Washington, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Mike McIntyre announced today that $16,939,250 in federal funds will be invested to dredge the Inner Ocean Bar of the Wilmington Harbor and deposit sand onto Bald Head Island. Approximately 1.8 million cubic yards of material will be dredged from the navigation channel and placed onto the beach.

Congressman McIntyre successfully advocated for funds to dredge the Wilmington Harbor with the passage of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012.

Congressman McIntyre stated, “I am pleased that with these funds we can achieve two important goals; maintain the navigation channel at the Inner Ocean Bar and address the alarming erosion at Bald Head Island. These dollars are critical to maintain the commercial traffic in and out of the Port of Wilmington and to protect the beach at Bald Head. This is a win-win for the Cape Fear Coast.”

Congressman McIntyre continued, “I greatly appreciate the partnership of the Wilmington District Office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in maintaining and improving the waterway.  The continued success of the Cape Fear Coast would not be possible without the work that they do.”

Sand placement could begin as early as the beginning of January; however the schedule has yet to be finalized. The window in which the dredging can be conducted stretches from November 16th until April 30th.

Congressman McIntyre is the Co-Chairman and founder of the Congressional Waterways Caucus and has long been a supporter of investments to coastal infrastructure and efforts to prevent coastal erosion.