The Village performs regular maintenance dredging of the BHI marina channel entrance as needed.  Most years, it is performed two to three times; some years, more often, as it is weather-dependent.  The work is performed under a State permit from the NC Department of Environmental Quality Division of Coastal Management (DCM). If work is to be performed during turtle nesting season (April 1 through November 15), the Village must receive prior approval from DCM, in consultation with appropriate resource agencies.

The Village’s Shoreline Protection Manager is in regular communication with Bald Head Island Transportation, Inc. (BHIT) and the BHI marina dockmaster regarding the condition of the channel.  BHIT’s ferry captains alert the Village when it appears maintenance is necessary.

When the routine maintenance is performed, the Village’s dredging contractor not only clears the channel entrance of sand but performs preventative measures by cleaning out material in the sand bypass south of the channel entrance. This is where the sand tends to migrate from.  The sand that is dredged is placed on the north side of the channel in front of the homes on Row Boat Row. 

This work is paid for with funds from the state of North Carolina’s Shallow Draft Inlet Fund. The Village has received this grant funding for the last several years. The state pays 75 percent of the costs while the Village pays the remaining 25 percent.  The Village includes funds in its annual budget to ensure this work is performed as needed.

This routine dredging does not impact the operation of the ferries, since the dredging contractor often works in favorable weather conditions and can work around the ferry schedule.

In 2026, the first maintenance dredging event was in March 2026. The second event was scheduled for the end of July, but due to unexpected shoaling, this occurred the week of July 20, 2026. More information about the shoaling event can be viewed below.

In response to the July 2026 shoaling event, the Village Manager announced at the August 2026 Village Council meeting that the Village will be working with Chris Creed (FOTH), the Village’s coastal engineer, and the UNC Wilmington coastal engineering department, who will be studying the area to codify the operational maintenance and monitoring plan for the marina channel entrance. They will also see if there is anything the Village can do to improve how the program is carried out. The Village Council indicated support for the Village performing its own hydrographic surveys of the channel during high traffic season between April and November to confirm ferry captains’ reports (at an estimated cost of $5,000 each). Staff will be reaching out to its surveyors with McKim & Creed, who also complete shoreline surveying of the shoreline as part of the annual shoreline monitoring report, for cost estimates to report back to Council.