Public Notice

SAW-2006-41158

Published July 9, 2015
Expiration date: 8/24/2015

DISCLAIMER: Please download the attached PDF version of this notice for complete information, proper formatting, and inclusion of tables and figures.

PUBLIC NOTICE
Issue Date: July 9, 2015

Comment Deadline:  August 24, 2015

Corps Action ID Number: SAW-2006-41158

All interested parties are herby advised that the Wilmington District, Corps of Engineers (Corps)
is releasing the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the project, known as
Figure Eight Island Shoreline Management Project, with plans to install a terminal groin structure
along the southern shoulder of Rich Inlet and to conduct a supplemental beach nourishment on
approximately 4,500 linear feet of oceanfront beach and 1,400 linear feet of back barrier shoreline
on Figure Eight Island, in New Hanover County, North Carolina.  Specific details and location
information are described below and shown on the attached plan.  The SEIS has been placed on our
webpage, and can be found at 
http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/Missions/RegulatoryPermitProgram/MajorProjects, click on “Figure
Eight Island Terminal Groin Project: Corps ID # SAW-2006-41158”.

Applicant:                            

Figure “8” Beach Homeowners Association, Inc.

C/o: Mr. David Kellam (Administrator)

15 Bridge Road

Wilmington, North Carolina 28411

Engineer Consultant:          

Coastal Planning & Engineering-NC, Inc.

A Shaw Group Company

C/o: Mr. Tom Jarrett

4038 Masonboro Loop Road

Wilmington, North Carolina 28409

Authority
The Corps evaluates this application and decides whether to issue, conditionally issue, or deny the
proposed work pursuant to applicable procedures of the following Statutory Authorities:

X - Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344)

X - Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. 403)

   - Section 103 of the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 (33 U.S.C. 1413)

Location

The project site is located on the northern portion of Figure Eight Island and within the Rich
Inlet Complex, and will encompass approximately 1.0 mile of oceanfront shoreline, and 1,400 linear
feet of back barrier shoreline on Figure Eight Island, New Hanover County, North Carolina.

Nearest Town:  Wilmington
Nearest Waterway:  Atlantic Ocean, Nixon Channel, Green Channel, and the Intracoastal Waterway
Latitude and Longitude:  34-491833 N, 77-419735 W

Existing Site Conditions

Figure Eight Island is an unincorporated privately developed island just north of Wrightsville
Beach.  It is bordered to the south by Mason Inlet and to the north by Rich Inlet, to the west by
the Intracoastal Waterway, and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean.
Rich Inlet and Nixon Channel is the established county boundary of New Hanover and Pender.  The
island is a typical barrier island that has undergone a variety of natural and anthropogenic
changes.  The majority of the residential island has been developed; and over two decades,
authorization has been granted to Figure “8” Beach Homeowners Association (HOA) and to separate
individual property owners for various activities, such as dredging, beach bulldozing, and
shoreline nourishment, within waters of the U.S. Currently, there are (19) waterfront residential
structures that are temporarily protected by sandbag revetments.

Applicant’s Stated Purpose

The stated purpose of the project is to develop a management plan for the central and northern
portion of Figure Eight Island so as to preserve the integrity of its infrastructure, provide
protection to existing development, and ensure the continued use of the oceanfront beach.

Figure Eight Beach HOA has addressed the continuing oceanfront erosion problems associated with
Rich Inlet and Nixon Channel erosion hot-spot on the estuarine side of the island over the past
several decades.  Past actions to protect the shorelines have provided some protection, however
they are seeking a longer term solution to handle shoreline erosion in order to protect the
island’s $907,352,900 (based on the 2012 reappraisal) assessed property tax value. Their stated
needs of the project continue to be the following: 1) Reduce erosion along approximately 2.3 miles
of oceanfront and 0.34 miles of back barrier shorelines, 2) Provide reasonable short-term
protection to residential structures to any unpredicted shoreline change over the next five years,
3) Provide long- term protection to homes and infrastructure over the next 30 years, 4) Maintain
the tax value of homes, properties, and infrastructure, 5) Use beach compatible material, 6)
Maintain navigation conditions within Rich Inlet and Nixon Channel, 7) Maintain recreational resources,

and 8) Balance the needs of the human environment with the protection of existing natural resources.

Project Description

Within the Town’s preferred alternative, known as Alternative 5D, the installation of the terminal
groin is the main component in the protection of the oceanfront shoreline. The location of the
structure will be approximately 420 feet north of the initial location described in the Draft EIS
which was published in the Federal Register (77 FR 29618) on May 18, 2012.  The proposed structure
is just north of the existing homes along the shoulder of Rich Inlet.  Its total length is
approximately 1,500 feet, which approximately 505 feet will project seaward of the 2007 mean high
water shoreline. The landward 995- foot anchor section would extend across the island and terminate
near the Nixon Channel Shoreline. This section will be constructed of 14,000 to 18,000 square feet
of sheet pile with portions of the length wrapped with rock. Although engineering design plans are
not finalized, basic construction design of the seaward 505-foot part of the structure will be in
the form of a typical rubble (rock) mound feature supported by a 1.5-foot thick stone foundation
blanket.  Crest height or elevation of this section is estimated to be +6.0 feet NAVD for the first
400 feet and would slope to a top elevation of +3.0 feet NAVD on the seaward end.  Approximately
16,000 tons of stone would be used to construct the terminal groin.  The concept design of the
structure is intended to allow littoral sand transport to move over, around, and through the groin
once the accretion fillet has completely filled in.

Construction of the terminal groin will be kept within a corridor varying in width from 50 feet to
200 feet.  Within this corridor, a 40-70 foot wide trench will be excavated to a depth of -2.5 feet
NAVD in order to construct the foundation of the landward section.
The approximate 6,000 cubic yards of excavated material will be replaced on and around the
structure once it’s in place.  Material used to build the groin will be barged down the Atlantic
Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW), through Nixon Channel, and either offloaded onto a temporary loading
dock or directly onto shore.  It will then be transported, via dump trucks, within the designated
corridor to the construction site.

Material used for nourishment will be dredged, using a hydraulic cutterhead plant, from a
designated borrow site within Nixon Channel, which has been previously used for beach fill needs.
Approximately 294,500 cubic yards will be required for both the oceanfront (237,500 cubic yards)
and the Nixon Channel shoreline (57,000 cubic yards) fill areas under the 2006 and 2012 shoreline
study conditions.  Beach compatible material from (3) upland disposal islands would serve as a
contingency sediment source.

Engineer modeling results have shown that periodic nourishment will be required approximately once
every five years, or six separate maintenance events over the 30-year study period, to maintain the
beach and Nixon Channel shorelines. The combined 5-year estimated maintenance needs for both areas
are 320,000 cubic yards of material under the 2006 condition and 255,000 cubic yards of material
under 2012 condition, equivalent to approximately 58,000 and 45,000 cubic yards per year respectively.

This material will come from the designated Nixon Channel borrow site and the (3) upland disposal areas.

This notice is to inform interested parties of our issued July 10, 2015 Notice of Availability in
the Federal Register to release the SEIS, which can be found on the Federal Register website at:  
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/collection.action?collectionCode=FR .  After connecting with the
website, click through the dates to July 10, 2015 (Friday).  Click on either “Army Corps of
Engineers Department” or “Army Department”; and locate the Figure Eight Island project.  As stated
above, a copy of the SEIS has been placed on our webpage and can be found at: 
http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/Missions/RegulatoryPermitProgram/MajorProjects, click on
“Figure Eight Island Terminal Groin Project: Corps ID # SAW-2006-41158”.

DISCLAIMER: Please download the attached PDF version of this notice for complete information, proper formatting, and inclusion of tables and figures.