Against the Tide

Every year millions of people flock to the state's eastern shore -- from the Outer Banks to the southern coastline -- to experience the amenities of small coastal towns and relatively uncrowded shores.

But behind the many attractions N.C. beaches offer, there is an ongoing battle between beachfront property owners and nature -- a struggle marked by coastal erosion and human attempts to combat it.

A natural and constant process, coastal erosion is the biggest enemy to beachfront properties that often brings sweeping changes.

Beaches are constantly shifting and changing shape, providing an unstable foundation for any structure on its sands.

Erosion adds to this fluctuating environment by redepositing sand from one location to another.

Jack Hall, director of environmental studies at UNC-Wilmington, said several factors such as hurricanes and smaller storms cause the erosion of shorelines by washing sand offshore into deeper waters, never to return to the coastline.

Hall said that along the East Coast, the largest mover of sand is long shore transport - a process involving waves and currents that shift sand north to south.

Erosion can be easily identified by the changes in beach topography around a building that has been constructed near a shoreline. Ocean waves take sand away from buildings, eroding away the land underneath the property and eventually undermining its foundation.

"Beaches move; houses don't," Hall said. "Plain and simple."

At the northern tip of Wrightsville Beach, where erosion and several hurricanes have shifted Mason's Inlet about a quarter of a mile south since the 1980s and threaten to destroy Shell Island Resort, property owners are not relying on the state to protect their property.

Shell Island Resort is a $22 million property that offers an oceanfront view of Mason's Inlet and the eroding shoreline that threatens to destroy it.

Charles Casteen, condo owner and member of the board of directors at the resort, said several hurricanes and coastal erosion have diminished the distance from the resort to the water from a quarter of a mile to 65 feet.

Sandbags were installed near the edge of the resort's foundation to ward off imminent erosion, but they provide only limited protection. Several types of hard stabilization such as seawalls, which are structures constructed parallel to the shore and range from concrete walls to piles of large rocks and jetties, which are perpendicular to the shore, can temporarily prevent coastal erosion.

Hall describes seawalls as structures that encompass beach property and serve to shield the sand behind it but, in reality, destroy the beach around it. He added that sand in front of a seawall disappears quickly because constant wave action "bounces" off the seawall, carrying away sand to deeper waters. "(Seawalls) protect the structure, but destroy everything around them," Hall said. "(It will) block long shore transport. The waves are still rolling, and they carry sand away. There is no resupply."

But hard stabilization of any type is prohibited by law in North Carolina, and Casteen said the only alternative is dredging -- a process that involves moving sand from one location to the spot affected by erosion.

The Home Owners Association, composed of people who own property near and at the resort, proposed a dredging project to relocate Mason's Inlet 3,000 feet north in an attempt to salvage the resort, Hall said.

Casteen has owned a condo at Shell Island Resort for 10 years and said the extreme erosion of the island took him by surprise. "Not in my wildest dreams did I think it would be a threat."

When N.C. beachfront property owners face the dilemma of erosion, there are few options to protect their investments that do not involve public funds because of the high cost of stemming erosion. But the project at Mason's Inlet is unique because no taxpayer money will go toward the expense and will be funded by the property owners.

Despite the private funding and lack of state involvement, the proposed project has created controversy among N.C. lawmakers, condominium owners and environmentalists.

Environmentalist protesters have caused a delay in the project and raised awareness of marine species, like the Piping Plover and the sea turtle, that could be harmed if the plan is enacted.

The Piping Plover, a rare and endangered bird, has been spotted at Mason's Inlet, and environmentalists are concerned that dredging would destroy the species located there. They also are worried that dredging would disrupt the sea turtle nesting season.

Carol Giachetti, property manager for the association, said the Piping Plover might choose to winter at Shell Island, so the association is waiting for a permit to start the dredging.

She also said business at the resort has declined because of the rapidly eroding inlet, causing a drop in tourism revenue for the state. "There were a lot of different factors -- erosion, bad publicity and hurricanes," she said. "We sustained a great amount of damage. We were forced to close down at one time for 1 1/2 years."

Despite an estimated project cost of more than $4 million, Casteen said the expansion of the shoreline would not only benefit the resort but the public would "enjoy a contiguous piece of beach."

But private funding is not an option for all coastal communities who must look to the state for aid. Joan Altman, mayor of Oak Island, said the looming N.C. budget deficit will severely limit beach preservation this year.

The N.C. Legislative Research Committee is a standing body that authorizes other committees to deal with coastal issues. Altman said she is waiting for a legislator to propose a bill considered by a legislative committee that will establish a $12 million fund that "will be used to help localities with renourishment."

Altman added that beach nourishment would restore the eroded sand.

"If economically feasible, it's a good way to deal with the problem," she said. "It's been a tight year. Perhaps it's not a good year to start (action) but it's a good year to start talking."

Seventy percent of federal money pays for renourishment projects, 20 percent is covered by the state and 10 percent comes from local governments, Hall said.

While coastal communities continue to grow at a rapid pace, the state is forced to find solutions for eroding beaches. Hall said the beach is the most hazardous place to construct a building but added that many people are unaware of the dangers. "In many cases, people don't know what they're buying.

"Geologically, it's not the best thing in the world to do. Economically, it makes a lot of sense," Hall said. "Property owners are covered by insurance. The loss is passed on to (taxpayers)."

In addition, he suggested that potential beachfront property owners should contact a state agency that will identify any erosion problems.

Casteen, who was born and raised in Wilmington, said he remembers when Shell Island was nothing but sand dunes and was surprised when buildings started to be erected.

"I was really sick about it," he said. "But then I thought - what the hell? I'll buy a piece of it."

Casteen attributed his being a Wilmington native and a love of nature as reasons for purchasing oceanfront property but warned about the consequences.

"I've learned a valuable lesson," he said. "If you can't afford to gamble, you shouldn't invest money in beachfront property."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.