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HomeMy WebLinkAbout- Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Highway 12 at Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina - 6/10/2021 4:10:47 PM - 6/10/2021 4:10 PMAction History (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) Submit by Anonymous User 6/10/2021 4:10:46 PM (Message Start Event) Reject by Montalvo, Sheri A 6/11/2021 9:48:52 AM (Pre-App - NON -DOT Project) p I think you may have been trying to submit a pre filing meeting form. Please copy and paste the link bellow into you browser. httpsJ/edocs. deq. nc.gou/Forms/DWR-Pre-Filing-Meeting-Request • The task was assigned to Montalvo, Sheri A. The due date is: June 15, 2021 5:00 PM 6/10/2021 4:15 PM Staff Review SYnF. Does this application have all the attachments needed to accept it into the review process?* (' Yes (-- No Comments: I think you may have been trying to submit a pre filing meeting form. Please copy and paste the link bellow into you browser. https://edocs.deq.nc.gov/Forms/DWR-Pre-Filing-Meeting-Request Rease type in reason why this project can not be reviewed. Project Submittal Form Please note: fields marked with a red asterisk below are required. You will not be able to submit the form until all mandatory questions are answered. Project Type: * r For the Record Only (Courtesy Copy) r New Project r Modification/New Project with Existing ID r More Information Response r Other Agency Comments r Pre -Application Submittal r Re-Issuance\Renewal Request r Stream or Buffer Appeal Project Contact Information Name: Haiqing Kaczkowski Who is subrritting the inforrration? Email Address: hkaczkowski@coastalscience.com Project Information Project Name: Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Highway 12 at Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina Is this a public transportation project? r Yes r No Is the project located within a NC DCM Area of Environmental Concern (AEC)? r Yes r No r Unknown County (ies) Dare Please upload all files that need to be submited. Gick the upload button or drag and drop files here to attach docun-ent Buxton Narrative -with Attachment A.pdf 3.61 MB Permit Drawings(Buxton-Dare County).pdf 43.71MB Ocean Hazard AEC Notice(Buxton) - Signed.pdf 186.91 KB CAMA Authorized Agent Letter(Buxton) - Signed. pdf 32.4KB Only pdf or Iv17 files are accepted. Describe the attachments or comments: On behalf of the County of Dare, I am submitting this pre -application form. The project narrative and permit drawings are included herein along with the Ocean Hazard AEC Notice and the Authorized Agent Agreement. Sign and Submit W Bychecking the boxand signing box below, I certifythat: ■ I, the project proponent, hereby certifies that all information contained herein is true, accurate, and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. ■ I, the project proponent, hereby requests that the certifying authority review and take action on this CWA 401 certification request within the applicable reasonable period of time. ■ I agree that submission of this online form is a "transaction" subject to Chapter 66, Article 40 of the NC General Statutes (the "Uniform Electronic Transactions Act'); ■ I agree to conduct this transaction by electronic means pursuant to Chapter 66, Article 40 of the NC General Statutes (the "Uniform Electronic Transactions Act'); ■ 1 understand that an electronic signature has the same legal effect and can be enforced in the same way as a written signature; AND ■ I intend to electronically sign and submit the online form. Signature: Submittal Date: Is filled in autorratically. BEACH RENOURISHMENT TO PROTECT NC HIGHWAY 12 AT BUXTON COUNTY OF DARE, NORTH CAROLINA NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT INTRODUCTION Dare County encompasses —89 miles of ocean shoreline from the Town of Duck to Hatteras Inlet. The northern 30 miles (on Bodie Island) includes the towns of Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head (from north to south). There is a 5-mile undeveloped portion of Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore) at the southern end of Bodie Island. The southern —53 miles on Hatteras Island encompass the National Seashore and the communities of Rodanthe, Salvo, Avon, Buxton (the proposed project site), Frisco, and Hatteras (Fig 1). Approximately 16 miles are developed, and 38 miles are undeveloped along the oceanfront. In total, 50 percent of Dare County's ocean shoreline is developed, and 50 percent is undeveloped and held in permanent trust by the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The narrative for the proposed Buxton beach renourishment project includes the following sections: Review of the 2017-2018 Beach Restoration Project........................................................... 2 Summary of the 2017-2018 Project Performance............................................................... 5 ALTERNATIVES................................................................................................................. 7 PROJECT DESCRIPTION....................................................................................................7 SEDIMENT QUALITYAND COMPATIBILITY...........................................................................8 (1) Beach Sampling..................................................................................................................8 (2) Offshore Borrow Area Sediment Quality and Compatibility Analysis ............................9 CULTURAL RESOURCES STUDY IN THE BORROW AREA ....................................................... 10 DUNE MANAGEMENT PLAN.............................................................................................. 10 METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION......................................................................................... 11 SUPPLEMENTARY REPORTS...........................................................................................112 REFERENCES CITED........................................................................................................ 13 FIGURES........................................................................................................................ 14 ATTACHMENTA.............................................................................................................. 25 Coastal Science & Engineering 1 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina Dare County, as the Applicant, proposes to place up to 1.2 million cubic yards (cy1 of beach -quality sand along a 15,500-foot (-2.9-mile) length of Hatteras Island, including -2.2 miles in the National Seashore and -0.8 mile along the Village of Buxton (Fig 2). The average fill density is -77 cubic yards per foot (cy/ft). Nourishment sand will be excavated from a -200 acre offshore borrow area located -2 miles offshore of Buxton within state waters. Confirmed by sixteen reconnaissance vibracores and the final ten 10-ft long vibracores in the proposed borrow area, the Applicant proposes an excavation depth of 10 feet below the existing substrate. The proposed borrow area contains approximately 3.3 million cubic yards of beach -quality sand (if 10 ft excavation depth is permitted). The final borrow area will be determined after the results of cultural resource surveys (in progress). Nevertheless, it should provide sufficient volume to achieve the proposed Buxton beach renourishment project. The proposed renourishment projectwill serve five primary purposes: 1) Replenish sand losses due to chronic erosion, hurricanes (particularly hurricanes Florence in September 2018 and Dorian in September 2019), and winter storms since the completion of the 2017-2018 beach restoration project. 2) Continue to protect North Carolina State Highway 12 (NC 12) by providing a wider beach to buffer storm waves between the ocean and the highway. NC 12 is the only north -south highway along Hatteras Island, serving permanent residents, first responders, vacationers, and sightseers. 3) Further augment the regional supply of beach sand by utilizing a non -littoral borrow source of compatible sediments from an offshore borrow area. 4) Integrate a dune management plan into the renourishment design to improve storm protection. 5) Maintain Dare County's eligibility for future FEMA community assistance funds. Review of the 2017-2018 Beach Restoration Project An initial beach nourishment project was completed between 21 June 2017 and 27 February 2018 along the same stretch of oceanfront as the proposed renourishment project to meet the urgent problem of erosion in that area. Approximately 2.6 million cubic yards of beach -quality sand was excavated from an offshore borrow area and placed along the 2.9-mile shoreline. The 2017-2018 offshore borrow area is adjacent to the proposed new borrow area and located within the state waters, as illustrated in Figure 2. The permitted excavation depth was up to 7 ft below the existing substrate. Dare County sponsored this project and served as project owner and administrator. The Coastal Science & Engineering 2 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina County used local funding for the project without imposing additional costs to the state of North Carolina orthe US Government. The County commissioned a feasibility study to assess erosion and formulate solutions (CSE 2013) and subsequently completed an environmental assessment of beach restoration alternatives and potential impacts (NPS/USACE 2015). The County used official long-term erosion rates published by NCDENR (2012) and determined the rates along different sections of the project area. The average annual erosion rate adopted for the 2017-2018 project was 114,500 cy per year (ie - 9,542 cy per month) along the 15,500-ft project area. Dare County obtained permits under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the state Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) permitting process, and procured the following state and federal permits and certification: 1. North Carolina Department of Environment Quality 401 Water Quality Certification (DWR #15-1087) - Issued on 23 November 2015. 2. North Carolina Department of Environment Quality Major CAMA Permit (#136-15) - Issued on 15 December 2015. 3. National Park Service Special Use Permit (GOV16-5700-014) - Issued on 11 March 2016 and revised on 27 November 2017 for an extension. 4. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Department of the Army Permit (#SAW 2015-01612) - Issued on 24 March 2016. On behalf of the County, CSE prepared a final design, plans, specifications, and bid documents and made them available to contractors on 15 March 2016 following review by County officials. The County's reserved construction budget was $22,963,175. Bids were received and opened at 2 pm on7Apri12016. Because work involved excavations offshore, ocean -certified dredges were required under US Coast Guard regulations. Therefore, only five US dredging firms were qualified to perform this work. Four (out of five) firms, having ocean -certified equipment, bid on the project: Dutra Group (Dutra), Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company (GLDD), Manson Construction, and Weeks Marine. Two construction windows were considered in the bid structure (ie - summer 2016 and summer 2017). Weeks Marine offered the lowest bid for construction in summer 2017, equating to $22,150,000 (included mobilization/demobilization and pumping) for the maximum volume allowed under the permits of 2.6 million cubic yards. The net price equated to approximately $8.52 per cubic yard ($/cy). This bid price was $813,175 below the County's budget. The remaining funds could be used Coastal Science & Engineering 3 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina for post -project monitoring, sand fencing, legal fees, administration, as well as future renourishment study. Weeks Marine was awarded the contract in May 2016 to conduct the 2.6 million cubic yard project in summer 2017. Summer dredging was permitted for beach nourishment projects in the northern Outer Banks because of inclement wave conditions in the winter months. The Contractor (Weeks Marine) elected to use a cutterhead dredge (CR McCaskill) to start the nourishment on 21 June 2017. Construction lagged due primarily to rough sea conditions that frequently curtailed operations and led to mechanical breakdowns. As of 22 August 2017, -1.1 million cy of sand (-42 percent of the total contract volume) was placed on the beach by the CR McCaskill. In September 2017, four named hurricanes (Irma, Jose, Katia, and Maria) impacted the project area, and wave heights were significantly higher than the required safe operating conditions for a cutterhead dredge. Construction had to cease for over 50 days until 11 October, when the Contractor started to use a hopper dredge (RN Weeks). Despite the intermittent work schedule, construction moved forward. As of 22 December 2017, nourishment in front of the narrow isthmus of NC Highway 12 was completed, and the highly vulnerable section of the road was protected. Weeks Marine's newly constructed hopper dredge, Magdalen, passed the sea trials and obtained the operation certificatejust in time in January 2018,when the projectwas-80 percent completed. With double the capacity of RN Weeks, the Magdalen finished the last -0.5 million cy of work. She delivered her last load at 1:30 pm on 27 February2018, almost5 months laterthan the Contractor's original schedule. The three dredges that the Contractor used are shown in Figure 3, and the Contractor's production rates in relation to the offshore wave heights* are summarized in Figures 4 and 5. The average daily production rate was-18,000 cy per day (cy/day) during the summer months of June through August, whereas the average daily production rate in the fall and winter months of September through February was only -8,000 cy/day. [*Wave records were obtained from a wave buoy at Diamond Shoals at NOAA National Data Buoy Center - NDBC Station 41025. It is approximately 16 miles southeast of Buxton and appears to be the closest real-time wave buoy to the Buxton project site. The station is located at a water depth of -225 ft.] Despite all the delays, the project was completed without any sea turtle takes or any other environmental incidents. Collaborations among the Owner (Dare County), regulatory agencies (USACE, NPS, and NCDEQ), and the Contractor remained excellent during construction. The Buxton project holds implications for future renourishment work. If summer dredging had not been permitted, the duration of construction could have been longer, and the road could have breached again during hurricanes and storms. Coastal Science & Engineering 4 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina Summary of the 2017-2018 Project Performance After project completion, the newly nourished beach withstood a series of nor'easters in March 2018, Hurricanes Florence in September 2018 and Dorian in September 2019, and other winter storms without much interruption of the passage of NC Highway 12 or damage to the Buxton oceanfront properties. However, nourishment sand was lost outside of the project area beyond the depth of closure* after each weather event since project completion. Total volumes along the Buxton project area (relative to the pre -project condition in May 2017) are illustrated in Figure 6. The pre -hurricane season beach condition survey in June 2018 and post - Hurricane Florence survey in October 2018 show that the net sand volume loss due to Hurricane Florence is 303,732 cy along the 15,500-foot project area within the calculation limit from foredune to -24 ft NAVD. This sand loss is equivalent to -12 percent of the volume placed during the 2017- 2018 project. The pre -hurricane season beach condition survey in June 2019 and post -Hurricane Dorian survey in November 2019 show that 164,690 cy of sand (-6 percent of the nourishment volume) shifted out of the project area. [*The normal limit of significant change in bottom elevation is called "depth of closure* - DOC. For the Buxton project area, DOC was determined to be -24 ft NAVD (NPS/USACE 2015). This depth is based on estimates of DOC at decadal scales at Duck (Birkemeier 1985), Bogue Banks (Olsen 2006), and Nags Head (Kaczkowski & Kano 2012). Therefore, the calculation limit of sand volumes is referenced from foredune to -24 ft NAVD unless specified otherwise.] Confirmed by the most recent beach condition survey in August 2020, approximately 634,925 cy of the 2.6 million cubic yard nourishment sand remained in the project area, which is equivalent to -25% of the volume placed during the 2017-2018 project (the orange bar on the right in Figure 6). Sand loss along the Village of Buxton was greater than along the National Seashore. Ninety-seven percent (97%) of nourishment sand placed along the Village of Buxton was lost (represented by the first group of bars in Figure 6). In comparison, the project lost 65 percent and retained 35 percent of the sand volume placed along the National Seashore. Surveys of the-5,000-ftdowncoast area (Cape Point east shoreline) since nourishment indicate that as much as 480,000 cy (or -50 percent) of the Buxton sand losses have accreted to (or built up) the undeveloped beach of the National Seashore. This is equivalent to an accretion of 96 cy/ft (or -38 cy/ft/yr). By August 2020, beach conditions at Reach 1 - Buxton returned to the pre -nourishment condition of May 2017 in regards to the unit volume, as shown in Figure 7. The red line in Figure 7 represents the pre -nourishment condition in May 2017, and the black line represents the most recent condition in August 2020. The section of beach where the black line overlaps with the red line or below the red line (ie - stations 1885+00 to 1930+00 in the Village of Buxton) means there was less sand volume along that section in 2020 than in 2017. Coastal Science & Engineering 5 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina The annual erosion rate since project completion (between February 2018 and August 2020) is over 750,000 cy/yr (-50 cy/ft/yr), which is several times higher than the historical average adopted for the design of the 2017-2018 project (114,500 cy/yr or 7.4 cy/ft/yr). A high erosion rate has also been measured at Nags Head (Dare County) in recent years. Nags Head is located -45 miles northeast of Buxton in the northern Outer Banks. CSE's beach condition surveys show that the average annual erosion rate at Nags Head has been over 45 cy/ft/yr between November 2017 and April 2019. That is much higher than the historical erosion rate of 275,000 cy/yr or 5.2 cy/ft/yr along Nags Head. There are several factors that caused the much -higher -than -normal erosion rate along the Buxton project area, listed as follows. (1) Normal nourishment sand spreading at the project boundaries (ie -End Loss) (2) Four named hurricanes (Irma, Jose, Katia, and Maria) impacted the project area in September 2017 during construction, increasing the sand deficit relative to pre -construction conditions. (3) A series of nor'easters impacted the project area in March 2018 soon after project completion (4) Hurricanes Florence (September 2018) and Dorian (September 2019) impacted after project completion (5) Sand shifted offshore beyond -24 ft NAVD due to the existence of a nearshore deep trough (6) Deterioration of sand -retaining structures (ie - groins) at the south end of the project which lessen sand trapping The loss of function of the existing groins was discussed in the Environmental Assessment for the project (NPS/USACE 2015) butwas notevaluated further because new groins are not allowed along the northern Outer Banks under NC state Coastal Zone Management rules and regulations. Due to the rapid loss of nourishment volume in recent years, CSE recommended in 2019 that the groin conditions should be studied in greater detail while planning the renourishment project. The initial inspection conducted by CSE in July 2019 shows that if the landward underground portion is not included in the equation, less than 50 percent of the existing groin structure remained in the site. Therefore, the repair or restoration work of the groins would be considered as construction of a "new groin" which is currently not permittable forthe Buxton area. Oblique aerial photos in Figure 8 were taken on 15 April 2021. These photos show that there was little dry -sand beach along the Village of Buxton, and some sand bags were re -exposed due to erosion, and new sand bags were installed by property owners alongthe oceanfront as a temporary shoreline protection measure. The loss of dry beach has made NC Highway 12 vulnerable to flooding and breaching, once again. Coastal Science & Engineering 6 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina ALTERNATIVES Three alternatives have been evaluated for the proposed beach renourishment (similar to the initial 2017-2018 Buxton beach restoration project): • Alternative 1 - No -Action • Alternative 2 - Renourishment with offshore Sand Source and Winter Construction • Alternative 3 - Renourishment with Offshore Sand Source and Summer Construction Additional alternatives were considered during the early stages of planning for the 2017-2018 project as well as the proposed renourishment project, but were dismissed from further analysis for environmental, geological, technical, or economic reasons (NPS/USACE 2015; CSE 2019). Construction during the summer months is necessary in this setting because of high wave conditions for the remainder of the year as was proved by the initial 2017-2018 project. The full scope of work proposed under Alternative 3 would best continue to protect NC 12 and National Park Service (NPS) facilities at Cape Hatteras. It would increase the area of sea turtle and shorebird nesting habitat, and it would also reduce the frequency of future remedial or emergency measures. The short-term biological impacts to benthic organisms under Alternative 3 may be greater than Alternative 2. However, Alternative 2 would require work in the winter months, placing Contractor personnel at much greater risk due to unsafe conditions offshore. Therefore, Alternative 3 is the Applicant's preferred alternative. Further, this is consistent with all prior nourishment events on Dare County beaches since 2011. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The proposed project (Alternative 3) will involve excavating beach -quality sand from an offshore borrow area near Buxton Village via hydraulic and/or hopper dredge (see Fig 2). Borrow sediment will be pumped to the beach and spread by land -based equipment (eg - bulldozers) in the beach zone between the toe of dune/mid-dry sand beach and the low watermark. The elevation of the nourishment berm will be set at or below the normal dry -beach level (approximately+7 feet NAVD) so that it is naturally overtopped by waves during minor storms. The nourishment profile will be designed to adjust rapidly to changing wave conditions with an expected gradual shift of sand into deeper water as the profile equilibrates. Backshore areas are expected to be enhanced gradually after construction by natural dune building processes. The project is located at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, extending 2.9 miles from approximate milepost #59 to -4,000 feet south of milepost #62, as shown in Figure 2. The southern —4,500 ft of the project (Reach 1) fronts the developed oceanfront of the Village of Buxton. The maximum nourishment volume will be 1.2 million cubic yards, and the average maximum fill density (volume Coastal Science & Engineering 7 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina of nourishment per linear foot of beach) will be —77 cubic yards per foot (cy/ft). This is equivalent to an average beach width increase after natural profile adjustment of —45 ft in the Cape Hatteras area and 120 ft in Buxton. During construction for a 2.9-mile-long project, the anticipated maximum impact area is —95 acres, within which —41 acres are directly in front of the Seashore area. The maximum project is expected to create —18 acres of new dry -beach habitat (-8 acres at the Seashore area). This expanded dry -beach area will eventually produce —4.5 acres of new dune habitat via natural processes after the equipment is removed from the beach. The maximum scale is expected to provide approximately three years of erosion relief, dune growth, and NC 12 protection under normal conditions. The final project volume will be determined according to the state and federal permits, the County's construction fund, and the responsible bid. Fill densities will vary from 40 cy/ft in Reach 2 - National Seashore to 180 cy/ft in Reach 1 - Buxton to best achieve the Applicant's purpose and goals of the proposed renourishment project. Figure 9 includes the fill design of two representative stations, and the details of the design are illustrated in Permit Drawing Sheets 03-12. The elevation of the dry -sand berm is set to be at +7 ft NAVD, and the initial dunes will be constructed along Reach 1 from stations 1880+00 to 1915+00. The dune crest is set to be at +13 ft NAVD, the typical dune width is 20-40 ft, and the dune seaward slope is 1 on 4 (vertical versus horizontal). The width of the constructed dry -sand berm (before normal profile adjustment) in front ofthe toe of the initial dunes varies from 150-220 ft. The initial dune will tie into the existing profile but in no circumstance encroach on existing vegetation or house foundations. Final fill templates for each section of the beach will be determined close to the time of construction (according to standard practice) based on beach conditions. However, the total project volume and the impact area will not exceed the maximum values proposed herein. Final fill templates for construction will be submitted to the permitting agencies for approval prior to the commencement of nourishment. SEDIMENT QUALITY AND COMPATIBILITY (1) Beach Sampling CSE established ten stations in 2014 along the Buxton project area while planning for the initial 2017-2018 beach restoration project, and sediment samples were collected at 14 positions across each station (NPS/USACE 2015). The location of the ten along shore stations are shown in Figure 10, and the 14 positions across each station are illustrated in Figure 11. In August 2019, sediment samples along these stations and positions were collected in anticipation of the proposed beach renourishment. The mean grain size of beach sand at the Buxton project area was 0.321 millimeters (mm) as of August 2019. Samples collected below —8 ft NAVD were markedly finer than those collected from the upper portions of the profile. The mean grain size of samples collected Coastal Science & Engineering g Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina above mid -tide level (MTL) is 0.400 mm. Both sets of beach samples contained -7 percent shell material and -1-1.5 percent gravel (>2 mm) by weight. (2) Offshore Borrow Area Sediment Quality and Compatibility Analysis The proposed offshore borrow area encompasses -200 acres and is a sandy ridge approximately 2-3 miles offshore of the old Cape Hatteras Lighthouse site within state waters (see Figure 2 and Permit Drawing Sheets13-14). Sixteen borings were collected inOctober2020toidentify apossible offshore borrow area, and ten vibracores were collected in April 2021 to a uniform depth of 10 ft beneath the seafloor to confirm the sand quality. The borings were subsampled and analyzed for grain -size distribution and comparison with the existing beach sand, then pro -rated according to the length of each sample interval. This allows the calculation of boring statistics to a specified "composite" depth, which is useful for the operational considerations of dredge vessels. After calculating the composite values to 6 ft, 8 ft, and 10 ft depths, all 10-ft borings were found to have beach -quality sand to a depth up to 10 ft. Figure 12 shows the location of the cores along with the sediment analysis results of the 10-ft cores. The final ten 10-ft cores collected in April 2021 are highlighted in bold text with red dots, and other cores from previous sand searches are shown in small text with black boxes. The mean grain size of the 10-ft cores in the proposed borrow area is 0.517 mm with 15.6 percent shell material and 7.7 percent gravel (>2 mm) by weight. The boring density is approximately 1 core per 20 acres. Based on these descriptive statistics, the proposed borrow area contains compatible sand (Figure 13) and meets the requirements of the updated North Carolina Technical Standards for Beach Fill Projects (15A NCAC 07H .0312 effective April 1, 2021 - see Attachment A) and National Park Service Beach Nourishment Guidance (NPS 2021a and 2021b). The proposed 200-acre borrow area would provide up to 3.3 million cubic yards of beach quality sand if excavation is permitted to a depth of 10 ft. The final borrow area for the proposed Buxton renourishment project will be determined after the completion of cultural resource surveys (in progress). Nevertheless, the proposed -200-acre borrow area will provide sufficient volume to accomplish a -1.2 million cubic yard project, assuming a maximum excavation depth of 10 ft is permitted. More details of the geotechnical data and analysis are included in Appendix A of the Environmental Assessment. Large sediment sampling was conducted in March 2021 as required by North Carolina sediment standards for the proposed beach renourishment (15A NCAC 07H.0312 Effective 1 April 2021). The fieldwork, data analysis, photo processing, and the report were performed under Grant Contract No. CW20490 between the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Coastal Science & Engineering 9 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina and the County of Dare. Large clasts are defined as sediments greater than, or equal to, one inch (25.4 millimeters) in diameter, and shell material greater than or equal to three inches (76 millimeters) in diameter. Survey results show that there were 154 samples observed along the Buxton project area in March 2021. Each transect averaged —20 shell fragments greater than three inches in diameter, —2 sediment samples greater than one inch in diameter, and <1 anthropogenic sample greater than one inch in diameter. More details and the full conclusions are included in Appendix C of the Environmental Assessment. CULTURAL RESOURCES STUDY IN THE BORROW AREA The coastal waters off the Outer Banks of North Carolina have one of the highest documented concentrations of shipwrecks in the western Atlantic. Hundreds of vessels have been reported lost off the Outer Banks and especially off Cape Hatteras. Weather, currents, natural magnetic anomalies, and shoals make navigation along the Outer Banks and off Cape Hatteras more hazardous than most East Coast areas. Although the proposed action area lies within the area of highest sensitivity for historic shipwrecks in North Carolina, no shipwreck remains have been documented on the project beach or in the proposed offshore borrow area (NPS/USACE 2015). Data generated by a cultural resources survey by Tidewater Atlantic Research (TAR) forthe 2017-2018 project identified 123 magnetic anomalies and six acoustic targets in the vicinity of the borrow area. While none of the acoustic signatures are suggestive of complex vessel remains, ten (10) of the anomalies at the northern end of the sand search area were proposed for avoidance by means of no - work buffers. Historical research indicates that the source of the rest of 113 anomalies could be early electrical or telegraph cables or possibly SOSUS transducer arrays deployed by the US Navy in the post -World War II period. Another no -work buffer area was identified across the north end of the search area, of which one long linear object resembles cable, wire, or small -diameter pipe (see the pink highlighted area in Figure 2). The Applicant retained TAR in October 2020 to conduct a similar cultural resources survey in the proposed borrow area for the proposed renourishment project. Because the proposed borrow area contains 275 percent (275%) more sand than the volume needed for the proposed renourishment project, "no -work" bufferzones around possible anomalies (if any) are not likely to have any impact on construction. Coastal Science & Engineering 10 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina DUNE MANAGEMENT PLAN Dare County proposes to integrate a dune management plan into the proposed renourishment project. The purpose of the plan is to improve storm protection alongthe vulnerable section of the project area, enhance dune growth, and provide guidance for possible sand relocation activities in the event of future sand encroachment to existing structures. The dune management plan proposed as part of the renourishment plan and present permit application includes the following actions at two major stages: (1) During Construction - Initial dunes are proposed to be built along the Village of Buxton (ie - Reach 1 in Figure 2). The typical elevation at the top of the dune will be at +13 ft NAVD, and the typical width of the dune crest will be 20-40 ft. The typical seaward slope will be at 1 on 4 at the maximum of 1 on 3 (vertical versus horizontal). The constructed berm width in front of the dune varies from 150-220 ft, providing sufficient dry -sand beach to prevent escarpment at the toe of the dune following project completion. The protective dune will tie into the existing profile but in no circumstance encroach on existing vegetation or house foundations. (2) Following Construction - Sand fencing will be installed, and vegetation will be planted following renourishment. General instructions are illustrated on Permit Drawing Sheet 15, and the exact locations of sand fencing and vegetation will be determined based on the condition after the proposed renourishment. METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION The proposed beach renourishmentwill be placed by ocean-going trailing suction hopperdredge(s) or cutterhead pipeline dredge(s) between the seaward crest of the existing dry beach and the outer bar. Only the profile above high water is controllable in nourishment construction. Intertidal and underwater portions of the profile will be subject to natural adjustment by waves. The fill will be placed no higher than +7 ft NAVD (the average natural elevation of the berm). Workwill progress in sections within the borrow area and along the beach. Fill placement along the beach will typically progress at an average rate of 300 ft per day. Construction activities will involve the movement of heavy equipment and pipe along-4,000-ft reaches over a period of 1-2 weeks. Once a section is complete, piping and heavy equipment will be shifted to a new section, and the processwill be repeated. As soon as practicable, sectionswill be graded and dressed to final slopes. Other than at equipment staging areas, beach residents along the project area will experience disruption due to construction for only several days or less. Coastal Science & Engineering 11 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina 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. Daily equipment staging will be on the constructed beach seaward of the dune line. Existing dunes and vegetation on the beach will be avoided and preserved. The Contractor will provide for proper storage and disposal of oils, chemicals, hydraulic fluids, etc., necessary for operation according to state and federal regulations. Construction Schedule — The proposed project will require summer dredging because of safety issues, particularly the lack of a nearby safe harbor for ocean dredges. Construction duration is expected to be a maximum of -3 months if work is permitted between 1 May and 15 September. The preferred schedule for the start of construction is May 2022. This schedule is consistent withal[ prior nourishment projects in Dare County since 2011. It also follows the applicant's goal of maintaining the project with renourishment at approximate five-year intervals between projects. SUPPLEMENTARY REPORTS The following reports are prepared in support of the permit application: Appendix A) Geotechnical Data Analysis — Contains geotechnical data on the proposed borrow areas and the beach before the proposed renourishment. Detailed results of beach sampling and borrow -area coring are presented, including the large sediment sampling results. The Technical Standards for Beach Fill (15A NCAC 07H.0312 Effective 1 April 2021) was used. Appendix B) Monitoring and Mitigation Plan — This plan is based on similar special conditions prescribed for beach nourishment during the summer months in North Carolina at Nags Head, Rodanthe, and Buxton. It describes the anticipated monitoring and protection measures for the proposed renourishment action. Sampling stations and data analysis methodology for the ecological survey required by NPS is included. Appendix C) Large Sediment Sampling — Contains large sediment survey stations, photos, and data analysis of the large sediment sampling required by NCDEQ under Technical Standards for Beach Fill (15A NCAC 07H.0312 Effective 1 April 2021). Appendix D) Littoral Processes — Provides detailed discussion and additional data analyses of erosion, wave climate, and littoral processes in the proposed Buxton project area and the predicted performance of the proposed renourishment project. Coastal Science & Engineering 12 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina Appendix E) Biological Assessment — Analyzes the potential effects of the proposed renourishment on federally listed threatened, endangered, candidate animal species (wildlife, invertebrates, and fish) or plant species, and designated or proposed critical habitats pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (as amended). Appendix F) Essential Fish Habitat Assessment (EFH) — Evaluates the impact of the proposed renourishment to essential fish habitat or habitat areas of particular concern for those species managed by the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (SAFMC) and Mid -Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (MAFMC). Appendix G) Cultural Resources Survey — Provides the methodology and results of a submerged cultural resource, remote -sensing survey of the proposed borrow area and identifies any magnetic anomalies in those areas. Appendix H) FEMA Authorization Documents — Includes FEMA's evaluation of beach conditions after hurricanes Florence and Dorian aswell as reimbursements and cost -sharing decisions of Public Assistance Alternative Procedures. The project team had the official pre -application meetings on 7 November 2019 with federal and state agencies in addition to other individual meetings with resource agencies. Initial guidance regarding preparation of environmental documents required bystate and federal resource agencies before, during, or after construction was received by the Applicant. Dare County also requested Section 7 consultation under the Endangered Species Act at the earliest time, along with instructions regarding endangered species monitoring requirements during construction, and environmental sampling, if necessary, before and after construction. REFERENCES CITED CSE. 2013. Shoreline erosion assessment and plan for beach restoration, Rodanthe and Buxton areas, Dare County, North Carolina. Feasibility Report for Dare County Board of Commissioners, Manteo, NC. CSE, Columbia, SC, 159 pp with synopsis plus appendices. CSE. 2019. Amendment #2 to Agreement for Professional Services. Maintenance and FEMA Sand Restoration Project Following the 2017-2018 Beach Nourishment at Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina. Proposal for Dare County Board of Commissioners, Manteo, NC. CSE, Columbia, SC, 41 pp. NIPS. 2021a. Cape Hatteras National Seashore Sediment Management Framework - Final Environmental Impact Statement. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO, 50 pp + appendices. NPS. 2021b. Joint Record of Decision Sediment Management Framework - Cape Hatteras National Seashore. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO, 13 pp + appendices. NPS/USACE. 2015. Environmental assessment — beach restoration to protect NC Highway 12 at Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina. US Army Corps of Engineers, US Department of Interior, National Park Service, NPS 603/129663, Volume 1 (204 pp) and Volume 11 (Appendixes A to G). Coastal Science & Engineering 13 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina Albefmaria Sound 4 � Nags Head n 'A @ ¢ Oregon Inlet O c4. 7q tumpy Point a Rea Island' National Wildlife Refuge Rodanths 12 Cape Hatteras National Seashore Avon Pamlico Sound Buxton PROJECT SITE N YY f 35 ° 16' 36"' HalftAra& 754 31' 00" i Hatfaras Inlet Ocracdw Island Cape Lookout r~ Atlantic O c A an National Seashore ocracaka Jnlet FIGURE 1. Location of Buxton and Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Dare County, North Carolina. Coastal Science & Engineering 14 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina 12 1 Cape Hatteras National Seashore Pamlico Sound �o vLo a� o o co s m a ca o U O C!j O C C 4 N O N ca z Q CV ~ 0 ca �Q o `n o + rn � LO C 0 o - o x o 0 LO o m + ui 8 r CO t r �CO ��of0a Cape • Nafferas Light ��0x00 Cape Hatteras National Seashore 4 O O CD L LO CN L r U asg 0 O O N d ti 0 2000, Scale (Feet) A t l a n t i c O c e a n Proposed B____... �___ 10-ft Vibracores "No Work" Buffer Zones t / / Previous Cores � 2017 Borrow Area �v FIGURE 2. Proposed beach renourishment for NC 12 at Buxton showing the project limits and offshore borrow area. Coastal Science & Engineering 15 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina FIGURE 3a. Week's Marine's 30-inch Cutter suction dredge CR McCaskill with dimensions of 230'x62'x14' and 17,400 total horsepower (Thp) [Source: weeksmarine.com/equipment]. It was onsite from 21 June to 23 August 2017 and completed approximately 1 million cubic yards of work during the 2017-2018 Buxton beach nourishment project. FIGURE 3b. Week's Marine's 4,000 cy trailing suction hopper dredge RN Weeks with dimensions of 282.5'x54.1'x22.2' and 9,530 Thp [Source: weeksmarine.com/equipment]. It was onsite from 11 October 2017 to 28 January 2018 and completed approximately 1 million cubic yards of work during the 2017-2018 Buxton beach nourishment project. r • i sw FArV !1• t if • - rh7 NOW FIGURE 3c. Week's Marine's 8,550 cy trailing suction hopper dredge Magdalen with dimensions of 363'x79.5'x27.3' and 14,003 Thp [Source: weeksmarine.com/equipment]. It was onsite from 9 January to 27 February 2018 and completed approximately 600,000 cy of work duringthe 2017-2018 Buxton beach nourishment project. Coastal Science & Engineering 16 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina Weeks Marine Production Rates versus Wave Heights Peak Wave Height (ft) • CR McCaskill • RN Weeks • Magdalen 30 70,000 • • CR McCaskill Worked 37 days 25_ RN Weeks Worked 71 days 60,000 • Magdalen Worked 34 days 4-1 • • • •' 50,000 iv 20 • • • M a=, • n • • Y 40,000 0 15 , --- - - • --- - -- - -- - -- - - E o • • L 30,000 0 G, a GJ 10 ------------' II • -- - ----- - ----- 1 I • ti n • I • • 20,000 a O 5 10,000 • • Dredging threshold•ti • • �• 0 • •� • �N = i �• • • •�� +• • • 0 6/21 7/21 8/20 9/19 10/19 11/18 12/18 1/17 2/16 Date FIGURE 4. Daily production rates of the three dredges in relation to the offshore wave climate at Diamond Shoals (NDBC wave buoy Station 41025) during construction for the 2017-2018 Buxton beach restoration project. Weeks Marine Cumulative Production versus Peak Wave Heights Peak Wave Height (ft) —Cumulative Volume (cy) 30 3,000,000 CR McCaskill Completed -1 million cy RN Weeks Completed -1 million cy 25 � 2,500,000 L Magdalen Completed-600,000 cy >_ t m a'20 2,000,000 E 4r La O 15------------- ------ Y - - -- 1,500,000 .? --- --- `o m E NU L E p 10----------- ----- ---- --- ---- 1,000,000 5 t 500,000 Dredging threshold 0 0 6/21 7/21 8/20 9/19 10/19 11/18 12/18 1/17 2/16 Date FIGURE 5. Cumulative production rates of the three dredges in relation to the offshore wave climate at Diamond Shoals (NDBC wave buoy Station 41025) during construction for the 2017-2018 Buxton beach restoration project. Coastal Science & Engineering 17 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina 2,500,000 2,000,000 u E 1,500,000 0 1,000,000 H 500,000 0 Volume Changes by Reach from Foredune to -24 FT NAVD (Relative to Pre -Nourishment Condition of May 2017) 2017-2018 Nourishment Year 1 Pre -Florence (June 2018) Year 1 Post -Florence (October 2018) Year 2 Pre -Dorian (June 2019) ■ Year 2 Post -Dorian (November 2019) ■ Year 3 (Aueust 20201 O O 0 Lh Ln r, r, O kq ti Ln � n ON �T O -1 l0 Ln M N N R1(Buxton) (4,500 ft) O O O O O O r­ Ln -4 O O O O O W n N M 61 ONi O pp LO Ln Lo R2 (National Seashore) (11,000 ft) 0 0 0 0 0 Lo N Ln N o0 Ln R N O T N Ln c LO N N M N c-i 00 M tD Lp Tota 1 (15,500 ft) FIGURE 6. Cumulative total volume along the Buxton project area after the completion of the 2017-2018 beach restoration project relative to the pre -project condition in May 2017. 1400 1200 a 1000 v E 0 +, 800 600 Unit Volumes Comparisons Along the Entire Project Area (From Foredune to -24 ft NAVD) Reach 2 - National Seashore Reach 1 - Buxton 400 1770+00 1790+00 1810+00 1830+00 1850+00 1870+00 1890+00 1910+00 1930+00 North Station South FIGURE 7. Unit volume along the Buxton project area before and after the completion of the 2017-2018 beach restoration project from May 2017 to August 2020. Coastal Science & Engineering 18 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina 4 FIGURE8a. Ground and aerial images taken 15Apri12020- looking south. The ViI[age of Buxton north limit is located approximately at the end of the northernmost building showing near the bottom of the photo. Three years after the initial 2017-2018 beach restoration project, almost all nourishment sand was lost outside of the project limits beyond the depth of closure. There was little dry -sand beach in front of the oceanfront, and sandbags were installed as a temporary shoreline protection measure. NC Highway 12 was once again vulnerable for flooding and breaching. / FIGURE 8b. Ground and aerial images taken 15 April 2020 - from the Village of Buxton looking north into the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Coastal Science & Engineering 19 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina National Seashore Station 1840+00 16 — — Aug 2020 Profile 10 Fill Vol �. 5 1 MHW Q 0 z -----MLW------- O CO -10 W -15 Berm Elevation +7.0 ft NAVD ` Berm Width 132 ft ~ -20 Fill Density 50 cylft -25 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 Distance from Baseline (ft) Buxton Station 1890+00 15 X\ — —Aug 2020 Profile 10 I Fill Vol 1 5 Q MHW z -----MLW------- � .. -5 1 c o — — M-10 �`� a� W 15 Berm Elevation +7.0 ft NAVD Berm Width 224 ft _ Fill Density 180 cylft -20 Typical Dune Width 40 ft -25 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 Distance from Baseline (ft) FIGURE 9. Representative fill templates at station 1890+00 for Reach 1 -Buxton and station 1840+00 for Reach 2 - National Seashore. Beach profiles represent the beach condition in August 2020. An initial dune is proposed to be constructed along Reach 1. The dune crest is set to be at +13 ft NAVD and the seaward slope is 1 on 4. The typical dune crest width is 40 ft, and the constructed dry -sand berm in front of the dune is 288 ft for station 1890+00. Coastal Science & Engineering 20 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina FIGURE10. Location of sediment sample transects (14 samples per transect) along the Buxton project area. Samples were collected in August 2019. Coastal Science & Engineering 21 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina 20ft (',,Dune Dune Toe 10ft--- Berm Crest Berm MHW 0f------------ - MTL MLW Bar -8 Sediment Grab Sample Positions (Typical Beach Profile) -10 ft ------------------ 12 Trough --------------------- -16 -20 -20ft - - ---------------------------------------------------------------- -------------�--a-24 -30ft F-- 500 ft 1000 ft 1500 ft 2000 ft 2500 ft FIGURE 11. Sample positions for "beach" grab samples along Buxton following North Carolina sediment sampling criteria rules. The Buxton littoral profile exhibits a narrow berm (dry -sand beach) and deep trough separating the outer bar from the beach. Elevations and depths (y-axis) are relative to approximately Mean Sea Level. ,.M�. o soa Scale (Feet) euK-0s o1 / BUX•42 4.11 9 0.596 BUX�43 BUX-35 10.11 0.552 0.478 22.1 11.8 7.7/22.5 3.7 BUX-41 0.536 15.D , BUX-44 Bux-04 38 0.557 17.9 10.9 BUX-40 16.5 BUX•39 au.us 12.6 0.679 15.5 3.8 a Bux-35 BUX // o Hux36 Bux31 p Bux-33 / 2017 Borrow Area c Bu/34 / o Bux32 / Bux-29 11.4 3.6 Baring MG5 (mml Shell % Gravel % BUX-35 0.478 11.8 3.7 BUX-36 0.268 11.1 4.9 BUX-37 0.512 22.5 17.5 BUX-38 0.574 11.4 3.6 BUX-39 0.579 15.5 3.8 BUX-40 1 0.681 16.5 12.6 BUX-41 0.536 15.0 3.8 BUX-42 0.59G 12.6 10.1 BUX-43 0.552 22.1 7.7 BUX-44 0.557 17.9 10.9 FIGURE 12. Mean grain size, percent shell, and percent gravel for core composite samples to 10 ft in the proposed Buxton offshore borrow area based on borings obtained in April 2021. Composite results of the ten 10 ft vibracores are listed in table on the lower right. The ten 10-ft vibracores obtained in 2021 are highlighted in bold text with red dots. Other cores from previous sand searches are shown in small text with black boxes. The mean grain size of the ten 10-ft cores is 0.517 mm with 15.6 percent shell material and 7.7 percent gravel by weight. Coastal Science & Engineering 22 Permit Application - Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina Grain Size Distribution Grain Size (mm) Project CSE 2403-M Location Buxton (NC) Date May 2021 BA 10 ft COMP Mean 0.517 mm BA 10 ft COMP STD 0.426 mm BA 10 ft COMP Skew-0.489 mm BA 10 ftCOMP Kurt 4.107 mm BA 10 ft COMP Shell 12.3% All Beach Mean 0.321 mm All Beach STD 0.552 mm All Beach Skew -1.045 mm All Beach Kurt 5.621 mm All Beach Shell 7.2% Project CSE 2403-M Location Buxton (NC) Date May 2021 BA 10 ft COMP Mean 0.517 mm BA 10 ft COMP STD 0.426 mm BA 10 ft COMP Skew-0.489 mm BA 10 ft COMP Kurt 4.107 mm BA 10 ft COMP Shell 12.3% Vis Beach Mean 0.400 mm Vis Beach STD 0.636 mm Vis Beach Skew -1.073 mm Vis Beach Kurt 6.358 mm Vis Beach Shell 7.2% FIGURE 13. GSDs for Buxton native beach samples (n=140) compared with offshore samples to 10 ft (composite). The "Vis Beach" consists of all native samples collected on the visible beach (above MTL), while "All Beach" contains all samples. In both cases, the borrow area sediments are expected to be coarser than the native beach initially. Over time, the grain size of the post - nourishment beach is expected to move closer to the historical grain size distribution around Buxton. Coastal Science & Engineering 23 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina - THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK - Coastal Science & Engineering 24 Permit Application — Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina ATTACHMENT A NC Technical Standards for Beach Fill (15A NCAC 07H.0312) Effective 1 April 2021 Coastal Science & Engineering Permit Application - Narrative Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Hwy 12 at Buxton Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina - FHI5G,967EINFENFION,9LLYLEFFBLANK - 15A NCAC 07H .0312 TECHNICAL STANDARDS FOR BEACH FILL PROJECTS Placement of sediment along the oceanfront shoreline is referred to in this Rule as "beach fill." Sediment used solely to establish or strengthen dunes shall conform to the standards contained in 15A NCAC 07H .0308(b). Sediment used to re-establish state -maintained transportation corridors across a barrier island breach in a disaster area as declared by the Governor is not considered a beach fill project under this Rule. Beach fill projects including beach nourishment, dredged material disposal, habitat restoration, storm protection, and erosion control may be permitted under the following conditions: (1) The applicant shall characterize the recipient beach according to the following methodology. Initial characterizations of the recipient beach shall serve as the baseline for subsequent beach fill projects: (a) Characterization of the recipient beach is not required for the placement of sediment directly from and completely confined to a cape shoal system, or maintained navigation channel or associated sediment basins within the active nearshore, beach or inlet shoal system. For purposes of this Rule, "cape shoal systems" include Frying Pan Shoals at Cape Fear, Lookout Shoals at Cape Lookout, and Diamond Shoals at Cape Hatteras; N/A (b) Sediment sampling and analysis shall be used to capture the spatial variability of the sediment characteristics including grain size, sorting and mineralogy within the natural system; Sedimentsamples were collected at ten (10) stations along the beach and thirteen (13) cross -shore locations between the foredune and 24 ft depth contour within the proposed project area. Samples were also collected at various locations and multiple depths within the proposed borrow area to capture the three-dimensional spatial variability of the sediment characteristics. (c) Shore -perpendicular transects shall be established for topographic and bathymetric surveying of the recipient beach. Topographic and bathymetric surveying shall occur along a minimum of five shore -perpendicular transects evenly spaced throughout the entire project area with spacing not to exceed 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) in the shore -parallel direction. Each transect shall extend from the frontal dune crest seaward to a depth of 20 feet (6.1 meters) or to the shore -perpendicular distance 2,400 feet (732 meters) seaward of mean low water, whichever is in a more landward position. Elevation data for all transects shall be compliant with Standards of Practice for Land Surveying in North Carolina (21 NCAC 56.1600); Annual shore -perpendicular, topographic and bathymetric surveying of the recipient beach has been conducted in June since the completion of the 2011 beach nourishment project at Nags Head. The surveying extends from the foredune seaward to a depth of over 40 feet. One hundred and twenty-four (124) transects were surveyed along the —10.0-mile project area and the adjacent areas, and the spacing between each transect within the project area was 500 ft. The spacing between each transect outside of the project area varies from 1,000 ft to 2,000 ft. Elevation data for all transects are referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) and the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83). 27 (d) Along each transect, at least one sample shall be taken from each of the following morphodynamic zones where present: frontal dune, frontal dune toe, mid berm, mean high water (MHW), mid tide (MT), mean low water (MLW), trough, bar crest and at even depth increments from 6 feet (1.8 meters) to 20 feet (6.1 meters) or to a shore -perpendicular distance 2,400feet (732 meters) seaward of mean lowwater, whichever is in a more landward position. The total number of samples taken landward of MLW shall equal the total number of samples taken seaward of MLW; Sediment samples were collected along ten beach transects in August 2019 (see the Geotechnical Report). Fourteen (14) samples were taken along each beach transect at the following cross -shore locations (see Figure 2.1 in the Geotechnical Report): • dune face • toe of the dune • berm • berm crest • MHW • MTL • MLW • Trough • inshore bar • -8 ft NAVD • -12 ft NAVD • -16 ft NAVD • -20 ft NAVD • -24 ft NAVD There are 7 samples taken landward of MLW (including MLW) and 7 samples taken seaward of MLW. (e) For the purpose of this Rule, "sediment grain size categories" are defined as "fine" (less than 0.0625 millimeters), "sand" (greater than or equal to 0.0625 millimeters and less than 2 millimeters), "granular" (greater than or equal to 2 millimeters and less than 4.76 millimeters) and "gravel" (greater than or equal to 4.76 millimeters and less than 76 millimeters). Each sediment sample shall report percentage by weight of each of these four grain size categories; Sediment samples were inspected for mud then washed, dried, weighed in splits for analysis of grain size, gravel, and shell content (see Sections 3 and 4 of the Geotechnical Report). Grain size distribution of each sample is shown in Attachment 1 of the Geotechnical Report. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis), along with USCS and Wentworth descriptions, and shell and gravel contents, are compiled in Tables 3.1a and 3.1b. Tables 3.2 and 3.3 contain mean grain sizes, standard deviations, and shell and gravel contents averaged by station as well as cross shore position. Overall, materials on the native beach and the borrow areas are both defined as "sand" based on the Rule with fine-grained sediment contents for the recipient beach are less than 1% and the average granular and gravel content (grain size greater 28 than or equal to 2 millimeters) is 1.6% (see Tables 3.3 and Figure 3.1 of the Geotechnical Report). Detailed results for the proposed borrow areas are in included in Section 4 of the Geotechnical Report. (f) A composite of the simple arithmetic mean for each of the four grain size categories defined in Sub -Item (1)(e) of this Rule shall be calculated for each transect. A grand mean shall be established for each of the four grain size categories by summing the mean for each transect and dividing by the total number of transects. The value that characterizes grain size values for the recipient beach is the grand mean of percentage by weight for each grain size category defined in Sub -Item (1)(e) of this Rule; Mean (and a grand mean for composite samples) grain size for individual samples and composite samples are summarized in Tables 3.1 to 3.3 and plotted in Figures 3.1 to 3.4 of the Geotechnical Report. The arithmetic mean of the fine-grained sediment content for the recipient beach is less than 1% and the arithmetic mean of the granular and gravel contents (grain size greater than or equal to 2 millimeters) is 1.6% (see Tables 3.1 to 3.3). (g) Percentage by weight calcium carbonate shall be calculated from a composite of all sediment samples. The value that characterizes the carbonate content of the recipient beach is a grand mean calculated by summing the average percentage by weight calcium carbonate for each transect and dividing by the total number of transects; Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) content (ie — "shell" content) was determined by acid -burning using dilute hydrochloric acid. Percentage by weight calcium carbonate was calculated for each sample as well as for a composite of all samples along each transect. The results are listed in Tables 3.1 to 3.3 of the Geotechnical Report, and plotted in Figure 3.4 of the some report. The arithmetic average shell content for all samples (n=140) was 7.2% in August 2019 (see Table 3.3). (h) The number of sediments greater than or equal to one inch (25.4 millimeters) in diameter, and shell material greater than or equal to three inches (76 millimeters) in diameter shall be differentiated and calculated through visual observation for an area of 10,000 square feet centered on each transect, and between mean tide level (MTQ and the frontal dune toe within the beach fill project boundaries. A simple arithmetic mean shall be calculated for both sediments and shell by summing the totals for each across all transects and dividing by the total number of transects, and these values shall be considered representative of the entire project area, and referred to as the "background" values for large sediment and large shell material; Some material greater than or equal to three inches (76 millimeters) in diameter was observed along the beach in March 2021. That large-clast survey found 154 samples meeting these criteria around the Buxton project area. On average, there were —22 sediments per survey transect with —19 samples being derived from shelly material and —2 to 3 samples being derived from clastic or anthropogenic material. (1) Beaches that received sediment prior to the effective date of this Rule shall be characterized in a way that is consistent with Sub -Items (1)(a) through (1)(h) of this Rule and may use data collected from the recipient beach prior to the addition of beach fill where data are available, and in coordination with the Division of Coastal Management; and 29 N/A (j) All data used to characterize the recipient beach shall be provided in digital and hardcopy format to the Division of Coastal Management upon request. All data were described, analyzed, compiled, and plotted in Appendix A — Geotechnical Data. Digital and hardcopy of the report has been submitted to the Division of Coastal Management. (2) Characterization of borrow areas is not required if completely confined to a cape shoal system. For the purposes of this Rule, "cape shoal systems" include the Frying Pan Shoals at Cape Fear, Lookout Shoals at Cape Lookout, and Diamond Shoals at Cape Hatteras. The applicant shall characterize the sediment to be placed on the recipient beach according to the following methodology: (a) The characterization of borrow areas including submarine sites, upland sites, and dredged material disposal areas shall be designed to capture the spatial variability of the sediment characteristics including grain size, sorting and mineralogy within the natural system or dredged material disposal area; Multiple potential borrow areas have been evaluated. Details are described in Section 4 of the Geotechnical Report. (b) The characterization of borrow sites may include historical sediment characterization data where available and collected using methods consistent with Sub -Items (2)(c) through (2)(g) of this Rule, and in coordination with the Division of Coastal Management; The borings obtained by the applicant for the 2011 nourishment project (CSE 2011) were reviewed by the Division of Coastal Management. No data were available directly from the Division of Coastal Management. CSE. 2017. Geotechnical Analyses for Beach Restoration to Protect NC Highway 12 at Buxton. Prepared for Dare County NC. (c) Seafloor surveys shall measure elevation and capture acoustic imagery of the seafloor. Measurement of seafloor elevation shall cover 100 percent, or the maximum extent practicable, of each submarine borrow site and use survey -grade swath sonar (e.g. multibeam or similar technologies). Seafloor imaging without an elevation component (e.g. sidescan sonar or similar technologies) shall also cover 100 percent, or the maximum extent practicable, of each site. Because shallow submarine areas can provide technical challenges and physical limitations for acoustic measurements, seafloor imaging without an elevation component may not be required for water depths less than 10 feet (3 meters). Alternative elevation surveying methods for water depths less than 10 feet (3 meters) may be evaluated on a case -by -case basis by the Division of Coastal Management. Elevation data shall be tide - and motion -corrected and compliant with Standards of Practice for Land Surveying in North Carolina (21 NCAC 56.1600). Seafloor imaging data without an elevation component shall also be compliant with Standards of Practice for Land Surveying in North Carolina (21 NCAC 56.1600) of the N.C. General Statutes. For offshore dredged material disposal sites, only one set of imagery without elevation is required. Sonar imaging of the seafloor without elevation 30 is also not required for borrow sites completely confined to maintained navigation channels, and for sediment deposition basins within the active nearshore, beach or inlet shoal system; A detailed bathymetric survey with 1000 ft spacing for track lines of proposed borrow area was completed by CSE in October 2020. A submerged cultural resource remote -sensing survey of the proposed borrow area will be conducted in Summer 2021 by Tidewater Atlantic Research (TAR) of Washington, North Carolina. Work performed by TAR will consist of a background literature survey, historical research and cartographical investigation, and covered 100 percent of the proposed borrow area. The remote -sensing investigation and assessment conducted by TAR is developed to comply with the criteria of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665), the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Public Law 91-190), Executive Order 11593, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Procedures for the protection of historic and cultural properties (36 CRF Part 800), the updated guidelines described in the Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 3000101 etseq.), "Abandoned Shipwreck Law" (North Carolina General Statute [NCGS] 121, article 3), and the North Carolina Archaeological Resources Act (NCGS 70, article 2). The results of the investigation are designed to comply with North Carolina and Federal submerged cultural resource legislation and regulations. The proposed borrow areas are situated 2 to 3 miles off of the historic Cape Hatteras lighthouse site. The depths of the areas are from 30 ft to 50 ft with an average of -40 to -45 ft below NAVD. A marine cesium magnetometer and digital sidescan sonar along with other supporting equipment will be employed to collect bathymetric, magnetic and acoustic data. Details of the study will be included in EA Appendix F— Cultural Resources Study. (d) Geophysical imaging of the seafloor subsurface shall be used to characterize each borrow site. Because shallow submarine areas can pose technical challenges and physical limitations for geophysical techniques, subsurface data may not be required in water depths less than 10 feet (3 meters), and the Division of Coastal Management shall evaluate these areas on a case - by -case basis. Subsurface geophysical imaging shall not be required for borrow sites completely confined to maintained navigation channels, and for sediment deposition basins within the active nearshore, beach or inlet shoal system, or upland sites. All final subsurface geophysical data shall use accurate sediment velocity models for time -depth conversions and be compliant with Standards of Practice for Land Surveying in North Carolina (21 NCAC 56.1600; To ensure sufficient data would be available to locate any potentially significant magnetic anomalies and sonar targets in the proposed borrow area, remotely sensed data are scheduled to be collected in Summer 2021 along parallel lanes spaced on 50 foot intervals. All final subsurface geophysical data will use accurate sediment velocity models for time -depth conversions and be referenced to NAD 83. (e) With the exception of upland borrow sites, sediment sampling of all borrow sites shall use a vertical sampling device no less than 3 inches (76 millimeters) in diameter. Characterization of each borrow site shall use no fewer than five evenly spaced cores or one core per 23 acres (grid spacing of 1,000 feet or 305 meters), whichever is greater. Characterization of borrow sites completely confined to maintained navigation channels or sediment deposition basins within the active nearshore, beach or inlet shoal system shall use no fewer than five evenly 31 spaced vertical samples per channel or sediment basin, or sample spacing of no more than 5,000 linear feet (1,524 meters), whichever is greater. Two sets of sampling data (with at least one dredging event in between) from maintained navigation channels or sediment deposition basins within the active nearshore, beach or inlet shoal system, or offshore dredged material disposal site (ODMDS) may be used to characterize material for subsequent nourishment events from those areas if the sampling results are found to be compatible with Sub -Item (3)(a) of this Rule. Vertical sampling shall penetrate to a depth equal to or greater than permitted dredge or excavation depth or expected dredge or excavation depths for pending permit applications. Because shallow submarine areas completely confined to a maintained navigation channel or associated sediment basins within the active nearshore, beach or inlet shoal systems can pose technical challenges and physical limitations for vertical sampling techniques, geophysical data of and belowthe seafloor may not be required in water depths less than 10 feet (3 meters), and shall be evaluated by the Division of Coastal Management on a case -by -case basis; Cores at the proposed offshore borrow areas were obtained under a sub -consultant agreement with American Vibracore Services (see Section 2.2 of Appendix C — Geotechnical Data). All cores across the search area were collected to a uniform depth of 10 ft beneath the seafloor (see Section 4 and Table 4.1 of the Geotechnical Report). There are 10 cores in the —200-acre proposal borrow area 3A, yielding a core density of 1 core per —20 acres. The proposed excavation depth is 10 feet below the existing grade with 1 ft of over dredge. Existing core logs are included in Attachment 2 of the Geotechnical Report. (f) Grain size distributions shall be reported for all sub -samples taken within each vertical sample for each of the four grain size categories defined in Sub -Item (1)(e) of this Rule. Weighted averages for each core shall be calculated based on the total number of samples and the thickness of each sampled interval. A simple arithmetic mean of the weighted averages for each grain size category shall be calculated to represent the average grain size values for each borrow site. Vertical samples shall be geo-referenced and digitally imaged using scaled, color - calibrated photography; All sediment samples within each vertical sample were inspected for mud then washed, dried, weighed in splits for analysis of grain size, gravel, and shell content (see the methodology in Section 2 of the Geotechnical Report). Grain size distribution of each sample is shown in Attachment 3A of the Geotechnical Report. Descriptive statistics for samples in the borrow areas (mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis), along with USCS and Wentworth descriptions, and shell and gravel contents, are compiled in Tables 4.1a and 4.1b. Tables 4.2, 4.3, and 4.4 contain the some information for individual cores composited to a specified depth (eg 6 ft, 8 ft, 10 ft). Overall, fine-grained sediment contents for the final proposed borrow area are less than 1% granular and gravel contents are generally less than 10% with an average of 7.7% and shell content is generally less than 20% with an average of 15.6% (see Tables 4.1 and 4.4 of the Geotechnical Report). (g) Percentage by weight of calcium carbonate shall be calculated from a composite sample of each core. A weighted average of calcium carbonate percentage by weight shall be calculated for each borrow site based on the composite sample thickness of each core. Carbonate analysis is not required for sediment confined to maintained navigation channels or 32 associated sediment deposition basins within the active nearshore, beach or inlet shoal system; and Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) content (ie — "shell" content) was determined by acid -burning using dilute hydrochloric acid (see Table 4.1 of the Geotechnical Report). Percentage by weight calcium carbonate was also calculated for a composite of each core at different thickness intervals. The results are listed in Tables 4.Z 4.3, 4.4, and 5.1, and are plotted in Figure 4.5 of the Geotechnical Report. Table 4.5 shows the arithmetic average for all cores composited to 10 ft is 15.6% which is — 8% greater than the recipient beach. (h) All data used to characterize the borrow site shall be provided in digital and hardcopy format to the Division of Coastal Management upon request. All data were described, analyzed, compiled, and plotted in the Geotechnical Report. Digital and hardcopy of the report has been submitted to the Division of Coastal Management. (3) Compliance with these sediment standards shall be certified by an individual licensed pursuant to Chapter 89C or 89E of the N.C. General Statutes. Sediment compatibility is determined using the following criteria: (a) Sediment completely confined to the permitted dredge depth of a maintained navigation channel or associated sediment deposition basins within the active nearshore, beach or inlet shoal system is considered compatible if the average percentage by weight of fine-grained (less than 0.0625 millimeters) sediment is less than 10 percent; (b) The average percentage by weight of fine-grained sediment (less than 0.0625 millimeters) in each borrow site shall not exceed the average percentage by weight of fine-grained sediment of the recipient beach characterization plus five percent (c) The average percentage by weight of granular sediment (greater than or equal to 2 millimeters and less than 4.76 millimeters) in a borrow site shall not exceed the average percentage by weight or coarse -sand sediment of the recipient beach characterization plus 10 percent (d) The average percentage by weight of gravel (greater than or equal to 4.76 millimeters and less than 76 millimeters) in a borrow site shall not exceed the average percentage by weight of gravel -sized sediment for the recipient beach characterization plus five percent; (e) The average percentage by weight of calcium carbonate in a borrow site shall not exceed the average percentage by weight of calcium carbonate of the recipient beach characterization plus 15 percent; and (f) Techniques that take incompatible sediment within a borrow site or combination of sites and make it compatible with that of the recipient beach characterization shall be evaluated on a case -by -case basis by the Division of Coastal Management. (4) Excavation and placement of sediment shall conform to the following criteria: 33 (a) In order to protect threatened and endangered species, and to minimize impacts to fish, shellfish and wildlife resources, no excavation or placement of sediment shall occur within the project area during any seasonal environmental moratoria designated by the Division of Coastal Management in consultation with other State and Federal Agencies, unless specifically approved by the Division of Coastal Management in consultation with other State and Federal agencies. The time limitations shall be established during the permitting process and shall be made known prior to permit issuance; and; (b) The total sediments with a diameter greater than or equal to one inch (25.4 millimeters), and shell material with a diameter greater than or equal to three inches (76 millimeters) is considered incompatible if it has been placed on the beach during the beach fill project, is observed between MTL and the frontal dune toe, and is in excess of twice the background value of material of the same size along any 10,000 square feet section of beach within the beach fill project boundaries. In the event that more than twice the background value of incompatible material is placed on the beach, it shall be the permittee's responsibility to remove the incompatible material in coordination with the Division of Coastal Management and other State and Federal resource agencies. 34 n ut p N A x 3 S 3 y �N— HHH �anla �o1eB(IIV O O y — Of p a� \ Cl) o O �,+ 25 •�.• � E 18 1 G EL o_ �• noS 9• � 3 u Qoo E' #� O e ova CD �.a o a W a �cnm z ° 0 = cr n N O = Z 7 w N m �0 v m 00 0 n � � F c � cziWa � x � p o o 0 n v y � o O Q c> _ m d o •G K z �- d �iN P m • O � o/yS a�•� q� y _ O W N O m O O CCD S y c N N CL Q m m O 3 o N ,y ° T. i\ \CD No 0 / > N 1983+77 o r o / a / 1980+00 OC. 6j w CboW / C') 1960+00 1940+00 / � J \x. N A 1920+00 N.. 567315 w m � E. 3036200...Pb a6P� N: 567315 ,i... 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Elevation (ft NAVD) Elevation (ft NAVD) Elevation (ft NAVD) N N O - A a 9 m N m m - m � 1 - O- o- � O A 000 - �' ��J / ��J I- o /I Z 1 Z O Z / Z z / Z OI N A G / d O < / d G / N O // 3 O \ - O 3 W 1 O D fD N OWi /// i� N d f y d 0 1 cn 0 - - O N 1 O 0 = I + p I + Ip oO 1 I O p 1 I C , I C mD 1 Ta � m O Elevation (ft NAVD) Elevation (ft NAVD) Elevation (ft NAVD) in N N N N N N N O N � 1 D Z O 0 33 3 0 33 3 / o O '3 '3 / �m �o r Z .Zs \ N Qs 1 .7 a m G) 80 m V Ao o e o o / o -o p o 3 In d ! co .� 3 p / �3 m' 3 3 1 - m 0 m UO cn co 1/ 3 N I O ! o + / + g� '� '_ID 1 O o \ O o \ O o 1 0 1 0 \ o YV O 1 \ O \ m O OZ«2 Vl 15 Elevation (ft NAVD) Elevation (ft NAVD) Elevation (ft NAVD) 6 v iu G � N O Oi O Li O tT O N N O O O N O (T O N U O N O (T O N O Ut QZ N 1 d G / d d O O p / O O O y (m� / / y o0i // ; W 3' O / 3' T O) / 0 A 3 o / �� m m m x W / 'F y to I (n to I •� y O = m // -O W O II Q�_p W O / W O 1 1 � , ' 1 U N 1 T N T N \ T Elevation (ft NAVD) Elevation (ft NAVD) Elevation (ft NAVD) N N (T O O a Z=C7 O,s:l l 3,sv I as:i n C7O A W < w O < O o O � / O 3 0 ! 3 O if y / O o 3 m I O 0 m / o / o / o o TD I TD O / T_D . y m 1 G o 1 G o ! < N N 0 1 0 0 !p 1 j N Elevation (ft NAVD) Elevation (ft NAVD) Elevation (ft NAVD) c N o o In o o in N o 0 0 o in o �n o o cn o � � o \�/ =mm =mm D 33 3 D 33 3 D '3 3 - S m + Z o /n o / o D I Z D / Z A D I Z O w w w 3 O D / 3 m w / m m / a (1) O / y W / y otl�•....������y..yyo n � A n / 3 m n / ; A yf�lyy. ....Ou co . D D I D i 1 OI / O ! + O I o l 1 O 1 1 O 1 0 rg 1 ?!D 1 o No 1 0 0 1 O o G 1 T N 1 T p \ T OZ«2 Vl 15 Elevation (ft NAVD) Elevation (ft NAVD) Elevation (ft NAVD) `= v% D� c N O Oi O Li O fT O (ri N O Oi O Li O (T O N fNli O D�ciil y 3 ti Tm m ' W c �ti'o O Fogg Q33 -\ Q39 oc Z?- SO - _ N 1 Z j r " Z I O .y�. W / i 7 W(� / �� m 07 p / �� A / N W N / ++ O J N OD 1 J 2 / _ D = D p D 1 1 Oyu •���0 1� �{if�lh^ • i R i O Elevation (ft ti T_ W W sv33 NAVD) N Elevation ti T W W sW33 (ft NAVD) (T p Elevation (ft NAVD) T_ W W v33 m SN __ O __ p 'O N O o G � m i O O ! 006 bi N sus V 1 NO �3SJ 1 _ / O- -.'- W y Z G y Z G 1 1 A Z G d I J N / I O J J o N O J J N / i3 N (ari W W O / + W __ �� `p + 'o / o o S „D m 0 N o - Elevation (ft NAVD) O Elevation (ft NAVD) Elevation (ft NAVD) cn � v D D C', N o o In o o in N o 0 0 o iri o �n o o cn o Z T '-' 0 3 '3 1 '' 0 3 '3 cp '3 3 - + r O -'k m Z OC,G) 5 5 T 0 V - 8 �� 0 Z 1 0 1 + o c S z / a z 1 z / Z w / co c �0 1 d o s y ag N rn a / N ag // y a co ++ O 219 9 T C N 1 N N O O O O p O O Z « 2 N 15 Elevation (ft NAVD) Elevation (ft NAVD) "ciila�3 i �m o" ZQN c a v o aye �- f m m Tm� v33 1 mm n'v33 cz.� o �m rn .-. n =[� `°gym °-"D�m _ O c O m O - O? N- a O 2 m O Oo m - ti �z W=• P39 z9 1 g z / - - m: X a m O Cu 3 O Q G O / A O 1 3 41 m m _0 1 O o Oo ci 8 m m o g m N N D m // ;F m / 3 O m N 8 0 LU 4 O• c o y y + ism m m 1 - _ om y. o I o I fU 2 m O O l U NO I o m p G O O 1 pp i CD 0 o x p N O =[ Iv W CD D ET o Q G O N N Elevation 0 O (ft NAVD) Elevation (ft NAVD) F 5 ' a 2 C CD 7 !n CD m ai c- D�j p_ o Q m O y N O 0 a o A_ 0 m O bi c CS p -O O N S ti. CD CD .J-. `L-. O• O " 1 o / O CO = -- - N f.0 0 y j Q O .J. �. wO (D @ a CD Z S D / G / - [7 . y y J Q p J O p_ C c. 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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I a"0p a.x I I Iti � °yy ° I � O --1 I m CD O j l pt o v c CD w l -� y ly m a vl O = Z OCEAN HAZARD AEC NOTICE Project is in an: X_ Ocean Erodible Area High Hazard Flood Area Inlet Hazard Area Property Owner: Applicant- Dare County for the Village of Buxton Property Address: Date Lot Was Platted: NC12- Buxton beachfront N/A This notice is intended to make you, the applicant, aware of the special risks and conditions associated with development in this area, which is subject to natural hazards such as storms, erosion and currents. The rules of the Coastal Resources Commission require that you receive an AEC Hazard Notice and acknowledge that notice in writing before a permit for development can be issued. The Commission's rules on building standards, oceanfront setbacks and dune alterations are designed to minimize, but not eliminate, property loss from hazards. By granting permits, the Coastal Resources Commission does not guarantee the safety of the development and assumes no liability for future damage to the development. Permits issued in the Ocean Hazard Area of Environmental Concern include the condition that structures be relocated or dismantled if they become imminently threatened by changes in shoreline configuration. The structure(s) must be relocated or dismantled within two (2) years of becoming imminently threatened, and in any case upon its collapse or subsidence. The best available information, as accepted by the Coastal Resources Commission, indicates that the annual long-term average ocean erosion rate for the area where your property is located is 4-10 feet per year. The rate was established by careful analysis of aerial photographs of the coastline taken over the past 50 years. Studies also indicate that the shoreline could move as much as _30-40 feet landward in a major storm. The flood waters in a major storm are predicted to be about 10 feet deep in this area, Preferred oceanfront protection measures are beach nourishment and relocation of threatened structures. Hard erosion control structures such as bulkheads, seawalls, revetments, groins, jetties and breakwaters are prohibited. Temporary sand bags may be authorized under certain conditions. The applicant must acknowledge this information and requirements by signing this notice in the space below. Without the proper signature, the application will not be complete. s. Property Owner Signat Date SPECIAL NOTE: This hazard notice is required for development in areas subject to sudden and massive storms and erosion. Permits issued for development in this area expire on December 31 of the third year following the year in which the permit was issued. Shortly before work begins on the project site, the Local Permit Officer must be contacted to determine the vegetation line and setback distance at your site. If the property has seen little change since the time of permit issuance, and the proposed development can still meet the setback requirement, the LPO will inform you that you may begin work. Substantial progress on the project must be made within 60 days of this setback determination, or the setback must be re -measured. Also, the occurrence of a major shoreline change as the result of a storm within the 60-day period will necessitate re -measurement of the setback. It is important that you check with the LPO before the permit expires for official approval to continue the work after the permit has expired. Generally, if foundation pilings have been placed and substantial progress is continuing, permit renewal can be authorized. It is unlawful to continue work after permit expiration. For more information, contact: Heather Coats- Beach & Inlet Mgt Project Coordinator- DCM Local Permit Officer 127 Cardinal Drive Extension, Wilmington, NC 28405 Address for Dare County- Village of Buxton Locality 910-796-7302 Phone Number Revised May 2010 BEFORE YOU BUILD Setting Back for Safety: A Guide to Wise Development Along the Oceanfront When you build along the oceanfront, you take a calculated risk. Natural forces of water and wind collide with tons of force, even on calm days. Man-made structures cannot be guaranteed to survive the force of a hurricane. Long-term erosion (or barrier island migration) may take from two to ten feet of the beach each year, and, sooner or later, will threaten oceanfront structures. These are the facts of life for oceanfront property owners. The Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) has adopted rules for building along the oceanfront. The rules are intended to avoid an unreasonable risk to life and property, and to limit public and private losses from storm and long-term erosion. These rules lessen but do not eliminate the element of risk in oceanfront development. As you consider building along the oceanfront, the CRC wants you to understand the rules and the risks. With this knowledge, you can make a more informed decision about where and how to build in the coastal area. The Rules When you build along the oceanfront, coastal management rules require that the structure be sited to fit safely into the beach environment. Structures along the oceanfront, less than 5,000 square feet in size, must be behind the frontal dune, landward of the crest of the primary dune, and set back from the first line of stable natural vegetation a distance equal to 30 times the annual erosion rate (a minimum of 60 feet). The setback calculation increases as the size of the structure increases [15A NCAC 7H.0306(a)(2)]. For example: A structure between 5,000 and 10,000 square feet would require a setback from the first line of stable, natural vegetation to a distance equal to 60 times the annual erosion rate (a minimum of 120 feet). The graduated setback continues to increase through structure sizes greater than 100,000 square feet. The Reasons The beachfront is an ever -changing landform. The beach and the dunes are natural "shock absorbers," taking the beating of the wind and waves and protecting the inland areas. By incorporating building setbacks into the regulations, you have a good chance of enjoying the full life of the structure. At first, it seems very inviting to build your dream house as close to the beach as possible, but in five years you could find the dream has become a nightmare as high tides and storm tides threaten your investment. The Exception The Coastal Resources Commission recognized that these rules, initially passed in June 1979, might prove a hardship for some property owners. Therefore, they established an exception for lots that cannot meet the setback requirement. The exception allows buildings in front of the current setback, if the following conditions apply: 1) the lot must have been platted as of June 1, 1979, and is not capable of being enlarged by combining with adjoining land under the same ownership; 2) development must be constructed as far back on the property as possible and in no case less than 60 feet landward of the vegetation line; 3) no development can take place on the frontal dune; 4) special construction standards on piling depth and square footage must be met; and 5) all other CAMA, state and local regulations must be met. The exception is not available in the Inlet Hazard Area. To determine eligibility for the exception the Local Permit Officer will make these measurements and observations: required setback from vegetation line exception setback (maximum feasible) rear property line setback max. allowable square footage on lowest floor PRE -PERMIT SLRUGI URL; INADEQUATE SETBACK PERMITTED STRUCTURE; PRE STORM BEACH PROFILE ADEQUATE POST -STORM BEACH PROFILE 1 SETBACK ONE YEAR AFTER STORNIJBE,ACH REBUILDING After the storm, the house on the dune will be gone. The other house has a much better chance of survival. COASTAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING PO BOX 8056 COLUMBIA SC 29202 • TEL 803-799-8949 • FAX 803-799-9481 • w w w. c o o s t o l s c: i e n c e. c o rn May 20, 2021 Ms. Heather Coats Beach & Inlet Management Project Coordinator Division of Coastal Management North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality 127 Cardinal Drive Extension Wilmington, NC 28405 RE: Authorized Agent Agreement Beach Renourishment to Protect NC Highway 12 at Buxton, Dare County, North Carolina Dear Ms. Coats: This letter is to inform you that Haiqing Liu Kaczkowski (NC PE 37281) and Coastal Science & Engineering (CSE) is the Authorized Agent for the referenced project. Dr. Kaczkowski is authorized to act on behalf of the applicant on matters related to the CAMA Major Permit and related federal permits. Please contact me if you have any questions or need additional information. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, David Clawson, Dare County Deputy County Manager/Finance Director cc: Dare County Board of Commissioners Bobby Outten, Dare County County Manager Tim Kana, CSE President