Beaufort Inlet NC ... Shackleford Island Erosion

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Author Topic:   Beaufort Inlet NC ... Shackleford Island Erosion

bluewaterpirate posted 06-26-2013 09:59 AM ET (US)
It's a amazing just how much of the west end of Shackleford Island has erodded away. In a one year period almost 3/4's of a mile of island disappeared.
I talked to one of the three underwater survey teams that are remapping the entire area. The shoal area to the east of the shipping channel has changed substantially over the course of a year. The crews said Shackleford Isand is loosing about 10 - 20 feet of beach a month on the west end. Interesting to watch.
They're dredging the main shipping channel as I type. They said the dredge has basically rerouted the entire corner of the channel where is turns to the SSE and then south outbound.
Survey teams on site:
Dredge Company
US GeoDetic Team
NC State GeoDetic Team
Two of the teams are working out of Anchorage Marina
The channel range lights located on Shackleford Island are in danger of falling in the ocean.
Here is a short video some Chart Displays of the area. Note where my track goes ...... my Garmin, Navionics, and Insight Charts are all outdated. This is the first time in almost two years the waters of th entire inlet have been surveyed. It's next to impossible to keep up with the erosion and changes happening on the east side of Beaufort Inlet.
Note where the dolphin marker is (the three legged one that used to be located about 50 yards just north and off the beach at Shackleford. It now is located about a 1/2 mile WNW of the beach. Look where the new channel markers are there used to be one about 100 yards just WSW of the beach.

Here is a video and some actual chart views of the area taken last Friday June 21st 2013.
http://bluewaterpirate.phanfare.com/6071540_7012266

Garmin G2 Chart Views .......
http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/ShacklefordPT2. jpg~original

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/ NewShacklefordPt.jpg~original

Beaufort Inlet is the entrace to Morehead City NC deep water port. The main channel is dredged to 55 feet.
This used to be a very stable inlet but something has changed. Mother Nature does what she wants.
Tom
russellbailey posted 06-26-2013 11:28 AM ET (US)
Tom, that is dramatic. I was on Ft. Macon a couple of weeks ago as the dredging was getting underway and could see it had shifted but could not appreciate how much.
How close has the end of the island come to the jetty and pier on the sound-side?
bluewaterpirate posted 06-26-2013 11:39 AM ET (US)
About a mile and a half ...... it's really amazing how fast this happened. It's also a good lessons learned in as much as none of the paper or electronics charts have been updated to reflect these changes except the depth readings from the main shipping channel.
Tom
bluewaterpirate posted 06-26-2013 12:01 PM ET (US)
Here's another view as provided by the National Park Service.
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/ 554977_555343751153116_562917562_n.jpg
Tom
tjxtreme posted 06-26-2013 02:51 PM ET (US)
Wow, the change after Sandy is pretty dramatic. Human tinkering is probably exacerbating changes to an already dynamic system. The sand that accumulated in the dredged channel had to come from somewhere.
I would be curious to see where they are putting the dredged material. Exporting sediment out of a barrier island system will result in shrinkage/retreat of barrier islands.
Looking at the 1998 NOAA digitized paper map, some of the soundings are as old as the 1950s.
bluewaterpirate posted 06-26-2013 03:32 PM ET (US)
They are pumping the spoils into to large ocean going barges when full they tow them 15 miles offshore and empty them. Running five barges. The sand is filtered thru a large holding barge then re pumped into the transport barges.
Tom

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Author	Topic: Beaufort Inlet NC ... Shackleford Island Erosion
bluewaterpirate	posted 06-26-2013 09:59 AM ET (US) It's a amazing just how much of the west end of Shackleford Island has erodded away. In a one year period almost 3/4's of a mile of island disappeared. I talked to one of the three underwater survey teams that are remapping the entire area. The shoal area to the east of the shipping channel has changed substantially over the course of a year. The crews said Shackleford Isand is loosing about 10 - 20 feet of beach a month on the west end. Interesting to watch. They're dredging the main shipping channel as I type. They said the dredge has basically rerouted the entire corner of the channel where is turns to the SSE and then south outbound. Survey teams on site: Dredge Company US GeoDetic Team NC State GeoDetic Team Two of the teams are working out of Anchorage Marina The channel range lights located on Shackleford Island are in danger of falling in the ocean. Here is a short video some Chart Displays of the area. Note where my track goes ...... my Garmin, Navionics, and Insight Charts are all outdated. This is the first time in almost two years the waters of th entire inlet have been surveyed. It's next to impossible to keep up with the erosion and changes happening on the east side of Beaufort Inlet. Note where the dolphin marker is (the three legged one that used to be located about 50 yards just north and off the beach at Shackleford. It now is located about a 1/2 mile WNW of the beach. Look where the new channel markers are there used to be one about 100 yards just WSW of the beach. Here is a video and some actual chart views of the area taken last Friday June 21st 2013. http://bluewaterpirate.phanfare.com/6071540_7012266 Garmin G2 Chart Views ....... http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/ShacklefordPT2. jpg~original http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/ NewShacklefordPt.jpg~original Beaufort Inlet is the entrace to Morehead City NC deep water port. The main channel is dredged to 55 feet. This used to be a very stable inlet but something has changed. Mother Nature does what she wants. Tom
russellbailey	posted 06-26-2013 11:28 AM ET (US) Tom, that is dramatic. I was on Ft. Macon a couple of weeks ago as the dredging was getting underway and could see it had shifted but could not appreciate how much. How close has the end of the island come to the jetty and pier on the sound-side?
bluewaterpirate	posted 06-26-2013 11:39 AM ET (US) About a mile and a half ...... it's really amazing how fast this happened. It's also a good lessons learned in as much as none of the paper or electronics charts have been updated to reflect these changes except the depth readings from the main shipping channel. Tom
bluewaterpirate	posted 06-26-2013 12:01 PM ET (US) Here's another view as provided by the National Park Service. https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/ 554977_555343751153116_562917562_n.jpg Tom
tjxtreme	posted 06-26-2013 02:51 PM ET (US) Wow, the change after Sandy is pretty dramatic. Human tinkering is probably exacerbating changes to an already dynamic system. The sand that accumulated in the dredged channel had to come from somewhere. I would be curious to see where they are putting the dredged material. Exporting sediment out of a barrier island system will result in shrinkage/retreat of barrier islands. Looking at the 1998 NOAA digitized paper map, some of the soundings are as old as the 1950s.
bluewaterpirate	posted 06-26-2013 03:32 PM ET (US) They are pumping the spoils into to large ocean going barges when full they tow them 15 miles offshore and empty them. Running five barges. The sand is filtered thru a large holding barge then re pumped into the transport barges. Tom