Duck, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills have recently followed the lead of the 2011 Nags Head beach nourishment project and approved multi-million dollar projects to replenish the beaches, as outlined in this story on Nighthawk News Magazine, the student run paper at First Flight High School.
“The beach is the main tourist attraction of the Outer Banks. Losing the beach means losing many of the tourists. Not only is the beach important for the tourism industry, but it is vital for the enjoyment and employment of locals and could have a major effect on oceanfront real estate as well.
“The town of Kill Devil Hills believes that beach nourishment is important for economics and storm protection,” said Greg Loy, Kill Devil Hills Planning Director. “The beach is the number one reason for our tourist industry and storm hazard mitigation provided by a wider renourished beach benefits the entire town. Our tourist industry directly provides the majority of our total employment and most jobs are associated, in some way, with tourism.”
There are many steps involved in correctly nourishing a beach, some of which include: pre-project environmental monitoring, permitting, sand search, easement acquisition, plans and specifications, bidding and contract award, construction and environmental monitoring. In order to nourish a beach, sand must be brought in from other areas in order to replace the sediment that has been lost from longshore drift or erosion. But above all, public support is key.”
[box type=”bio”] Read the full story at Nighthawk News[/box]