North Carolina’s estuarine system consists of approximately 23 inlets, about 12,000 miles of estuarine shoreline, and more than 3,000 square miles of brackish-water estuaries — areas where fresh and salt waters meet.
These areas include communities that are currently seeing rapid growth or are looking for economic development options. They also may be coping with related issues, including habitat degradation, water quality and quantity, erosion and land loss, aging infrastructure, and conflicts over access.
The Estuarine Policy Steering Committee was formed to study emerging management and policy issues in these coastal areas. Committee members included experts from state agencies, universities and nonprofit organizations, who provided scientific and technical expertise and worked with the Center to develop policy recommendations.
Their final report highlights four emerging resource issues for coastal counties and municipalities near North Carolina’s estuarine shorelines:
- Water availability
- Estuarine shoreline stabilization
- Monitoring and enforcement of environmental laws
- Sanitary sewer overflows
Final Recommendations
Schiavinato, Lisa and J. Kalo, eds., 2014. Management Strategies for North Carolina’s Estuarine Shoreline, UNC-SG-14-01, North Carolina Sea Grant, and N.C. Coastal Resources Law, Policy and Planning Center, Raleigh, NC.
Committee
Co-Chairs
- Lisa Schiavinato (co-chair), North Carolina Sea Grant and North Carolina Coastal Resources Law, Planning and Policy Center
- Joseph Kalo (co-chair), University of North Carolina School of Law and North Carolina Coastal Resources Law, Planning and Policy Center
Members
- Amy Adams, N.C. Division of Water Resources (previous employer)
- Craig Caldwell, N.C. Division of Water Resources
- Anne Deaton, N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries
- David Dycus, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (retired)
- John Fear, N.C. Coastal Reserve Program (previous employer), and now North Carolina Sea Grant and Water Resources Research Institute of the University of North Carolina System
- Donna Girardot, Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association and Business Alliance for a Sound Economy
- Al Hodge, N.C. Division of Water Resources (retired)
- Jeff Lautier, N.C. Division of Water Resources
- Martin Posey, University of North Carolina Wilmington
- Gloria Putnam, North Carolina Sea Grant
- Spencer Rogers, North Carolina Sea Grant
- John Rummel, East Carolina University
- Jeff Schaffer, N.C. Ecosystem Enhancement Program
- Tracy Skrabal, N.C. Coastal Federation
- Richard Spruill, East Carolina University and Groundwater Management Associates, Inc.