CRC Science Panel discusses what to include in hardened structure report

By Kip Tabb | Outer Banks Voice on May 29, 2026

Coastal Resources Commission Science Panel members at their May 27 meeting.

By Kip Tabb | Outer Banks Voice

Tasked by the Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) with producing a draft report on hardened shoreline structures for their June 18 meeting, the CRC Science Panel met on Wednesday, May 27 to discuss what the report would look like.

In a wide-ranging discussion and work session that lasted over five hours, the panel developed an outline of what would be included in the draft report. Of particular concern to the panel was the need to limit the report to “approaches that might be used or have been used on open ocean coastlines” said Science Panel Chair Laura Moore, UNC-Chapel Hill Professor of Environmental Sciences.

As the panel’s work continues, there is a bill in the North Carolina Senate (SB 1009) that would repeal the state’s current ban on hardened structures for shoreline protection. The Outer Banks Voice – Currituck Commissioners to support repeal of NC’s hardened structures ban

Excluded from that report would be jetties and bulkheads, with Moore commenting that jetties in particular, “aren’t really erosion control structures for the open ocean coast.”

Spencer Rogers with North Carolina Sea Grant added that “jetties are for navigation purposes, stabilizing…channels” and that the term is “often misused as employed for the shoreline.” Groins are used for shoreline protection and panel members felt it was important to communicate the difference between a jetty and groin.

Although no final decision was made about what hardened structures would be included the final report, it was apparent from the panel’s discussion that groins and sandbags would be. Other structures, such as breakwaters and offshore reefs were discussed, but panelists were concerned that the ocean energy along the North Carolina coast made them impractical.

During the discussion, the panel seemed to favor including sandbags as hardened structures, Coastal Studies Institute Executive Director Reide Corbett made a point of calling attention to the issue.

“I think there’s a misconception that sandbags aren’t hardened structures, and there are lots of places where we’ve had sandbags along North Carolina shorelines for several years,” he said. “It would be interesting to have the opportunity at the time to zoom in on some of those along North Carolina to look at the changes…around those shorelines.”

There was also discussion about whether the report should include an economic impact report looking at the use of hardened structures. “There’s no beach, there’s no tourist economy,” Rogers noted.

The panel in general had concerns about the effect a groin could have on the downdrift side of the structure. Moore wondered if “it would be instructive to include an example of a groin used on the ocean coastline…where groins have been successful. It’s always sort of a cape or where the shoreline is bending around, and it’s not right in the middle of the long-shore extended barrier.”

And there was also some discussion about how to communicate the findings of the panel.

“I tend to have a little bit of heartburn with the word protect, because protect and protection implies something that maybe isn’t guaranteed,” stated Greg Williams, an Assistant Professor of Practice in Coastal Engineering at UNC Wilmington.