We do a lot of work on seawalls in North Carolina, and we frequently get questions about the seawall ban here. There is some understandable confusion about which types of seawalls are prohibited, so we thought we’d clear up the issue here.
Protecting North Carolina Beaches
The seawall ban was set in place by the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission in the late 1970s to protect NC’s beaches. The rules are based on evidence that hardened structures intended to buildings can actually accelerate beach erosion.
Donna Moffitt, director of the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management, explains:
“People want to come to the shore for a sandy beach. We can’t sacrifice a sandy beach that is going to bring in lots of tourists and lots of tourists’ dollars to protect one person’s investment. Our goal is to protect the state’s long-term investment, which means protecting sandy beaches.”
In other words, the ban is on seawalls on new construction directly on the Atlantic ocean. The majority of our work is protecting waterways and developments further inland, so the ban does not affect our day-to-day operations.
Respecting Mother Nature with the “Green” Seawall Alternative
It’s always important to balance the needs of property owners with those of the public, particularly since Mother Nature has her own designs. At the end of the day, Mother Nature’s will wins out regardless of what we humans try and erect to control her. Respecting her power is critical to preparing for what she can throw at us.
That’s why at Everlast Seawalls we use environmentally-friendly materials and methods to build seawalls and lakewalls that help protect waterways, canals, developments, and even golf courses.
Rather than use wood, which rots over time, is susceptible to marine borers, and puts demands on our nation’s forests, we use a “green” alternative made of recycled material. As an added benefit, this means there is no need to treat our products with CCA (copper, chromium, and arsenic), so there are NO added chemicals that can leach into the water. This is a more ecologically-sensitive approach to seawall construction than typically practiced.
Additionally, our seawalls are much easier and faster to install, and far less disruptive to the surrounding environment.
Leaders in North Carolina Seawall Services
Everlast Seawalls offers an environmentally-friendly, cost-effective alternative for protecting both the public and property owners from Mother Nature. The art and science comes in engineering systems that respect marine environments and stand the test of time.
Please let us know if we can answer any of your questions. We offer free estimates and competitive pricing. We look forward to hearing about your project!
Recent North Carolina seawall projects:
Designing Retention Pond Lakewalls in Jacksonville, NC
Installing EverComp at Helms Port Marina in Wilmington, NC
Innsbrook Golf & Boat Club in Albemarle, NC
Image attributed to Learn NC, K-12 Teaching and Learning from the UNC School of Education.