Miss Katie arrives in Hatteras village for her first Hatteras Inlet dredging event

By on January 27, 2023

By Joy Crist | Island Free Press

(Photo by EJE Dredging Service)

Dare County’s own dredge, theĀ Miss Katie, arrived in Hatteras village on Thursday, January 26, in order to conduct a maintenance dredging event in Hatteras Inlet’s Connector Channel over the next few days.

ā€œThe dredge is there, and it’s supposed to start working this morning,ā€ said Dare County Waterways Commission Chairman Steve ā€œCreatureā€ Coulter. ā€œWe asked for 7 to 10 days, but we’re not sure how long it will dredge – it looks like they will have good wind and weather for 5 to 6 days, though.ā€

The Connector Channel is currently navigable for mariners, with depths in the 7-8 ft. range, and it’s hopeful that this dredging event will keep it that way in the months to come.

ā€œWe’re not having any problem with the Connector Channel, we just need to widen it, deepen, it, and get it ready for the summer so we don’t have a problem,ā€ said Coulter. ā€œHopefully, we’ll see really good results, and will move some material out of the area instead of just moving it around, which can happen with the [US Army Corps of Engineers’] sidecaster dredge.ā€

ā€œTheĀ Miss Katie is a hopper dredge,ā€ added Coulter. ā€œShe has the capability to do sidecasting, but that’s not what she’ll be doing this time. She’ll be picking up the sand and dumping it in the ocean.ā€

The construction and acquisition of theĀ Miss KatieĀ dredge was a county-launched project that took years to come to fruition.

In the mid-2010s, an idea started to float that the county should buy its own dredge to target areas as needed, without relying on the Corps’ schedule and availability.

In 2019, the Dare County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a contract for the construction and operation of a new shallow-draft hopper dredge for use in the various channels and inlets throughout the county.

The 156-foot dredge, christened onĀ October 13 at a ceremony in Wanchese, is the result of a public-private partnership with Greenville, N.C.-based EJE Dredging Service, and theĀ Miss KatieĀ was built with a $15 million allocation from the state Shallow Draft Navigation fund.

EJE owns and operates theĀ Miss Katie, and the Oregon Inlet Task Force has been charged by Dare County to manage the dredge, including its operation schedule and project monitoring. The vessel is able to operate in both Oregon and Hatteras Inlets for up to 12 hours a day, and will be a county-managed resource to continually keep both inlets open in the years to come.

TheĀ Miss KatieĀ has already been at work in Oregon Inlet since the fall of 2022, and this is the first time that she will tackle the channels of Hatteras Inlet.

ā€œHopefully, we’re going to use her for maintenance issues, [not emergencies],ā€ said Coulter. ā€œWe mentioned that may want to do one more dredging event at the end of March, too, right before the season starts.ā€

Dare County Commissioner and Waterways Commissioner Danny Counch said that the arrival of theĀ Miss KatieĀ in Hatteras was a good sign for the spring and summer fishing seasons to come.

ā€œIt’s a gift,ā€ he said. ā€œThis is important, because we have four tournaments in Hatteras Inlet [in the summer], and these boats need to know now if they can get in and out. They want to make their plans, and do so confidently, and now they can.ā€

ā€œWe’ve had a lame-duck status for the last couple of years due to the channel and COVID, but this is a new beginning,ā€ added Couch. ā€œIt’s time we start making a name for ourselves as a destination, and as a player for these big [East Coast] tournaments, and that’s what this dredge is going to do for us. We’re seeing some of these dreams finally come true.ā€


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Notice of Public Auction

The public will take notice that the Dare County Tourism Board, at its meeting of October 20, 2022, adopted Resolution 2022-5 authorizing the sale of surplus personal property by public auction.

Saturday, April 1, 2023.

6708 S. Croatan Highway

Nags Head, NC 27959

10am: Back of the House Auction – Complete Commercial Kitchen

Partial List: True refrigerators and coolers, Hatco drawer warmers, Hobart mixer, Vulcan, 6 & 10 burner gas ovens/stoves, Vulcan 2 basket gas fryer, Vulcan 2-door oven, stainless prep tables, DCS 6 burner LPAS range & oven, Hobart dishwasher, pots & pans & more.

2pm: Front of the House Auction – Selling Everything in the Building + Architectural Salvage by room

Partial List: Antique ships wheel chandelier, Nautical & pirate decor, sword & pistol displays, polyword tables & chairs, ship models, nautical lanterns, art, commercial bar equipment, tables and chairs, NC decoys, fish mounts, signal cannon, architectural salvage, Several bars, pirate bar & more.

Preview 3/31: 11 AM – 5 PM & Auction Day starting @ 9am
Online Absentee Bidding Catalog Closes: 3/31 @ 8pm
Catalog + Thousands of photos @ SSAOBX.HIBID.COM
Island Auction Co. (252)489-5513 – Jason P. Humphries, Auctioneer NCAL #8423
Visa / MC / Cash / Good Check – NC Sales Tax, 15% Buyers Premium



Comments

  • Roy

    Why was the dredge built without the ability to be used for beach replenishment? Now that Rhodanthe is in great need of beach replenishment and Dare County does not have the funds to pay for it, a duel use dredge would be an asset.

    Saturday, Jan 28 @ 10:17 am
  • Steven S.

    Tourism board has plenty of money to pay for nourishment, just do away with that organization and use those funds. Win win for everyone.

    Saturday, Jan 28 @ 8:10 pm