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NC: Mouth of the Cape Fear River, Dredging
- Date Reported: Nov 6, 2025
- Reporter: Waterway Guide Staff
- Source: USCG District 5
- Description:
The Dredge DELAWARE, along with support equipment, is performing dredging operations from November 18th, 2025, until approximately February 17th, 2026 for the Wilmington Harbor Inner Ocean Bar Maintenance Dredging Project.
Dredge Operations will be conducted in the mouth of the Cape Fear River, specifically in the Smith Island Channel and Baldhead Shoal Reaches. Dredged material will be pumped to beach placement areas on Caswell Beach and Oak Island Beach. The Dredge Delaware will stage and anchor floating equipment and pipeline outside of the channel just off Battery Island. We have just begun staging plastic pipeline at this location. Flashing yellow lights are displayed for pipeline and white anchor lights for floating equipment.
Dredging operations will occur in and around the mouth of the Cape Fear River. The dredge will be connected to a floating pipeline within the Smith Island and Baldhead Shoal channels. This floating pipeline will be connected to submerged pipeline. The submerged pipeline, roughly between 13,000' – 15,000', will come on shore approximately 2,000' East of the Caswell Beach Public Beach Access. Submerged pipeline will be marked with white regulatory buoys with flashing amber lights along the pipeline route with appropriate signs and lights placed at pipeline entry and exit points. The floating pipeline length is approximately 3,000' feet at its longest length. Floating pipeline will be anchored and tended by tender tugboats.
Please use extreme caution navigating in and out of the mouth of the Cape Fear River regarding these submerged and floating pipelines. The Dredge Operator will standby on channels #13, #16, and #05 VHF-FM. For any emergencies, the dredge operator can be reached at 757-570-8453. Mariners are requested to exercise extreme caution when approaching, passing and leaving the dredging plant. Owners and lessees of fishnets, crab pots and other structures that may be in the vicinity and that may hinder the free navigation of attending vessels and equipment must remove these from the area where tugs, tender boats and other attendee equipment will be navigating. Dredging operations will be conducted 24/7. All fishnets, crab pots and structures in the general area must be removed prior to commencement of work. A slow NO WAKE speed is requested of transiting vessels. All vessels are requested to contact the dredge prior to passing. MSI # 31581.
- Lat / Lon: N 33° 52.835' / W 078° 00.708'
DISCLAIMER: Waterway Guide Media provides Navigation Alerts as a resource for planning purposes only and does not warrant the information included in the postings as accurate. Advice and descriptions contained in the alerts are not for navigation.
