Commissioners urged to accept Corps' dredge box as mariners run aground at Oregon Inlet

Vice Chairman Bob House and other commissioners raised navigation concerns at Oregon Inlet at the June 15 special meeting, saying recent north‑northeast winds and changes to the dredge box have left the inlet's bar unstable and contributed to at least two reported groundings.

Vice Chairman Bob House described a dispute between the local Oregon Inlet Task Force and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the location of a dredge box. "The Corps has proposed a box and ... the Oregon Inlet Task Force would rather have the box in a different location and the Corps has said we're not moving the box," House said. Staff said the Coast Guard has reviewed the Corps' proposed box and is satisfied; the Coast Guard has issued a Notice to Mariners to warn users.

Speakers said the core issue is timing: if the county accepts the Corps' assigned dredge box and the contractor submits the survey with the box, dredging can proceed; if the county continues disputing the box's location, dredging and permitting will be delayed. A staff member advised that the contractor can download the Corps' box into survey computers to begin dredging once permitted.

Board members also discussed temporary measures. One commissioner asked whether temporary lit buoys could be deployed; staff and the Coast Guard contact said temporary buoys often do not hold on that moving bar and can cause confusion. "The Coast Guard actually puts out a notice to mariners and that's already been put out," a staff member said.

Vice Chairman House and Commissioner Bateman, participating remotely, both urged quick action to allow dredging rather than prolong the dispute over box placement. Staff noted that recent wave action had added sand to the bars and complicated immediate remediation.

The board did not take a formal vote on dredge policy at the special meeting but recorded the discussion and direction for follow up with federal partners and the Coast Guard. Staff said they would continue coordination to resolve the dredge box dispute and to seek ways to reduce navigation risk in the near term.