Dare County, NC
A decade-long partnership advances long-term sand management, delivering feasibility assessments, offshore borrow area development, and major nourishment initiatives to strengthen and maintain vulnerable shorelines.
At a Glance
Since 2013, CSE has partnered with Dare County to advance durable coastal management that reduces chronic erosion and protects critical infrastructure. Work includes feasibility studies, offshore sand resource development, and delivery of major nourishment projects. Ongoing planning extends sediment sourcing and renourishment strategies while rehabilitating shoreline structures to strengthen long-term beach resilience.
Confronting County-Wide Long-Term Shoreline Erosion Risks
Dare County faces persistent shoreline erosion and flooding that threaten critical transportation corridors, public utilities, and community assets. High annual sand losses require sustainable restoration and maintenance strategies rather than one-time emergency responses. The County needed a long-term, cost-effective approach to secure reliable sand resources, coordinate regulatory requirements, and strengthen coastal resilience for decades to come.
A Multi-Project, Long-Term Approach to Coastal Resilience
The approach combined detailed erosion assessments, offshore sediment investigations, and feasibility planning to develop sustainable 5- and 10-year restoration strategies. Expanded sand searches secured compatible resources for multiple future renourishment cycles, improving cost efficiency. Successive nourishment projects, monitoring, regulatory coordination, and targeted infrastructure upgrades now reinforce long-term shoreline stability.
Structuring Lasting Shoreline Restoration
Dare County's long-term coastal program has restored vulnerable shorelines through major nourishment projects backed by rigorous engineering, permitting, and monitoring. Expanded offshore sand planning secures sediment supplies through at least 2040, improving efficiency and reducing lifecycle costs. Ongoing structural rehabilitation and adaptive management provide a durable framework to protect infrastructure, habitat, and public access for decades ahead.
Project Transformation
See the dramatic difference our coastal engineering solutions made.
Years of strategic planning, nourishment, and adaptive management transformed vulnerable shorelines into a resilient coastal system that protects communities while reducing long-term restoration costs.
"Working within local jurisdiction, CSE partners with the County to plan and implement shoreline stabilization projects that protect highways, transportation facilities, health clinics, and other critical infrastructure."
Patrick Barrineau
CSE/Project Manager
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