Releases – August 28, 2014
Over the next few weeks, the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will remove the buoys from several artificial reef sites along the coast.
The staff plans to remove buoys from 11 artificial reef sites that are already accurately depicted on federal navigation charts or soon will be changed on the charts.
Technology has advanced to the point that the buoys are no longer necessary for safe navigation, and it is no longer cost-effective to maintain them, said Craig Hardy, chief of the division’s Habitat and Enhancement Section. GPS receivers are readily available at a low enough cost that nearly all boats that go offshore are equipped with them.
The buoys will be removed from:
North of Cape Hatteras—(1) Artificial Reef-130 (no official name) 12.5 nautical miles north of the Oregon Inlet sea buoy
Hatteras to Cape Lookout—(1) Artificial Reef-230 ( Mr. J. C. Reef) 3.5 nautical miles south-southeast of the Hatteras Inlet sea buoy
Cape Lookout to Cape Fear—(1) Artificial Reef-320 (Clifton Moss Reef) 7.3 nautical miles west-southwest of the Beaufort Inlet Fort Macon jetty; (2) Artificial Reef-330 (Howard Chapin Reef) 11.8 nautical miles southwest of the Beaufort Inlet Fort Macon Jetty; (3) Artificial Reef-345 (Swansboro Rotary Club Reef) 8.1 nautical miles southeast of the Bogue Inlet sea buoy; (4) Artificial Reef-355 (New River Reef) 9.7 nautical miles south of the New River Inlet sea buoy; (5) Artificial Reef-360 (Topsail Reef) 2.5 nautical miles east of the New Topsail Inlet sea buoy; (6) Artificial Reef-362 (Tom Boyette Reef) 8.7 nautical miles east-southeast of the New Topsail Inlet sea buoy; (7) Artificial Reef-364 (Billy Murrell Reef) 6.2 nautical miles northeast of the Masonboro Inlet sea buoy; (8) Artificial Reef-372 (Bruce Barclay Cameron Memorial Reef) 5 nautical miles south-southeast of the Masonboro Inlet sea buoy
South of Cape Fear—(1) Artificial Reef-430 (Jim Knight Reef) 3.8 nautical miles east-southeast of the Lockwood’s Folly Inlet sea buoy.
Buoys on another 25 artificial reefs will remain on station for two to four months longer until staff can verify that navigation charts accurately reflect their locations.
These Artificial Reef sites are:
North of Cape Hatteras—(1) Artificial Reef-140 (no official name) 8.9 nautical miles north of the Oregon Inlet sea buoy; (2) Artificial Reef-145 (no official name) 8.1 nautical miles northeast of Oregon Inlet sea buoy; (3) Artificial Reef-160 (Oregon Inlet Reef) 4.0 nautical miles south-southeast of the Oregon Inlet sea buoy
Cape Hatteras to Cape Lookout—(1) Artificial Reef -220 (no official name) 4.9 nautical miles east-southeast of the Hatteras Inlet sea buoy; (2) Artificial Reef-225 (no official name) 6.2 nautical miles east-southeast of the Hatteras Inlet sea buoy; (3) Artificial Reef-250 (no official name) 5.1 nautical miles south-southeast of the Ocracoke Inlet sea buoy; (4) Artificial Reef-255 (no official name) 6.1 nautical miles south of the Ocracoke Inlet sea buoy; (5) Artificial Reef-275 (Billy Smith Reef) 2 nautical miles southeast of the north end of Drum Inlet; (6) Artificial Reef-285 (George Summerlin Reef) 4.4 nautical miles north-northeast of the Cape Lookout Shoal buoy R”2”
Cape Lookout to Cape Fear—(1) Artificial Reef-315 (Atlantic Beach Reef) 3.5 nautical miles West from Beaufort Inlet Fort Macon jetty; (2) Artificial Reef-342 (Onslow Bay Sport Fishing Club Reef) 3 nautical miles east-southeast of the Bogue Inlet sea buoy; (3) Artificial Reef-340 (J. Paul Tyndall Reef) 7 nautical miles east-southeast of the Bogue Inlet sea buoy; (4) Artificial Reef-366 (no official name) 30 nautical miles southeast of the Masonboro Inlet sea buoy; (5) Artificial Reef-368 (no official name) 15.5 nautical miles southeast of the Masonboro Inlet sea buoy; (6) Artificial Reef-370 (Meares Harris Reef) 3.5 nautical miles east of the Masonboro Inlet sea buoy; (7) Artificial Reef-376 (no official name) 9.9 nautical miles southeast of the Masonboro Inlet sea buoy; (8) Artificial Reef-378 (Phillip Wolfe Reef) 2.6 nautical miles south of the Carolina Beach Inlet sea buoy; (9) Artificial Reef-386 (Lennon / Hyde Reef) 17.8 nautical miles south-southeast of the Masonboro Inlet sea buoy
South of Cape Fear—(1) Artificial Reef-420 (Tom McGlammery Reef) 3.1 nautical miles north-northwest of the Cape Fear River sea bouy; (2) Artificial Reef-425 (Yaupon Beach Reef) 5 nautical miles north of the Cape Fear River sea buoy; (3) Artificial Reef-440 (Brunswick County Fishing Club Reef) 4.5 nautical miles south-southeast of the Lockwood’s Folly Inlet sea buoy; (4) Artificial Reef-445 (Dale McDowell Reef) 9.3 nautical miles south of the Lockwood’s Folly Inlet sea buoy; (5) Artificial Reef-455 (Dale Ward Reef) 10.6 nautical miles west of the Cape Fear River sea buoy; (6) Artificial Reef-460 (Jolly Mon Reef) 3.0 nautical miles south of the Shallotte Inlet sea buoy.
These sites were first charted in the 1970s using the now antiquated LORAN radio navigation system. Since LORAN coordinates do not always accurately translate to GPS coordinates, the navigation charts need to be verified before the buoys can be removed.
For more information, contact Chris Jensen with the division’s Artificial Reef Program at (252) 808-8051 or Chris.Jensen@ncdenr.gov or Gregg Bodnar, also with the Artificial Reef Program, at (252) 808-8053 or Gregg.Bodnar@ncdenr.gov.
The “On the Road, On the Water, Don’t Drink and Drive” campaign, a multi-agency initiative designed to combine law enforcement resources to ensure everyone can safely travel on highways and waterways during summer months, continues throughout Labor Day weekend.
“There are dangerous consequences when an impaired driver gets behind the wheel of a car or boat,” said Capt. Todd Radabaugh with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. “Think before you drink. Have a designated driver for the water and the road. Don’t let an arrest or accident spoil your end-of-summer fun.”
The “On the Road, On the Water, Don’t Drink and Drive ” campaign concentrates on three major holiday periods: Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day. There is an increased law enforcement presence on and around popular recreational boating areas across the state during these holidays.
The campaign is supported and coordinated by the Wildlife Commission, State Highway Patrol, Alcohol Law Enforcement, Forensic Tests for Alcohol, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Governor’s Highway Safety Program, U.S. Coast Guard, and local police and sheriff’s offices, along with participating non-governmental organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Boat operators charged with operating while impaired (OWI) must make a court appearance and could face a maximum $1,000 fine and jail time.
There are more than 200 Wildlife officers across the state who patrol 5,000 miles of inland streams, rivers, lakes, and coastal waterways and instruct certified boating safety education courses. The public can assist officers by reporting boating violations to (800) 662-7137.
For more information on boating safety and regulations, visit www.ncwildlife.org/boating or call (919) 707-0031.
The Standard Commercial Fishing License Eligibility Board to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will meet at 10:00 a.m., Sept. 17, at the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ Central District Office, 5285 Highway 70 West, Morehead City.
The board will consider applications deemed complete and submitted by Aug. 15.
The board meets two to three times per year to consider license applications. For directions on applying for a commercial fishing license, go to http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/commercial-fishing-license-information and click on the link to Eligibility Pool Application.
For more information, contact division License Eligibility Clerk Ann Bordeaux-Nixon at (910) 796-7261 or Ann.Bordeaux-Nixon @ncdenr.gov.
