Bulkheads on NC's Central Coast & Outer Banks

North Carolina's central coast and Outer Banks include Bogue Sound and the Morehead City–Beaufort area, the Neuse and Trent rivers at New Bern, and the barrier islands and sounds of Dare County. Storm records here show serious surge on the sound and river side, not only on the ocean. This page covers Carteret and Craven counties and the Outer Banks.

The waterfront environment

Sounds and rivers

Bogue Sound runs behind Bogue Banks, and the Newport River meets the ocean at Beaufort Inlet near Morehead City and Beaufort. Inland, the Neuse River widens into a broad estuary below New Bern, where the Trent River joins it, before reaching Pamlico Sound. To the north, Pamlico, Roanoke, Croatan and Albemarle sounds lie behind the Outer Banks, connected to the ocean through a few inlets such as Oregon Inlet and Hatteras Inlet.

Tides drop off inside the sounds

NOAA tidal datums show a mean tide range of about 3.1 feet at Beaufort and Morehead City Harbor near Beaufort Inlet, about 3.2 feet on the ocean at Duck, and about 1.9 feet at Oregon Inlet. The range just inside Oregon Inlet is already well below the ocean range at Duck. In the sounds and rivers, storm surge has repeatedly pushed water far above normal levels, as the records below show.

Storm history

National Hurricane Center reports document repeated surge flooding in the sounds and rivers:

For bulkhead owners, the lesson is that sound-side and river frontage can see surge as high as or higher than the ocean. Walls overtopped by several feet of water, then exposed to rapid drawdown, can lose backfill and anchor support. Review signs of bulkhead failure, tieback and anchor repair and why a yard sinks behind a seawall.

Oceanfront versus estuarine rules

The Division of Coastal Management states that North Carolina prohibits permanent shoreline stabilization devices on the oceanfront, including seawalls, groins and other hardened structures, with narrow exceptions. Imminently threatened oceanfront structures, where the erosion scarp is within 20 feet, may be protected temporarily with sandbags under a CAMA general permit, generally for up to eight years.

On estuarine shorelines, DCM describes bulkheads, riprap revetments and marsh sills, each of which can be permitted through a CAMA major or general permit. DCM notes that bulkheads are durable and the most commonly used method but prevent the natural migration of wetland vegetation, and it promotes living shorelines. Our riprap and living shorelines guide compares options.

Permitting in this region

DCM's headquarters and district office in Morehead City handle Carteret, Craven and Onslow counties. The Elizabeth City office covers the northeastern counties, including Dare and Currituck. Local Permit Officers who can issue certain CAMA permits are listed for Morehead City, Carteret County, Craven County, the City of New Bern, Dare County and the towns of Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk and Duck, among others. DCM notes that a minor permit in an Ocean Hazard Area of Environmental Concern also requires an AEC Hazard Notice from the Local Permit Officer. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District, reviews work in waters of the United States. Our Permit Navigator lists verified agency pages.

Planning a project here

1. Identify the frontage: ocean, sound, river or canal. Oceanfront hardening is generally not an option.
2. Plan for sound-side or river surge, not just the daily tide.
3. Talk with a DCM field representative or Local Permit Officer early.
4. Read the bulkhead permit guide, bulkhead repair vs. replacement and how to hire a marine contractor.

This page is educational and does not determine requirements for any property.