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 tentatively planned for 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 distribution pipeline and staging heavy equipment.
Nags Head:
Nags Head's Board of Commissioners will hold a workshop on December 17 to discuss the bid results and project financing. They expect to issue an Intent to Award on January 7, 2026. At that time they will know whether the project will take place in the summer of 2026 or 2027. Click here to keep up with the Town of Nags Head's plans for beach nourishment.
Avon & Buxton:
According to Dare County's website: "Beach nourishment projects in the unincorporated villages of Avon and Buxton on Hatteras Island are currently scheduled to take place in 2026.* Erosion rates are being monitored and will impact the volume of sand that is placed on each beach. Permitting and design work for these projects is ongoing. Additional information will be posted as it becomes available."
*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.
