DRUM INLET/ NEW DRUM INLET

Contents

Story
Decoys
Credits

🟡 LIMITED RESEARCH VOLUME

OWNERS

U.S.-NationalPark Service

OTHER ASSOCIATIONS


LOCATION
Separating North and South Core Banks

Story

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Private photo taken from pilings of Station Atlantic #189-of New Drum Inlet creation by detonation

Drum Inlet

Drum Inlet was an opening through Core Banks about 20 miles southwest of Ocracoke.  The existing Inlet was opened during the hurricane of September, 1933.  Originally, the inlet was 2,200 feet wide and about 19 feet deep in the gorge.  The Inlet migrated 1.5 miles southwest of its original position, according to the Final Environmental Impact report.  Old Drum Inlet had closed from natural forces.  “Based on a 50-year project life”, the project planned to provide a functional channel 150 feet wide and 7 feet gorge depth.

The best trawl-fishing areas along the North Carolina coast served about 50 vessels from this area.  After exploding the initial opening, dredging finished creating the project.  Spoil was strategically placed to create a salt-water cord grass (Spartina altrniflora) marsh thought to become self-sustaining within 2-3 years. Changes in local and overall water salinity were anticipated.

52,000 lbs. of dynamite were exploded on Dec. 23, 1971 and gave the Banks a start at a new inlet.  The Inlet widened spontaneously to 1,000 feet wide from an original 75 feet but over time has narrowed and shallowed. (from NPS file data)

Project description.

Drum Inlet, presently closed to navigation, is located along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, about 25 miles northeast of Cape Lookout.
The project provides for modifications to the existing navigation project, which will include a channel through Drum Inlet,
150 feet wide and 9 feet deep below mean low water, from the gorge in the inlet, 2,000 feet, to deep water in the Atlantic Ocean. Simultaniously with the new work in the inlet, the existing connecting channel In Core Sound will be restored to 150 feet wide and 7 feet deep from the gorge to the waterway connecting Pamlico Sound and Beaufort Harbor, N. C., a distance of about 1.8 miles. The dredged material from the connecting channel will be placed alongside the connecting channel and spread to
allow the formation of new salt marsh (spartina alterniflora). Re-opening Drum Inlet will be accomplished by dredging the connecting channel section into Core Banks from the sound side to a point vs feet. from the mean high water line on the ocean side. A 6′ x 80 pilot channel would then be removed by explosive excavation. Subsequently, dredging of the ocean- bar channel to project dimensions will be accomplished by use of a shallow-draft, side-casting dredge which will discharge directly along
the channel into the active littoral zone of the inlet.
The Drum Inlet project was authorized under the authority of Section 107 of the 1960 River and Harbor Act. Based on a 50-year project life and an interest rate of 4.875 percent, the latest benefit-cost ratio Sept. 1969) is 1.6. Construction is expected during FY 1972.

  1. Environmental setting without the project. Drum Inlet was an opening throughCoreBanks, one of the barrier islands along the North Carolina coast.
    The presently closed inlet is about 20 miles southwest of Ocracoke Inlet and about 25 miles northeast of Cape Lookout.
    The existing inlet was opened during the hurricane of September 1933 and was originally about 2,200 feet wide and about 10 feet deep in the gorge.
    At present, the closed inlet is located about 1.5 miles southwest or its original position.

Credits

  1. NPS files and archives (including one news article without source data attached
  2. Private source photo–name withheld by request
  3. Other references within text