Lands End Groin
Rehabilitation Project

This project shall rehabilitate the existing Lands End groin at the Braddock Cove Creek entrance to Calibogue Sound. Specifically, the project would sand-tighten and elevate approximately 300 feet of the existing structure. The purpose of the project is to reduce the amount of sand bypassing the structure, further stabilizing the beach to the south and limiting the amount of sand that is currently delivered to the Braddock Cove Creek entrance.

The project will entail the armoring of the existing structure using 1 to 2 foot diameter rip-rap stone and sand-tightening using an internal membrane consisting of a geogrid/fabric composite. The structure would be sand-tightened to an elevation of up to +9.0 ft-NGVD. A marine mattress/geogrid underlayer would be included to minimize the potential for long-term settling of the rehabilitation works.

By sand-tightening and elevating the structure, its effectiveness as a sand barrier will increase. As such, it is reasonable to assume that following construction, the beach immediately south of the structure will begin to impound additional sand. Meanwhile, the quantity of sand bypassing the groin will be reduced, thereby decreasing the amount of sand entering the Braddock Cove Creek entrance. Any excess sand transported to the groin would be expected to pass around its seaward end to the deeper waters of Calibogue Sound instead of into the shallow Braddock Creek entrance. As a result, the rate of chronic shoaling of the Braddock Cove Creek is expected to likewise decrease.

The existing concrete king-pile and timber groin was constructed sometime between 1975 and 1979. In the roughly 30 years since the groin was constructed, the structure has deteriorated to the point that it no longer functions as originally intended. Without the proposed improvements, the transport rate past the structure would be expected to further increase as the groin continues to deteriorate. If this is allowed, the southern bank of the Braddock Cove Creek entrance may continue to grow, potentially further reducing the navigability of the creek entrance. Additionally, the presently available recreational beach area south of the groin may decrease as more sand is lost to the creek entrance and the southern shoreline recedes in response to the groin condition. Modifying the existing groin to both increase sand impoundment (south side) and decrease the creek shoaling (north side) is considered to be in the public interest. It is not proposed that the groin structure be lengthened at this time. In this regard, it is anticipated that the remediated groin structure will not constitute an additional navigation hazard.