20230570 Ver 1_CAMA Application_20230421

NCDMF Artificial Reefs
The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF) Artificial Reef Program has
been formally operating since the 1970s and manages 69 artificial reefs and oyster sanctuaries.
Twenty-six(26) of these sites are located in estuarine waters, and the remaining 43 are in ocean
waters. The NCDMF Artificial Reef Program has published a reef guide, which has information
about each of the reefs maintained by the Division. This shows side scan imagery, coordinates,
and details about the reef materials at each site. This is available for public viewing in an ArcGIS
web app available here:
https://ncdenr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=3b27e8594cb6444c88b5525b
f763aa55.
Boundaries for each reef site were defined in a boundary packet which detailed the
coordinates of each reef, material locations, reef boundaries, and acreages of reefs and materials.
This packet was accepted by the Division of Coastal Management on July 10, 2017, and USACE
on October 25, 2017. Letters acknowledging the acceptance of this reef packet are shown in
attachments 1 and 2. An addendum with this proposed site is included in attachment 3.
Project Overview
In partnership with Coastal Conservation Association North Carolina, The NCDMF Artificial
Reef program plans to establish a new estuarine reef site near Pamlico Point. This area, shown in
Figure 1, was chosen due to its proximity to areas frequented by recreational anglers and an
absence of other artificial reef or oyster sanctuary sites in the area.
Site Selection
The new proposed site, AR-293, is located near Pamlico Point, about 1.5 nautical miles east of
Mouse Harbor ditch. This area is located outside designated Atlantic sturgeon critical habitat.
Several sampling methodologies were used to verify the site has appropriate depth, appropriate
bottom type, and does not contain any existing natural shellfish or seagrass resources.
A large area was selected for investigationand a series of sediment grabs were taken to assess
bottom type (Figure 2). These grabs determined thebottom type is primarily sandy mud and
muddy sand, located above deep layers of firmer sand. Multi-beam and side scan surveys of the
entire investigated area (Figures 3 and 4) show no existing shellfish or seagrass resources, as
well as suitable depth for reef construction. The proposed reef is 15 acres in size and has an
average MLW depth of 12 feet.
Material Selection
Artificial reef materials are selected on four primary considerations: function,
compatibility, durability, and stability. Accepted materials include concrete, vessels, and natural
materials and were chosen based on the above criteria, using guidance from internal program
studies, The ASMFC/GSMFC Guidelines for Marine Artificial Reef Materials (Second Ed.,

2004), The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Guidance: Best Management
Practices (BMPs) for Preparing Vessels Intended to Create Artificial Reefs, and the
NOAA/NMFS National Artificial Reef Plan. Concrete structures include recycled pre-fabricated
materials, crushed concrete, and pre-designed concrete reef material. These concrete structures
must be free of protruding rebar and any open bottomed structure must have an opening in the
top equal to the bottom opening or 3-feet in diameter (whichever is lesser) to allow listed species
to escape. All materials must be cleaned and prepared in accordance with United States Corps of
Engineers General (Regional) Permits (#GP198500194 or #GP19000291), applicable NC
Division of Coastal Management permits, Division of Water Resources permits, and conform to
site-specific navigational clearance requirements of the United States Coast Guard and NOAA
Office of Coast Survey.
Materials for this project will be prefabricated concrete structures. These materials have been
used successfully at estuarine reef sites. The structures are approximately 3 feet tall and weigh
400 pounds or more. A profile view of these structures and water depths are shown in Figure 5.
Proposed Enhancements
In partnership with Coastal Conservation Association North Carolina, the NCDMF
Artificial Reef program plans to acquire up to 750 prefabricated concrete structures for use at the
site, with several hundred being deployed annually over the duration of the permit. These will be
stockpiled at the NCDMF South River facility or NCDMF’s leased stockpile location in
Hobucken until ready for deployment. This development is planned to occur in a.62-acre
(27,007 square feet) area designated in Figure 6.Deployment of the reef materials will be
performed by a marine contractor selected through the state bid process. Materials will be
transported via barge and deployed via crane or excavator in a controlled manner in rows shown
in Figure 6. Specific locations for materials will be temporarily marked by NCDMF staff on site
during deployments. Construction is expected to occur upon receipt of permits in 2023, summer
2024, and summer 2025.
The site will be marked on each corner with 13-inch diameter buoys which are
maintained by NCDMF staff. Prior to material placement, a Private Aid to Navigationform will
be submitted to USCG detailing these markings and the minimum 6 feet of vertical clearance.
A scoping (prefiling) meeting was held on March 9, 2023, where DWR staff were present
(attachment 4).The project proponent hereby certifies that all information contained herein is
true, accurate, and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. 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.
NCDMF staff and contractors will adhere to all conditions outlined in the Section 7
Biological Opinion issued on 10/18/19 by National Marine Fisheries Service. As previously
mentioned, this site is located outside of Atlantic sturgeon critical habitat area.

FigureDate: 1/11/23
Figure 1. Area selected for site investigation, near Pamlico Point. The area is located
approximately 1.5 nm East of Mouse Harbor Ditch.

FigureDate: 1/11/23
Figure 2. Map showing locations of sediment grabs. Sampling area shown by solid line box.
Proposed reef site is in dashed area.

FigureDate: 1/11/23
Figure 3. Multibeam bathymetry map overlayed with sediment grab locations. Depths and
sediment type are indicated at each point. Proposed site boundary is indicated by the box.

FigureDate: 1/11/23
Figure 4. Sidescan imagery of investigated area, which shows no oyster reefs, seagrasses, or
other natural resources. Proposed site boundary is indicated by the box.

9feet
navigational
Water Depth 12feet
clearance
3feet vertical
profile
FigureDate: 1/11/23
Figure 5. Profile view of deployed materials. Materials are approximately 3 feet tall, which
allows 9 feet of vertical clearance.

FigureDate: 3/10//23
Figure 6. Proposed deployment locations foreach structure. Locations for 750 reef units, with
approximately 3 feetbetween each structure.The specific locations will be temporarily marked
by NCDMF while on site with the deployment contractor. Total developed area for deployment
of these materials is.24 acres.

Attachment 1.NCDCM acknowledgement of NCDMF Artificial Reef boundary modifications

Attachment 2. USACE acknowledgement of NCDMF Artificial Reef boundary modifications

Attachment 3. AR-293 page for inclusion in Artificial Reef Boundary Modifications document
FigureDate: 3/10//23

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Attachment 4.Scoping meeting attendance sheet, March 9, 2023