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.
Nags Head:
According to Dare County's website:
Beach Nourishment Update, May 18, 2026
The dredge assigned to the south Nags Head beach nourishment project area is expected to arrive and begin operations later this week. Construction will start at the submerged pipeline landing point near Camelot Street, in the 9700 block of South Old Oregon Inlet Road. Work will proceed north to the Juncos Street public beach access in the 9600 block of South Old Oregon Inlet Road before crews return to Camelot Street and continue south to the end of the project area near the 10435 block of South Old Oregon Inlet Road. The dredge will then progress towards other landing points as it moves towards Jennette's Pier later in the summer.
The dredge assigned to the northern Nags Head project area is currently expected to arrive on or around May 26. This dredge is expected to begin work at the northernmost landing point just south of Nags Head Pier in the vicinity of the 3400 block of South Virginia Dare Trail. Construction will move north to 2919 South Virginia Dare Trail and then back to the landing point to head south. The dredge will then progress towards other landing points as it moves towards Jennette's Pier later in the summer.
Work is now expected to be complete sometime in late July, but this could change due to weather or other project-related factors. We'll post more information as the project progresses.
Due to beach nourishment construction, the Juncos Street public beach access is temporarily closed. During this time, the lifeguard stand normally located at Juncos Street will be relocated to Jackob Street.
Beach Nourishment Update, April 24, 2026
During beach nourishment sand is pumped onto the beach from a dredge, or in our case, two dredges (and two active construction/closed areas), in the ocean via a submerged pipeline. Construction typically proceeds in one direction from the submerged pipe (also known as a landing point or subline) for a few thousand feet and then proceeds in the other direction from the same landing point.
When nourishment from a landing point is complete, the contractor will switch to a new landing point along the shoreline, and the process will begin all over again. To save time during a switch, the contractor may set up multiple landing points on the beach.
- The first dredge is expected to begin pumping sand about May 14 at the southernmost landing point near Camelot Street in the 9700 block of South Old Oregon Inlet Road. This hydraulic dredge will remain stationed offshore, continuously pumping sand to the beach, unlike a hopper dredge, which must travel back and forth to the borrow area. Pumping is expected to move south first to the town line adjacent to Cape Hatteras National Seashore. After that section is complete, they will progress north from the Camelot landing point. Once that is complete, work will resume at a landing point near the Hargrove beach access in the 8300 block of South Old Oregon Inlet Road, where they will pump south and then north again.
- A hopper dredge is expected to arrive to work in the northern area of Nags Head about May 26. This dredge will begin work at the northernmost landing point just south of Nags Head Pier in the vicinity of the 3400 block of South Virginia Dare Trail. Construction will move north to 2919 South Virginia Dare Trail and then back to the landing point to head south to the next landing point near St. Andrews by the Sea Church in the 4200 block of South Virginia Dare Trail. After the same process is completed at this landing point, construction will move to the final landing point near the Village Beach Club in the 6300 block of South Virginia Dare Trail.
**Please note that schedules are subject to change due to weather, equipment issues, or other unforeseen factors.**
Click here to keep up with the Town of Nags Head's plans for beach nourishment.
Avon & Buxton:
According to Dare County's website:
Dare County’s contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, currently expects to begin mobilizing equipment for the beach nourishment project in Avon on May 18, 2026. Pumping/sand placement is expected to begin May 24-26, 2026, depending on weather.*
Great Lakes estimates that it will take approximately 2 weeks (14 days) to place approximately 375,000 cubic yards of material on the beach in Avon (weather dependent).* The exact location where they will begin in Avon has not yet been determined by the contractor. The parking lot at Ramp 38, which is the staging area for the Avon project, will be closed until July 15, 2026 or completion of the project, whichever comes first.
Great Lakes then expects it to take approximately one week to demobilize all of their equipment and begin moving it to Buxton. The contractor currently expects to begin beach nourishment in Buxton in mid-June 2026, placing 2 million cubic yards of sand onto the beach over a period of approximately 95 days, depending on weather.*
*NOTE: Please note that information regarding the timeline(s) for each project is subject to change due to a variety of factors, including weather, equipment issues and other unforeseen circumstances. More detailed information regarding any plans and potential schedules for 2026 beach nourishment projects in Dare County will be provided as it becomes available.
Great Lakes expects to start pumping sand on the north end of Buxton and then continue working south; however, this is subject to change based on their ability to do so. Great Lakes expects to start placing material on the beaches in Buxton the first week of June 2026. Great Lakes expects for the base amount of approximately 1,351,616 cubic yards to take approximately 65 days to place on the beach in Buxton (weather dependent). If the county receives notification from FEMA regarding additional funding, more material will be placed on the beach, which could extend the project in Buxton until the end of September 2026.
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."
Click here to subscribe to receive Avon beach nourishment update from Dare County.
Click here to subscribe to receive Buxton beach nourishment update from Dare County.
*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.
