The Wilmington morning star., 1946-02-17
District Army Engineer Lists Many
>WaterwayBoon To Marine Commerce
ton facilities are necessary to the
community.


There are two proposed modifi.
cations in the Waterway connect
ing Pamlico Sound and Beaufort
Harbor via Core Sound. One is to
provide a channel rs feet wide and
5 feet deep to and including
turning basin $50 feet long and 100
feet wide at Davis, N. c., at
estimated cost of $4,000. The
other modification is to provide a
channel rs feet wide and z feet
deep from that depth in Core
Sound to and including turning
basin 200 feet wide and 500 feet
long at Sealevel at an estimated
cost of $1,000.
Another proposed Improvement
which will provide safe and con-
venient channel for the large fleets
of menhaden fishing boats operat-
ing in the ocean in the vicinity
OF Cape Lookout is to provide
chanel from Back Sound to Look
out Blight, 7 feet deep and 100 feet
wide from deep water in the sound
to deep water in the ocean at an
estimated cost of $4,000.
Basin Enlargement
The enlargement of the present
basin at Beaufort to width of
500 feet, all to a depth of IL feet
is provided for at an estimated
cost of $4,000 to relieve the pres
ent congestion in the harbor and
to permit larger boats to maneu-
yer in the harhor.
Under another modified project
approved by Congress, approval
has been given to the construction
OF six mooring basins along the
main channel Of the Hand Water
way, Beaufort to the Cape Fear
River at points north and south
of Morehead City and in the vicin-
lty of SWansboro, Peru, Seabreeze
and Fish Factory, N. c., at an
estimated cost of $4,000. It is be-
lleved these mooring basins will
promote the safety and con-
venlence of inland waterway traf-
fic.
New Bern Basin
There IS also a plan to provide
at New Bern, a boat basin 800
feet long and $50 feet wide and
a repair basin 300 fet long and
20 feet wide at the adjacent boat
works, at an estimated cost of
$3.50
In addition to these new pro-
Jects, the engineers are maintain
ing preset chael dpths dt-U. L.
Ing present channel depths in most
OF the more important rivers, har-
oors, and inland waterways in the
eastern part of the state.
FavorabIy Situated
North Carolina appears to be IA
Vorably situated to handle the in
creased traffic that can be looked
Tor in the next few years. At pres
ent 1t Is provided with two ocean
seaports - Wilmington and More
mead City, both with 30-foot chan
nels from the ocean. As stated
above, the project to Wilmington
WILL give the latter a 32-foot chan
mel with the average rise of tides
OF At feet on the Ocean bar and
"a at Wilmington. These ports will
accommodate all but the largest
class of oceangoing vessels and
will permit the exporting and i'm
porting of materials to and from
alterations, $8,276.
all parts of the world.
Inland Water Traffic
Regarding inland water traffic
eastern North Carolina is also IA
vorably situated. An inland water
way exists at present 3O6 miles
along and IL feet deep from the
Virginia state line to the South
Carolina line. With connecting wa
terWays at the north and south
ends, safe inland navigation is pro-
Vlded from all points north or
south on the Atlantic seaboard.
The commerce on this waterway
Will undoubtedly increase rapidly
ana surpass the volume that exist,
ed before the war. Feeder chan
nels OF the same depth as in the
inland waterway-12 feet-are pro-
vlded to several of the more i'm
portant cities which permits the
latter to ship commodities direct
to points north or south in the
waterway.
The complete network of water
way improvements in the state for
oceangoing traffic as well as in
land traffic, in addition to the
numerous smaller channels to pro-
vide safer and quicker facilities
for the fishing and seafood indus
tries, will have a marked effect
in providing the facilities for hand
ling the increase in commerce that
can be confidently looked for In
the years just ahead.
Surveys In Progress
The local engineer office mas
now under study about a dozen
preliminary examinations and sur
veys of various streams ana wa
terways in the state to determine
whether or not further improve
ment is warranted. These surveys