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Beach Nourishment

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What is beach nourishment?

Beach nourishment is the process of pumping sand onto an eroding shoreline to widen the existing beach. Sources of sand may include a nearby sandbar, a dredged source (such as an inlet or waterway), or an offshore borrow site along the ocean floor. The widened shoreline provides increased defense from coastal storms and beach erosion, protecting property, communities, and infrastructure that are located along the coast.

While the Outer Banks coastline is beautiful, it is also very fragile. Storms, high winds and tidal changes all contribute to beach erosion. To restore and preserve our fragile coastline, Dare County and the towns of Duck, Kitty Hawk, Southern Shores, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head have implemented important beach nourishment projects important that are critical to the future of our communities.

We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this causes and are confident you understand the importance and necessity of this project so you can continue to return and enjoy the Outer Banks beaches for many years to come. We hope you will choose to make the best of your vacation should you find your stay impacted by the beach nourishment project.

Seaside Vacations cannot predict when or where these jobs will begin or how long they will last. Since we have no control over these situations, no compensation or moves to other properties are possible. 

2026 Outer Banks Beach Nourishment Plans

Beach nourishment projects require management as time goes on. The next round of re-nourishment is planned for the summer of 2026 in the town of Nags Head and the villages of Avon and Buxton. 

Projected 2026 Beach Nourishment Schedules*:

*As contractors provide tentative construction schedules, this table will be updated. Please check back for more information and sign up for area-specific email updates using the links listed below.

During equipment staging, contractors begin placing the distribution pipeline and staging heavy equipment.

BUXTON TERMINAL GROIN REPAIRS: UNDERWAY

Estimated Start Date: Late Summer 2026/Fall 2026 
Timeline: 45-60 days

August 4, 2026 Update 

Equipment for the Buxton terminal groin repair started to arrive last week, and additional equipment and materials will continue to arrive for the next few weeks. Work is expected to begin during the week of August 15, 2026. Additional details will be posted once more information becomes available. 

BUXTON BEACH NOURISHMENT STATUS: UNDERWAY

The dredge Liberty Island arrived in Buxton on the evening of Thursday, July 30, 2026, and began pumping sand onto the beach on Friday, July 31, 2026, marking the start of construction for the Buxton beach nourishment project. This project will place 2 million cubic yards of sand onto the beach over a period of approximately 95 days, depending on weather.* 

Click here to view Buxton-specific beach nourishment updates.

Sign up for Buxton beach nourishment email updates.

View the 2026 Buxton beach nourishment project progress map.

View the Buxton Beach Nourishment Newsletter- Issue 1 (August 1, 2026)

*Please note that information regarding the timeline for this project is subject to change due to a variety of factors, including weather and ocean conditions, equipment issues and required maintenance, as well as other unforeseen circumstances.

Click here to view Cape Hatteras National Seashore Alerts & Conditions from the National Park Service.

NAGS HEAD BEACH NOURISHMENT STATUS: COMPLETE

A beach nourishment project in the Town of Nags Head began in May 2026 and was completed on July 19, 2026.

The project placed sand on the beach from 2919 South Virginia Dare Trail to, and including, 10435 South Old Oregon Inlet Road. Detailed updates are available on the Town of Nags Head’s website. Updates from the Town of Nags Head are also available below. 

Click here to view the 2026 Nags Head beach nourishment construction progress map. 

Click here to view the latest updates from the Town of Nags Head.

AVON BEACH NOURISHMENT STATUS: COMPLETE

Beach nourishment in the village of Avon on Hatteras Island began on Thursday, May 28, 2026 and was completed on Thursday, June 25, 2026. To view the project map, click the link below.

Click here to view the 2026 Avon beach nourishment construction map.

Click here to view Avon Beach Nourishment specific project updates.

Click here to subscribe to receive Avon beach nourishment updates from Dare County.

Newsletters

Click here to view a PDF of the Avon Beach Nourishment Project Update  Newsletter - Issue 1 (June 8, 2026)

Click here to view a PDF of the Avon Beach Nourishment Project Update Newsletter - Issue 2 (June 23, 2026)

*Please keep in mind that details may change. We’ll share additional updates on any upcoming beach nourishment work in Dare County as soon as more information is confirmed.

More Information About Beach Nourishment

Sand will be pumped onto the shoreline by offshore dredges to widen the existing beaches, which have suffered from erosion in many places. The goal of these beach nourishment projects is to replenish and protect the homes and beaches we all love, from coastal storms that threaten our shoreline. These projects will be completed in sections to minimize the impact on visitors to the area and ensure that the beaches are still accessible for your enjoyment.

About 1,000 feet of the beach will be directly impacted during construction at any one time and a portion of this area may be closed. Construction is anticipated to impact oceanfront properties between 3-5 days. Once a section is pumped into place it should be re-opened for use within 24-48 hours. Sand ramps will be placed over a temporary pipeline at every public access and then in intervals of no more than 200-300 feet, allowing people to get across and enjoy the beach seaward of the pipeline. There will be a wide beach after nourishment, giving people large areas seaward of the pipeline to enjoy. 

We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this causes and are confident you understand the importance and necessity of this project so you can continue to return and enjoy the Outer Banks beaches for many years to come. We hope you will choose to make the best of your vacation should you find your stay impacted by the beach nourishment project.

The current beach nourishment schedule can be found at DareNC.com.

We encourage you to sign up for email updates from the towns and receive the most current construction information straight to your inbox or check DareNC.com for updates.


Frequently Asked Questions:

Will I be able to get to the beach while the project is underway?

The short answer: Yes! If construction limits access directly in front of your property, you may need to enter the beach at an alternate beach access.

 

The long answer: Residents and visitors will still be able to access the beach while the projects are taking place; however, a portion of the approximately 1,000-foot area that is actively under construction at any given time may be closed temporarily in order to ensure public safety.

 

If construction operations limit or restrict access to the beach directly in front of your property, you may need to enter the beach at an alternate beach access.

 

Beach nourishment construction operations are anticipated to impact the properties along a particular stretch of shoreline for a period of three to six days, although this can change depending on a variety of factors. Once that section of sand is pumped into place, the area will likely be reopened for use within 24-48 hours.

 

Sand ramps will be placed over a temporary pipeline at every public access and then in intervals of 300 feet, allowing people to get across and enjoy the beach seaward of the pipeline. There will be a wide beach after nourishment, giving people large areas seaward of the pipeline to enjoy. The newly built beach may be a bit darker than the old beach, but it will quickly bleach out from the sun.

 

Or, you may take the opportunity to visit beaches throughout Dare County which offer public access outside of the immediate project area, or visit one of the many attractions located on the Outer Banks such as the Wright Brothers National Memorial, Jockey’s Ridge State Park, the Duck Boardwalk, or lighthouses found along our coastline.

Is construction noisy?

You will be able to tell if construction operations are underway in front of your property. The sounds you will typically hear are the back up alarms from bulldozers and trucks, which are required by federal law. Lights will be used on the beach throughout the night and may be visible from homes.

Why does dredging take place in the summer months?

Dredging operations offshore of the Outer Banks typically take place in the summer months because it is much safer for the crews working on the offshore dredge. Frequent late fall, winter, and early spring storms make working off our shore very dangerous. The summer and early fall are the safest times to perform the work. The decreased risk of safety and anticipated decreases in productivity in the winter months when sea conditions can shut down dredge operations were found to drive the costs of the projects up to a point where they would have no longer been financially viable.

How will beach nourishment affect my visit to the Outer Banks?

Pipelines will be laid along the beach parallel to the shoreline to allow sand to be pumped from the offshore borrow source onto the active construction site. This pipeline will be visible on the beach; however, sand ramps will be built over the pipeline in order to provide residents and visitors with safe and easy access to the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean.

 

Visitors who are vacationing in areas where a beach nourishment project is underway may notice the presence of bulldozers, loaders and excavators working on the beach during their stay. In addition to this heavy earth-moving equipment, small sections of the beach within the towns and villages where beach nourishment is taking place may be closed for a few days in order to ensure the safety of the public during construction operations.

 

Please be patient with our much-needed project – beach nourishment is vital to our towns’ future.

 

We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this causes and are confident you understand the importance and necessity of this project so you can continue to return and enjoy the Outer Banks beaches for many years to come. We hope you will choose to make the best of your vacation should you find your stay impacted by the beach nourishment project.

 

Seaside Vacations cannot predict when or where these jobs will begin or how long they will last. Since we have no control over these situations, no compensation or moves to other properties are possible. 

 

*This schedule is preliminary and may change based on project bid results.

Will they pump sand onto the beach in more than one place at a time?

Because we have such a short weather window in which to complete the project, there may be more than one section of our beach affected at a time.

Nags Head Beach Nourishment 2026

Avon & Buxton Beach Nourishment 2026

Yes You Can Still Use The Beach

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