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Eight coastal communities have been awarded a total of nearly $20.1 million for beach nourishment, artificial dunes and other projects to mitigate or remediate coastal storm damage to the ocean beaches and dune systems of the state.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources announced Tuesday the awards from the Coastal Storm Damage Mitigation Fund.

Four of the eight projects are in Dare County.

The state budget approved in 2021 allocated $18 million to the Coastal Storm Damage Mitigation Fund. Division of Water Resources added unexpended grant funds that were returned to the state to fund this round of projects.

The following project proposals are approved for funding:

• Pine Knoll Shores sand fencing, $90,400
• Topsail Beach dune planting project, $109,100
• Nags Head dune planting, $300,000
• Oak Island beach management plan, $965,000
• North Dare County multi-town beach nourishment, $1 million
• Beach nourishment to Protect N.C. 12, Buxton, Dare County, $1.56 million
• Avon Village beach nourishment, Dare County, $5.58 million
• North Topsail Phase 4 and 5 nourishment, $10.5 million

Local governments are to supply matching funds of a total $38,931,398 for the awarded projects.

Division of Water Resources awarded all eight project applications that were received. Applications were scored on six criteria, including environmental benefits, social benefits, economic benefits, life of the project, financial resources and project efficiency.

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