Buxton, NC Beach Nourishment Project Begins Sand Pumping

On July 31, 2026 the dredge Liberty Island arrived in Buxton, North Carolina and started pumping roughly 2 million cubic yards of sand onto the Outer Banks shoreline. The work, carried out by Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, will span about 95 days, with sand placed from the Haulover Day Use Area to just south of the Buxton Beach Access. A second dredge is slated to join the effort in mid‑August, keeping the project on track for a projected completion date of September 30, 2026.

The nourishment aims to curb ongoing erosion that has already caused the collapse of as many as 32 homes in Buxton and nearby Rodanthe since 2020. Local residents, including Jeff Dawson of the Buxton Civic Association, welcomed the arrival of equipment, noting that the planned jetty and sand replenishment should better protect oceanfront properties from future storm damage and rising seas.