Buxton 2021 final bio

ROY COOPER
Governor
ELIZABETH S. BISER
Secretary
BRAXTON DAVIS
Director
Ms. Haiqing Kaczkowski
Coastal Science & Engineering
PO Box 8056
Columbia, SC 29202
Dear Ms. Kaczkowski:
NORTH CAROLINA
Environmental Quality
September 2, 2021
The Division of Coastal Management hereby acknowledges receipt of your application, acting as agent for
Dare County, for State approval to authorize the Village of Buxton's beach nourishment beach nourishment
project extending 15,500' from the Haulover beach access within the Cape Hatteras National Seashore
(National Parks Service property) south to span the Buxton oceanfront shoreline and terminating on National
Parks Service Property at the end of Old Lighthouse Road, Dare County, and adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean. It
was received as complete on 8/3/21 and appears to be adequate for processing at this time. The projected
deadline for making a decision is 10/17/21. An additional 75-day review period is provided by law when such
time is necessary to complete the review. If you have not been notified of a final action by the initial deadline
stated above, you should consider the review period extended. Under those circumstances, this letter will serve
as your notice of an extended review. However, an additional letter will be provided on or about the 75th day.
If this agency does not render a permit decision within 70 days from 8/3/21 you may request a meeting with
the Director of the Division of Coastal Management and permit staff to discuss the status of your project. Such
a meeting will be held within five working days from the receipt of your written request and shall include the
applicant and project designer/consultant.
NCGS 113A-119(b) requires that Notice of an application be posted at the location of the proposed
development. Enclosed you will find a "Notice of Permit Filing" postcard which must be posted at the
property of your proposed development. You should post copies of this notice at a conspicuous point along
the project area where it can be observed by the public. Failure to post this notice could result in an incomplete
application.
An onsite inspection will be made, and if additional information is required, you will be contacted by the
appropriate State or Federal agency. Please contact me if you have any questions and notify me in writing if
you wish to receive a copy of my field report and/or comments from reviewing agencies.
Sincerely,
exams CAz
Heather Coats
Beach & Inlet Management Project Coordinator
cc: MHC/E City Files, DCM Bobby Outten, Dare Co
Josh Pelletier, COE Rick Trone, DWR
D � North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Coastal Management
NOATM caaouNn _ Wilmington Office 1 127 Cardinal Drive Extension I Wilmington, North Carolina 28405
910,796.7215

DIVISION OF COASTAL MANAGEMENT
FIELD INVESTIGATION REPORT
APPLICANT'S NAME: Dare County, Buxton Beach Nourishment
2. LOCATION OF PROJECT SITE: The project site is located on Hatteras Island in and adjacent to
the Village of Buxton, Dare County.
Approximate State Plane Coordinates — Approx. Lat: 35°17'53.80"N (start)/ 35'15'21.61"N (end)
Long: 75°30'44.78"W (start)/ 759I'l3.04"W (end)
INVESTIGATION TYPE: CAMA / D&F
4. INVESTIGATIVE PROCEDURE: Dates of Site Visit — 6/24/21
Was Applicant Present — No
PROCESSING PROCEDURE: Application Received (complete)—8/3/21
DWR Pre-app filing date: 6/14/21 DWR 30-day date: 7/14/21
Office — Wilmington
6. SITE DESCRIPTION:
(A) Local Land Use Plan — Dare County
(B) AEC(s) Involved: OH, PTA, EW
(C) Water Dependent: Yes
(D) Intended Use: Public
(E) Wastewater Treatment: Existing — Private septic
Planned - N/A
(F) Type of Structures: Existing — Primarily residential structures and accessways
Planned — Beach renourishment project
(G) Estimated Annual Rate of Erosion: —4-10'/year SBF: 5-10'/year
7. HABITAT DESCRIPTION:
[AREA]
DREDGED FILLED OTHER
(A) Vegetated Wetlands (coastal)
(B) Other (Below MHW)
Up to 200 acres
— 105 acres
(C) Other (Above MHW)
—37 acres
(H) Total Area Disturbed: —142 acres of beach fill/Up to 200 acres of excavation
Primary Nursery Area: No
(I) Water Classification: SB Open: No
8. PROJECT SUMMARY: The applicant is requesting reauthorization of the Village's beach nourishment
project to include approximately 15,500' of oceanfront shoreline that spans the entire shoreline of Buxton
(4,500') and 11,000' of oceanfront shoreline within Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
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North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Coastal Management
NOAn Wilmington Office 1 127 Cardinal Drive Extension I Wilmington, North Carolina 28405
no.a 'MVF.e nmgi1 o"'r 910,796.7215

Dare County- Buxton Beach Nourishment
Page Two
The community of Buxton has an east facing beach on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks, Dare County
with the National Parks Services' Cape Hatteras National Seashore to the north and south. It is also
bordered by Pamlico Sound to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
A State CAMA/Dredge & Fill Permit (No. 136-15) was issued to Dare County for beach nourishment in
Buxton in 2015 ((SAW 2015-01612; and DWR Project #15-1087). The project was constructed in 2017-
2018 and placed approximately 2.6 million cubic yards (mcy) of material along the project area. The
state's CAMA/D&F permit expired on December 31, 2018. The long-term erosion rate for the proposed
project area ranges from approximately 4-10'/year. The Division's calculated 100-year storm recession
line for the Town is predicted to be 30-40'.
In the 2015 permit application, the permittee identified a borrow site with an approximate area of 300
acres and located roughly 2 miles off the island. Sediments collected via Vibracore samples within the
borrow area were calculated at a composite mean grain size of 0.46mm. Gravel & granular sized material
(>2mm) was reported at approximately 2.5% (combined) with calcium carbonate calculated at 14%. No
archeological resources were identified in the borrow area, although a few buffer areas were established.
The previously permitted placement area extended from a northern point within the Cape Hatteras
National Seashore across from the "Haulover" at Canadian Hole access through Buxton village to end on
National Parks Service property at the end of Old Lighthouse Road (15,500 linear feet). The beach fill
template included a variable width berm ranging from approximately 100' to 400' constructed to an
elevation of +7' NAVD 88, with a 15:1 slope out to tie into existing grade around 4' to -22' NAVD 88.
No dune construction was included in the original application as the dune system was expected to build
via natural processes post -project. An anticipated fill placement volume of approximately 2.6 million
cubic yards was calculated in the application, which was intended to achieve 10 years of protection. At
time of construction, approximately 2.6 million cubic yards was placed on the beach. A minor
modification to the permit was later issued in 2018 to include sand fencing and post and rope fencing
along 3,600' of the project area.
The native beach was previously characterized with fines calculated at less than 1%, and a mean grain
size of 0.63 mm. Calcium carbonate was estimated at 6.2% and gravel and granular material was
estimated at 6.6% (combined).
The waters in the project area fall within the Pasquotank River Basin, as classified by the NC Division of
Water Resources (DWR). The waters of the Atlantic Ocean are classified as SB by the DWR. The NC
Division of Marine Fisheries has NOT designated any of the areas to be impacted as a Primary Nursery
Area.
D EQ0
Nrth Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Coastal Management
NOAn cv o Nn Wilmington Office 1 127 Cardinal Drive Extension I Wilmington, North Carolina 28405
neaab em V Fn" ^^ W ovan� 910,796.7215

Dare County- Buxton Beach Nourishment
Page Three
PROPOSED PROJECT:
The applicant is proposing to reauthorize the limits of the previously permitted beach nourishment Dare
County at Buxton along with the addition of engineered dune construction along the developed part of the
shoreline. The project site extends along approximately 2.9 miles (15,500'), which includes the shoreline
within the unincorporated village of Buxton and an additional 11,000' of shoreline to the north along the
Cape Hatteras National Seashore. A permit application has also been submitted to the National Parks
Service for their approval of the nourishment along their shoreline within the National Seashore.
As proposed, the beach berm would be filled to an elevation of +7' NAVD 88 with a 15:1 slope out to tie
into existing grade at approximately -5' to -24' NAVD 88. The berm would be constructed at a variable
width ranging from —50-250'. The applicant is proposing to include an engineered dune along the 3,500'
of shoreline in Buxton, constructing to an elevation of+13' NAVD with an average 20' design crest
width and a 3:1 slope down to the +7' berm elevation. As proposed, a maximum excavated volume of up
to 1.2 million cubic yards of sand is indicated based on current conditions. However, the applicant has
stated that the final design will not exceed a total volume of 1.2 million cubic yards and the final
templates will be submitted to permitting agencies prior to construction for final approval. It is currently
estimated that 105 acres would be filled below MHW. Up to 37 acres of beach fill material would be
placed above the MHW line.
Sand fencing and vegetative plantings are also proposed along the engineered dune. The narrative states
that sand fencing and planting locations would finalized post -construction, but the plan provided shows
the location of a single row of sand fencing located along the center of the engineered dune crest. The
plan shows sand fencing would be limited to 10' long sections spaced a minimum of 7' apart and installed
at a diagonal orientation (Sheet 15) and American beachgrass, sea oats and bitter panicum (or potentially
other dune plant species) to be installed immediately adjacent to the sections of sand fencing.
The narrative further states that land -based equipment will be brought to the site over public roads and
will enter the beach at designated beach access areas. Any alteration of dune vegetation/topography
necessary for equipment access will be authorized prior to undertaking any work and be repaired to pre -
project conditions.
The applicant is proposing to use a —200-acre borrow area located approximately 2-3 miles from the
Buxton shoreline and to the north of the previously utilized borrow area. The borrow area is currently
estimated to contain approximately 3.3 mcy of material, based on bathymetric data collected by CSE in
October 2020. Excavation is proposed at 10' of depth- with borrow area excavation proposed to result in
final project depths ranging from approximately -33' to -48' NAVD 88. Vibracores (10 cores taken to a
core depth of 10') were taken from the proposed borrow area in 2021 and were calculated at a mean grain
size of 0.517 mm with an average composite sand content of 91.7%. The average composite gravel
content for material within the 10' proposed dredge depth in this borrow area is 0.6%, the average
granular content of 7.1 %, average fines content is 0.6% and average calcium carbonate content was
15.6%.
D EQ0
Nrth Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Coastal Management
NOAn cv o Nn Wilmington Office 1 127 Cardinal Drive Extension I Wilmington, North Carolina 28405
neaab em V Fn" ^^ W ovan� 910,796.7215

Dare County- Buxton Beach Nourishment
Page Four
According to the applicant, no known cultural resources are believed to exist in the proposed borrow area.
A cultural resources investigation was conducted in 2017-2018 by Tidewater Atlantic Research with
another investigation focused on the borrow area conducted in July 2021 (see Appendix G). Only one
small magnetic anomaly was found; said to be a small ferrous object not appearing to be a significant
submerged cultural resource. As such, no buffers or avoidance areas are proposed.
Dredging would be conducted via a cutterhead dredge, a hopper dredge, or a combination of the two
methodologies. Construction is proposed year-round due to weather -related constraints. The narrative
states that project construction is anticipated to take 3 months if permitted to work during the calmer
summer months.
The native beach has was characterized through transect sampling and analysis of the samples taken along
10 transects within the project area. Mean grain size was calculated at 0.32 mm. Calcium carbonate was
calculated at 7.2%, with fines at less than 1%, granular material at 1.1% and gravel at 0.1%. The
calculated composite content of the proposed borrow area to excavation depths of 10' as referenced above
meet the thresholds established in 15A NCAC 07H .0312.
Large sediment material was calculated along the project area, resulting in an average of 20 shell
fragments over 3" in size and 2 sediment samples greater than 1" in diameter for a 10,000 square foot
area.
Mitigation and monitoring measures to account for work outside of the environmental window are
proposed, similar to the original permit conditions, as described in Appendix B- Monitoring and
Mitigation Plan. These measures were also developed in consideration of the NPS's recently published
FEIS (NPS 2021 a) and ROD (NPS 2021b).
An interagency meeting for the project was held back on November 7, 2019.
10. ANTICIPATED IMPACTS
The proposed dredging associated with the project would result in impacts to up to 200 acres of
submerged bottom at the borrow area. The project would result in the fill of approximately 37 acres of
upper beach (above MHW) and would fill approximately 105 acres of intertidal area and nearshore
shallow bottom. The dredging and beach fill would result in temporary increases in turbidity. Temporary
impacts to benthic and invertebrate infaunal communities can be expected. The applicant states they
propose to dredge year-round due to weather constraints and anticipate permit conditions similar to the
original permit. As a result, mitigative measures are proposed as outlined in the narrative and Appendix
B. The applicant has committed to utilizing existing beach accessways with heavy equipment to minimize
impacts to the dunes.
Submitted by: Heather Coats Date: August 23, 2021 Office: Wilmington
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North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality I Division of Coastal Management
NOAn cWilmington Office 1 127 Cardinal Drive Extension I Wilmington, North Carolina 28405
no'a 'MVF.e nmgi1 o"'r 910,796.7215