Oregon Inlet Navigation

Army Corps of Engineers dredging vessel at Oregon Inlet.

NPS

Formed by a hurricane in 1846, Oregon Inlet is the primary route to the ocean for oceangoing vessels, including commercial and recreational fishing vessels operating in the northern Outer Banks region of North Carolina. Winds, tides, and shifting sand often create sand bars and large breaking waves at the inlet's entrance to the ocean, leading to hazards for vessels attempting to pass through the inlet to or from the ocean. Additional hazards include the natural filling in of deep-water channels with sand, leading to challenging navigation through the inlet for deep-draft vessels.

In attempt to improve navigation at Oregon Inlet, Congress in 1950 authorized the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to dredge a channel in the inlet to a depth of 14 feet. From 1960 to present day, the Corps’ Wilmington District Office has conducted Oregon Inlet dredging operations. In addition to Corps dredging, the Coast Guard helps inlet safety by maintaining the navigation aids that help guide vessels through the inlet.

Since 2022, Dare County has supplemented the Corps’ dredging efforts using a shallow-draft hopper dredge named “Miss Katie.”

 

History of Proposed Jetties at Oregon Inlet

In 1970, in an effort to stabilize Oregon Inlet and in response to local concerns that a deeper channel was needed to accommodate fishing vessels and commercial traffic, Congress authorized the construction of dual rock jetties and a 20-foot-deep navigation channel.

Between the 1970 authorization and September 30, 2001, the Corps’ Wilmington District Office designed the project and studied whether it was economically and environmentally sound before construction could begin.

During the study phase, the Corps worked with the Department of Commerce’s National Marine Fisheries Service and the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries to develop data on fish catch and associated use of the inlet by commercial fishing vessels. The Corps also participated in a joint task force with the Department of the Interior in 1991 to determine the effect of the jetties and the project’s proposed sand bypass system on the adjacent shoreline.

 

Federal Agencies Mutually Agree to End Development of Proposed Oregon Inlet Jetties Over 20 Years Ago

On May 1, 2003, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Corps, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Commerce announced their mutual agreement not to proceed with construction of the Oregon Inlet jetties. Instead, according to a press release issued by The White House, “the Corps will improve the current 14-foot navigation channel while working with the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to enhance boating safety by providing the public with more accurate and up-to-date navigational data on changing sand conditions in the channel.”

Other key information from the May 1, 2003, White House press release:

• The decision not to proceed with the Oregon Inlet jetty project “resolves a long-standing debate among federal agencies with different Congressional mandates. Working with the Army and the other agencies, we looked closely at the economic and environmental data and jointly determined that the uncertainties in projecting both the estimated economic and environmental effects, and the risk to important resources, weigh against proceeding with the project," said CEQ Chairman James L. Connaughton.
• NOAA opposed the project during formal consultations with the Corps because of a potentially significant impact on the area’s already diminished fisheries.
• Two Department of the Interior agencies—the National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service—expressed concern over potential erosion of national park and national wildlife refuge lands.
• In reaching the consensus agreement not to proceed with the project, the agencies found that the available economic data contained uncertainties that raised questions as to whether the project would generate even modest net benefits to the local economy.
• The decision to cease work on the Oregon Inlet jetty project included extensive inter-agency coordination and communications, including a public hearing in Manteo, N.C., at which local citizens expressed earnest and differing views on the project.

Additional Information

• In September 2002, the United States General Accounting Office (GAO)—the investigative arm of Congress—issued a report titled, “Oregon Inlet Jetty Project: Environmental and Economic Concerns Still Need to Be Resolved.” GAO examines the use of public funds; evaluates federal programs and policies; and provides analyses, recommendations, and other assistance to help Congress make informed oversight, policy, and funding decisions.

What’s next?

• There are currently no proposed jetty projects to comment on or evaluate. If the Corps proposes a new project to construct jetties on lands that are part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore within the Oregon Inlet, the National Park Service may work with the Corps to evaluate the proposal, presumably with input from other interested agencies and the public.