioners to seek a larger area that would extend east past Dutchman Creek to protect docks and infrastructure. “The safety of our staff, our visitors, and our infrastructure is at stake,” Bianchi said.

Kelsey Olbe, dockmaster at Safe Harbor South Harbor Village Marina, said the marina logged hundreds of transient vessels and maintained video evidence of wake damage; she warned that poor conditions were already driving visitors to other ports. “These travelers are a vital part of our Southport and Oak Island economy,” Olbe said.

Eric Morgan, project manager for American Marine Construction (the party that originally requested county support), described the channel’s geometry — a wide waterway that narrows to a roughly 90‑foot passage under the bridge — and said inexperienced boaters create hazardous wake conditions when they “charge through that bottleneck area.” Morgan also said the existing 50‑yard line as mapped does not cover some of American Marine’s operational slips, and the company is pursuing an extension with the wildlife agency.

County staff described the process: North Carolina Wildlife conducts an on‑site investigation and recommends a zone; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must also concur for the Intracoastal Waterway. Staff said wildlife investigators had reduced an original request (300 yards on either side) to 50 yards on either side of the bridge in their survey; commissioners nonetheless voted to proceed with the application and include a county letter recommending latitude to extend the zone if the wildlife agency’s investigation supports it.

Outcome: The board authorized the county to apply for rule‑making with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for a no‑wake zone adjacent to the Oak Island/Barbee Bridge and directed staff to include a supporting letter encouraging consideration of a larger zone if justified by the wildlife agency’s survey.

Why it matters: Marina operators said uncontrolled wakes damage docks, create safety risks for maintenance workers and boaters, and harm the local marine‑tourism economy. The county’s action starts a multi‑agency review process that will determine whether a statutory no‑wake rule is adopted for the state’s coastal waters.

Next steps: County staff will submit the application and supporting letter to the wildlife agency; the Wildlife Resources Commission and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will review, investigate and determine whether to adopt a no‑wake rule and where buoys and signage would be placed.