BALD HEAD ISLAND, NC (WWAY) -- The Army Corps of Engineers had to do emergency dredging of the channel off the coast of Bald Head Island.
Last week, river pilots discovered what they call a speed bump in the area of Reach Two. The speed bump caused the channel to not have the depth safe for commercial shipping traffic.
It was a problem Shoreline Protection Manager Chris McCall says was not unexpected.
"We foresaw this happening but unfortunately the corps is restrained by the amount of funding they get from Congress to adequately maintain and dredge this channel to the authorized depth and width," McCall said.
McCall says a dredging and a sand replacement project is planned for this winter with the hopes of restoring the island's shoreline.