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Oregon Inlet to get a larger, more effective dredge
Story Date: 4/18/2011
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Source: PRESS RELEASE, 4/15/11
Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to move the Dredge CURRITUCK to Oregon Inlet to provide faster, more effective dredging capabilities for that crucial navigation channel. The CURRITUCK will begin work Saturday, April 16, and will immediately commence dredging around the clock.
The current vessel stationed in the inlet, the dredge MERRITT, will transfer to another location temporarily. The Corps of Engineers and the Federal government will cover the expenses of moving and operating the dredge from Ocean City, Md., through mid-May.
“The fishing industry is more than just a way to make a living – it is part of the Outer Banks cultural heritage and brings millions of dollars to North Carolina every year,” said Gov. Perdue. “It’s not just fishing jobs at stake if the inlet closes – it’s our tourism, our restaurants, our packing houses and our maintenance yards. I am committed to working with the Corps and local officials to protect those jobs and keep Oregon Inlet open, but at the end of the day, we need support from the feds.”
Gov. Perdue sent a letter urging officials in Washington to prioritize funding for the Outer Banks dredging operations [attached]. Since the governor’s visit to Nags Head on Monday, her staff has kept the pressure up on North Carolina’s Congressional delegation and White House officials. Today, she urged locals to do the same.
“Washington cannot forget the real people who depend on the fishing industry. They should not ignore the hundreds of millions of dollars that pump into the economy,” the governor said.
The governor has pledged to work with the Dare County Commissioners to find a solution for at least part of the season if the feds don’t come through. “I’m confident we can find a solution to get us through the season, but we have to work together,” she said.
In the meantime, the dredge CURRITUCK will move quickly to open the inlet as much as possible.
Col. Jefferson M. Ryscavage, a commander with the Corps, said, “I visited the Oregon Inlet with Governor Perdue Monday, and understand her concern about the severe shoaling in the inlet. We have scrubbed our dredging schedule. At this time, we have an opportunity to move our split-hull dredge CURRITUCK into Oregon Inlet on the 16th of April. We have sufficient funds to keep CURRITUCK there for 30 days, working 24 hours a day.”
According to the Corps, the advantages of using the CURRITUCK are threefold:
• CURRITUCK is well suited to 24 hour operations, thus it can move about 11,600 cubic yards of material daily, as opposed to the MERRITT’s 6,000 cy/day capacity.
• CURRITUCK is able to carry dredged material further away from the navigation channel, making its dredging efforts more effective.
• CURRITUCK can deposit dredged material in deep water south of the Bonner Bridge navigation span, which can indirectly serve to shore up the bridge structure.
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