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REPORT OF THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS ON REVIEW OF REPORTS HERETOFORE SUBMITTED ON CHANNEL FROM PAMLICO SOUND TO BEAUFORT, N. C., WITH ILLUSTRATION

WAR DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS,
Washington, March 17, 1936.

Hon. J. J. MANSFIELD,

Chairman, Committee on Rivers and Harbors,

House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

MY DEAR MR. MANSFIELD: 1. The Committee on Rivers and Harbors of the House of Representatives, by a resolution adopted March 14, 1935, requested the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors to review the reports heretofore submitted on waterway connecting Pamlico Sound and Beaufort Harbor, N. C., with a view to determining if further improvement is advisable at the present time. I enclose herewith the report of the Board in response thereto. 2. The waterway under consideration extends from Pamlico Sound southwesterly through the shallow coastal waterways known as Wainwright Slough, Core Sound, The Straits, and Taylors Creek to Beaufort Harbor, a distance of 361⁄2 miles. Core Sound, the largest of these, is 2 to 4 miles wide and 23 miles long. Pamlico Sound is not subject to lunar tides. The mean tidal variation at Beaufort is 2%1⁄2 feet. The improvement authorized by Congress provides for channels 7 feet deep and 75 feet wide through the shoal areas to connect the deeper sections of the natural waterways, and was completed in 1934. The total cost to June 30, 1935, was $87,655.04 for new work and $48,841.68 for maintenance. The further improvements now desired are side channels of 7 feet depth to the frontages of the towns of Atlantic, Sealevel, and Davis, located on the westerly shore of Core Sound.

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3. The waterway serves a number of small agricultural and fishing communities on the barrier beaches and the adjoining mainland. Atlantic, with 685 inhabitants, is the most northerly and the largest of these communities. It is on the mainland, some 30 miles northeast of Beaufort, and is the terminus of a paved highway extending from Beaufort along the west shore of the sound. The commerce on the waterway in 1934 totaled 21,489 tons, chiefly marine products carried in motor and sail vessels drawing up to 9 feet.

4. The Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, after consider ing the reports of the district and division engineers and the additions. information presented by local interests at a hearing before the Board, finds that a channel to the frontage of Atlantic, which is the largest of the three communities and is closer to the fishing grounds, will provide adequately for the general needs of the locality. Boats of the fishing fleet are now unable to reach terminals along the mainland shore of Core Sound when fully loaded. A channel to the town of Atlantic, estimated to cost $13,000, will facilitate the marketing of sea foods and be of substantial benefit to the barrier island communities dependent upon Atlantic for mail and supply services. The Board considers the general benefits of this improvement to be com mensurate with the comparatively small expenditure required, and recommends modification of the existing project for waterway connecting Pamlico Sound and Beaufort Harbor, N. C., to provide a channel 7 feet deep and 75 feet wide from the main channel in Core Sound to the town of Atlantic, at an estimated cost of $13,000 for new work and $750 annually for maintenance in addition to that now required; provided local interests furnish, free of cost to the United States, spoil-disposal areas as needed for new work and subsequent maintenance.

5. After due consideration of these reports I concur in the views and recommendations of the Board.

Very truly yours,

E. M. MARKHAM,
Major General,
Chief of Engineers.

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS WAR DEPARTMENT,

BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR RIVERS AND HARBORS,

Washington, D. C., February 28, 1936. Subject: Waterway connecting Pamlico Sound and Beaufort Harbor, N. C.

To: The Chief of Engineers, United States Army.

1. This report is in response to the following resolution, adopted March 14, 1935:

Resolved by the Committee on Rivers and Harbors of the House of Representat United States, That the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors created un section 3 of the River and Harbor Act, approved June 13, 1902, be, and is here requested to review the reports heretofore submitted on waterway connecti Painlico Sound and Beaufort Harbor, North Carolina, with a view to determining if further improvement is advisable at the present time.

2. The waterway under consideration extends from Pamlico Soun southwesterly through the shallow coastal waterways known

Wainwright Slough, Core Sound, The Straits, and Taylors Creek to Beaufort Harbor, a distance of 36%1⁄2 miles. Core Sound, the largest of these, is 2 to 4 miles wide and 23 miles long. Pamlico Sound is not subject to lunar tides. The mean tidal variation at Beaufort is 2% feet. The improvement authorized by Congress provides for channels 7 feet deep and 75 feet wide through the shoal areas to connect the deeper sections of the natural waterways and was completed in 1934. The total cost to June 30, 1935, was $87,665.04 for new work and $48,841.68 for maintenance. Local interests in 1914 contributed $10,000 toward the cost of that part of the channel connecting Beaufort Harbor and Core Sound. The Federally improved inland waterway from Norfolk, Va., to Beaufort Inlet, Ñ. C., with project depth of 12 feet, also joins Pamlico Sound and Beaufort Harbor, following a route farther inland.

3. The waterway connecting Pamlico Sound and Beaufort Inlet serves a number of small agricultural and fishing communities on the barrier beaches and the adjoining mainland. Atlantic, with 685 inhabitants, is the most northerly and the largest of these communities. It is located on the mainland, some 30 miles northeast of Beaufort, and is the terminus of a paved highway extending from Beaufort along the north shore of the sound. The commerce on the waterway in 1934 totaled 21,489 tons, chiefly marine products, carried in motor and sail vessels drawing up to 9 feet.

4. The natural and improved channels through Core Sound are generally located some distance from shore. To afford access to the wharves by vessels loaded to the full draft permitted by the project channels, local interests request that the United States dredge a side channel 7 feet deep and of suitable width to the frontage of the town of Atlantic; and a similar channel to the wharves at Sealevel, a small town on the west shore of Core Sound some 5 miles southwest of Atlantic. They claim that these improvements will facilitate the marketing of the local fish catch, reduce losses due to spoilage, and afford substantial transportation economies. Aside from the furnishing of spoil-disposal areas, no offer of local cooperation was made.

5. The district engineer notes that while the improvements desired are in the nature of auxiliary channels for terminal purposes, local interests are financially unable to undertake their construction. He believes that improvement at only one locality is warranted at the present time, and considers that Atlantic, which is the larger of the two communities and is closer to the fishing grounds, is best located to serve the needs of commerce. A channel 7 feet deep and 75 feet wide from deep water in Core Sound to and along the frontage of the village of Atlantic is estimated to cost $13,000 for new work and $750 annually for maintenance. The district engineer estimates that the improvement would afford transportation savings of $7,500 annually by enabling fishermen to unload their catch at Atlantic for reshipment by truck to the markets at Beaufort and Morehead City Instead of carrying the fish direct to the market by boat as at present. The deeper channel would also afford some transportation economies n the movement of approximately 150,000 gallons of oil and gasoline annually to Atlantic, and would facilitate the transportation of passengers, mail, and freight between Atlantic and communities on the barrier islands. He concludes that the improvement is worthy of prosecution by the United States, and so recommends. The division

engineer points out that the extension of wharves or other terminals to existing deep water in Core Sound would require expenditures prohibitive to a small community. He concurs in the view that Atlantic is the point best suited to the provision of some suitable method of giving access to the shore for boats using the sound, and particularly for the prompt marketing of sea food. He recommends modification of the existing project for a waterway connecting Pamlico Sound and Beaufort Harbor, N. C., to provide a channel 7 feet deep and 75 feet wide from the main channel in Core Sound to the town of Atlantic, at an estimated cost of $13,000 for new work and $750 annually for maintenance in addition to that now required; provided local interests furnish all lands needed for the improvement. 6. Local interests were advised of the nature of the division engineer's report and invited to present additional information to the Board. At their request a hearing was held at which the benefits of improved channels leading to the towns of Atlantic, Sealevel, and Davis were emphasized.

VIEWS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE BOARD OF ENGINEERS FOR

RIVERS AND HARBORS

7. The Board concurs in general with the reporting officers. Boats of the fishing fleet are now unable to reach terminals along the mainland shore of Core Sound when fully loaded. The proposed channel to the frontage of the town of Atlantic will facilitate the marketing of sea foods and be of substantial benefit to the barrier island communities dependent upon Atlantic for mail and supply services. The Board considers the general benefits of this improvement to be commensurate with the comparatively small expenditure required. It therefore reports, in compliance with the committee resolution, that further improvement of the Waterway connecting Pamlico Sound and Beaufort Harbor, N. C., is advisable, and recommends modification of the existing project to provide a channel 7 feet deep and 75 feet wide from the main channel in Core Sound to the town of Atlantic, at an estimated cost of $13,000 for new work and $750 annually for maintenance in addition to that now required; provided local interests furnish, free of cost to the United States, spoil-disposal areas as needed for new work and subsequent maintenance. For the Board:

G. B. PILLSBURY,
Brigadier General, Corps of Engineers,

Senior Member.

REPORT OF THE DIVISION ENGINEER

SYLLABUS

The division engineer recommends that the existing project for waterws connecting Pamlico Sound and Beaufort Harbor, N. C., be modified so as to pr vide for a channel 7 feet deep and 75 feet wide from the main channel in Ce Sound to the town of Atlantic at an estimated cost of $13,000, with $750 annusi for maintenance, subject to the condition that local interests furnish all lan needed for the improvement.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

OFFICE OF THE DIVISION ENGINEER,

SOUTH ATLANTIC DIVISION,
Richmond, Va., August 3, 1935.

Subject: Review of reports on waterway connecting Pamlico Sound and Beaufort Harbor, N. C.

To: The Chief of Engineers, United States Army.

AUTHORITY

1. This report is submitted in compliance with the following resolution adopted March 14, 1935:

Resolved by the Committee on Rivers and Harbors of the House of Representatives, United States, That the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors created under section 3 of the River and Harbor Act, approved June 13, 1902, be, and is hereby, requested to review the reports heretofore submitted on waterway connecting Pamlico Sound and Beaufort Harbor, N. C., with a view to determining if further improvement is advisable at the present time.

REPORTS UNDER REVIEW

2. Only two reports have been submitted on this waterway as a whole, as follows:

The River and Harbor Act of August 18, 1894, provided for a preliminary examination of "Core Sound, (N. C.) from the mouth of North River to Beaufort Harbor, and Cape Lookout Harbor of Refuge, with a view to improvement of navigation." The report was unfavorable and is published in House Document No. 333, Fifty-third Congress, third session.

The River and Harbor Act of July 3, 1930, directed a preliminary examination and survey of "Channel from Pamlico Sound near the mouth of Neuse River to Beaufort, N. C., by way of Swan Point, Cedar Island Bay, Thoroughfare Cut, Thoroughfare Bay, Core Sound, touching at Atlantic wharves and to run through Mill Point Shoal by Sealevel, across to Piney Point and touching the wharves of the various communities through the Straits and Taylors Creek Cut with a view of securing a depth of 7 feet with suitable width." The reports on preliminary examination and survey were printed in House Document No. 485, Seventy-second Congress, second session, and form the basis of the existing project. The Chief of Engineers stated that the branch channels to reach the villages and communities in the waterway would be essentially for local benefit and that they should be provided by local interests as required to meet their needs.

DESCRIPTION

3. The waterway begins at the southeast corner of Pamlico Sound and passes southwesterly through Wainwright Slue, Core Sound, the Straits, and Taylors Creek to Beaufort Harbor, a total length of 36.5 miles. Core Sound is a shallow body of water separated from the ocean by a narrow barrier beach. The sound is from 2 to 4 miles wide and about 23 miles long. The channel has a mean low-water depth of 7 feet and a width of 75 feet from Pamlico Sound to Beaufort.

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