CAROLINA BEACH — The Carolina Beach lake dredging project began nearly three years ago; it was halted midway through the process due to concerns from the federal government about the use of Army property for dredging spoils disposal. Plans have been on hold since mid-2017 as the town has worked to remediate their initial mistakes and locate a new disposal site.
It started as what was called a simple ‘misunderstanding,’ but would soon become the bane of residents, elected leaders, and town staff.
Though the project has been on hiatus, it is still something the town views as a priority as it will hopefully alleviate stormwater flooding issues — unfortunately — there has been little progress.
“The Carolina Beach Lake dredging project began the last week of March 2017, and continued throughout the summer. The project was stopped due to the need to find additional space for placement of the spoils material. The Town is currently exploring options for placement of the remaining material,” according to the town’s most recent update on its website.
Interim Town Manager Ed Parvin confirmed there has been no forward movement with the lake dredging project as of now.
“This project is an essential step we have to take to manage and preserve this natural resource our community enjoys. This area benefits the town as a scenic park that our community and visitors enjoy all year round. It is also home and a habitat to fish and wildlife. Finally, the lake is extremely important as a stormwater management and flood control system for the community. Over the past decade, we have and continue to meticulously work with federal and state agencies and local representatives to develop a plan to dredge the lake that is least impactful to all the stakeholders. Once dredged CB Lake should be able to continue to serve the community at the capacities described above for many more decades,” according to the town’s website.
Read all about the lake dredging project with our previous reporting here:
