Federal Funding aims to protect historic Cape Fear River site
WINNABOW, NC (WWAY) — A $2.5 million federal grant will fund shoreline restoration and coastal resiliency efforts at the Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site in Brunswick County.
The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) announced this week that it received the funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The project aims to address ongoing shoreline erosion caused by severe weather, vessel traffic, and tidal forces along the Cape Fear River.
Officials say the shoreline loss has resulted in habitat degradation, worsening flood conditions, and the potential loss of buried historical resources at the site.
The funding will be used to continue constructing and installing wave attenuators, which reduce wave energy and help protect the riverbank. According to DNCR, this method has proven effective at controlling erosion, promoting the growth of natural habitat, and preserving cultural assets.
Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson has reportedly lost more than 12 acres of shoreline over the past eight decades.
The living shoreline project is a joint effort between DNCR, UNCW, and the NC Division of Coastal Management.
Michelle Lanier, director of North Carolina Historic Sites, called the site a national model for coastal resiliency since restoration efforts began in 2017.
A pre-Revolutionary settlement, Brunswick was destroyed by British troops in 1776 and never rebuilt. Fort Anderson was later built atop the remains of the town during the Civil War and served as part of the Confederate river defenses south of Wilmington.
