The North Carolina Coastal Federation submitted a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers Thursday requesting that the agency return the terminal groin permit application submitted by the Figure Eight Homeowners Association (HOA) as incomplete and inaccurate.
The federation contends that the application does not comply with the Corps’ regulations or its application form instruction. It also contains a signature that indicates the HOA obtained property rights that it does not actually have. The HOA has yet to obtain easements from homeowners who own the property where the terminal groin — which would be located near Rich Inlet — would be built.
In fact, the HOA has yet to even receive approval for a terminal groin from its members. Figure Eight Island homeowners will soon receive ballots in the mail to vote on whether or not they want a terminal groin. They will also receive a letter from other homeowners who are against the terminal groin.
The federation has for several years maintained its opposition to the proposed terminal groin, which is a hardened structure meant to protect beaches from erosion. However, these structures can cause unintended consequences down the shore, including habitat loss for migratory birds and sea turtles. The proposed terminal groin would also eliminate public beach areas used by thousands of people each year.
Rich Inlet is one of the last naturally-functioning inlets in the state, and the current conditions and natural dynamics of the inlet show the volume of sand is actually increasing, not decreasing. According to one study, since 1938 the inlet has only shifted within a 1,600-foot corridor, which is more stable than most inlets.
In the last 70 years, the overall trend for the inlet has been net progradation. When all the erosion periods and eroded amounts are added together and subtracted from the accretion periods and accreted amounts, there is a positive result, meaning that the north end of the island has accreted more than it has eroded.
For more information about Rich Inlet or the federation’s comment letter on the final EIS, please contact Ana Zivanovic-Nenadovic at anaz@nccoast.org or Mike Giles at mikeg@nccoast.org. Additional information can also be found at saverichinlet.org.