Best Restored Beach Award Goes to North Topsail Beach (USA)

The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) announced recently that the Town of North Topsail Beach is a winner of its 2014 Best Restored Beach Award.

“ASBPA created the Best Restored Beach award in 2001 as a way of highlighting the value of America’s restored beaches,” said Harry Simmons, mayor of Caswell Beach, N.C., and ASBPA president. “As Americans flock to our coastline during the upcoming beach season, most don’t even realize they may be enjoying a restored beach.”

The New River Inlet Channel Realignment and Beach Restoration Project, completed in January 2013, was the first phase of North Topsail Beach’s five phase plan which will restore all 11.1 miles of the Town’s shoreline. The Town funded 100% of the permitting and design as well as initial construction of phase one, receiving no matching funds from federal, state, or county governments.

Construction was financed through the Town’s existing beach fund and the rest from special obligation bonds. Despite not having outside funds, the Town saw the construction of the first phase as an absolute necessity.

Mayor Daniel Tuman said: “Curbing the loss of our beach is critical to our future. Wide sandy beaches are our best asset. Not only do they afford our residents and visitors with recreation and access to the ocean, they also protect our properties from storm damage. Economically, they attract visitors from all over the country and globe. They spend money here and help our local and state economy.”

For the last 40 years, beach restoration has been the preferred method of shore protection in coastal communities on the east, west and Gulf coasts. Beach restoration is the process of placing beach-quality sand on dwindling beaches to reverse or offset the effects of erosion.

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Press Release, July 23, 2014