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Nags Head wins $500,000 shoreline design grant as beach survey shows heavy sand losses; town may accelerate nourishment planning
Summary
The town was awarded a $500,000 NC Resilient Coastal Communities design grant and authorized a McAdams contract; consultant survey results show roughly a half‑million cubic yards lost across the nourished oceanfront year‑over‑year, with southern reaches below nourishment triggers and possible need to accelerate the 2027 nourishment.
The Town of Nags Head received a $500,000 engineering and design grant from the NC Resilient Coastal Communities Program and authorized the town manager to contract with McAdams for design and to execute the grant contract, the board agreed on Oct. 2.
"The town was recently awarded a $500,000 grant from the NC Resilient Coastal Communities Program," Amy told the board, outlining that the funds would cover engineering and design work for estuarine shoreline project areas including Soundside Road and West Soundside Road, and noting the deliverable would be roughly a 60% set of plans and permitting support.
That action followed a detailed presentation of the summer monitoring survey by consultant Beth Chaddone, who reported extensive storm‑driven erosion in the southern reaches of the nourished oceanfront. Chaddone summarized annual changes and said, "we've lost about a half‑million cubic yards" across the nourished oceanfront (June 2023–June 2024 average of roughly 9–10 cubic yards per foot), with especially large losses and dune scarping in reaches 3 north, 3 south and 4.
She warned that several transects in reaches 3 and 4 already fall below the volumetric triggers established in the beach nourishment master plan and said the first planned nourishment event (tentatively summer 2027) "may need to be conducted sooner" if losses continue.
The board authorized an additional fall survey to capture subsequent erosion in the southern reaches and approved a capital project ordinance amendment to reallocate unused beach maintenance funds (previously budgeted for turtle monitoring) to pay for the extra survey.
What the board approved: execution of the $500,000 grant contract; authorization for McAdams design services on the estuarine shoreline items; and an additional fall survey and related capital ordinance amendment. Staff also received authorization to initiate Phase 1 of a separate stormwater master plan with McAdams (see separate action), including a $208,000 planning proposal.
Why it matters: the combined actions advance engineering and planning steps meant to preserve shoreline resilience, but the survey results indicate material losses that could push the town to accelerate a scheduled nourishment project if the trend continues.
