Project Summary

1. Project Identification

Name	Wilmington Harbor Ocean Bar Channel
Region	Southeast
State	North Carolina
Location	Wilmington, NC
Date of this update	8/3/99

2. Problem(s) addressed (check one or more)

Habitat Restoration/Protection
Wetlands
River systems
Beaches/Dunes
Offshore areas
Mangroves
Assisting Species at Risk
Pollution Mitigation
Non-Point Source Pollution
Other (describe)

3. Project Description (100 words or less. Please include qualitative information, e.g. acres of habitat restored, miles of steam reopened to migration, and legislative authorization, e.g. WRDA, ISTEA, CWA/NEP, CZMA, etc.)

The dredging of substantial quantities of rock from the Wilmington Harbor Ocean Bar Channel provides a unique opportunity to construct a fisheries enhancement structure. The WOFES was designed to enhance attributes and features that would provide habitat and attract fish. Physical factors which are believed to optimize fisheries utilizations include type of material used, shape, orientation to currents, vertical relief, side slopes, and general size. The mixture of fossiliferous limestone rock (basketball sized to golf ball sized) and finer grained materials will provide habitat complexity and structure stability. The shape of the WOFES was designed to create a harboring effect from currents, allowing fish a "lee" area to occupy.

4. Goals/Benefits (quantify where possible using measures of success list) Was a cost-benefit study conducted for this project? yes/no If yes, provide a summary of findings.

The WOFES will be an artificial reef, constructed with "natural" dredged materials. It is expected to have a beneficial effect on recreational fishing. The fish species likely to utilize the WOFES are desirable recreational catch. The location is reasonably close enough to the Cape Fear River Inlet and shore to provide recreational access to small boats. Because of the large size of the WOFES, fisheries resources sufficient to maintain commercial fishing benefits may develop.

5. Partners (include each participant's responsibilities - funding, permitting, etc.)

• Federal

  National Marine fisheries Service (technical support)
  EPA
  US Army corps of Engineers

• Non-Federal

  State government

  NC Dep of Env. Health and Natural Resources(tech support)
  NC Office of Water Resources(funding support)
  NC Sea Grant Program(public outreach/education support)

  Local government
  Private industry
  Public interest groups
  Educational Facility

  U of NC at Wilmington(technical support,outreach/education)

  Other partnerships

6. Funding/Contributions (organization and amount)

• Cash

  Federal
  Non Federal	State government
  	Local government
  	Private industry
  	Public interest groups
  Total		$14,000

• In-Kind Services (hours, equipment, or other forms of assistance and estimated dollar value)

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• Volunteers (number of people and hours, and estimated dollar value)

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7. Legislative authorities used by each participant

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8. Value added by Coastal America Partnership including Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) goals achieved through this collaboration (500 words or less)

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9. Project Status

Initiation date	5/95
Completion date	5/96
Current stage	Complete

10. Contacts

• Project Manager

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• Participating Agency/Organization Contacts: (e.g. volunteer groups, conservation groups, state agencies, and other federal agency contacts)

11. Any additional information/comments

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This page was last updated on Saturday, 24-Jun-2000 11:48:49 EDT
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