John Welsh
GLY 558/BIO 587
Cleary/Hosier
November 8, 2001
Vignette
Coastal Management Issues at Jockey’s Ridge State Park, N.C.
Jockey’s Ridge State Park is located in Dare County, along the Outer Banks, at milepost 12, between the U.S. 158 bypass and Roanoke Sound, within the town limits of Nags Head, North Carolina, and is the largest active dune field on the East Coast (Judge et al. 2000). Jockey’s Ridge is an example of a medano, which is a large hill of shifting sand that lacks vegetation. The park consists of 414 acres, and dune height varies from 110 to 140 feet (State of North Carolina 1993). Whether it has been due to natural or anthropogenic factors, variation in the footprint and topography of the dune field has always stimulated public interest since the formation of the park.
The history of Jockey’s Ridge spans four centuries. The ridge served as a landmark to early French and Spanish mariners. In the early 1800’s, this area began to develop as a summer resort. In 1952, a series of bridges were constructed connecting the Outer Banks to the mainland (North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation). Since then, Nags Head has experienced a surge in commercial and residential development. Bulldozers threatened the park initially in 1973, which prompted the locals to push for the preservation of the ridge. The campaign, “Save Our Sand Dune” was born, and the group “People to Preserve Jockey’s Ridge” was organized from this action. The Division of Parks and Recreation issued a report in favor of the park, and in 1975 the dune field was declared a State Park (State of North Carolina 1993).
Scientists have debated the question of what source generated Jockey’s Ridge. There are two main theories that seem reasonable at this point. Certain scientists (Havholm and Riggs) believe that the active beach and a relict Holocene-aged inlet system were the source for the volume of sand needed to form the ridge. Their belief is that as sea level rose fine sands were winnowed out and these sand were driven onto the subaerial beach by wave runup, and transported farther inland by the wind to form the dune (Runyan et al. 2001). However, data collected by Runyan and Dolan (2001) reveals that it probably originated from the recycling of a much larger mid-Holocene dune formation that was located to the north-north-east 1,000 years ago. This larger dune formation, known as Nags Head Woods, and its maritime forests were exposed to increased salt aerosols as sea level rose and the island migrated landward. This caused the destruction of the maritime forests and soils that provided protection for this area. Thus, sand formerly stored here was transported to the present location of Jockey’s Ridge. Recycling of the sand stored in this larger Nags Head Woods dune field would have been adequate to supply the 10.3 million yd3 we see in Jockey’s Ridge today (Runyan et al. 2001).
Even prior to its formation as a State park, Jockey’s Ridge has always been a popular tourist attraction (Bruce et al. 2001). When the park was first instituted, planners estimated that the park could expect approximately 500,000 visitors by 1980. Today, it hosts more than 900,000 tourists each year (Judge et al. 2000). The park is used to enjoy various activities such as, hang gliding, kite flying, hiking, and sandboarding. There is a large demand from the public to use the park for other activities as well. Some of these activities include, weddings, religious services, filming of music videos and TV commercials, photography, and martial arts clubs (State of North Carolina 1993).
The park is also important to the local economy. Being a tourist attraction it draws people to the town of Nags Head, which maintains retail shops and food stores. The popularity of the park has stimulated the development of a shopping mall across U.S. Highway 158 next to the ridge. The economic stability of this commercial center depends on the ridge. Thus, the physical condition of Jockey’s Ridge affects the economic stability of the local area, and is of great concern.
Jockey’s Ridge is exposed to prevailing southwesterly winds. However, the dominant wind direction changes throughout the year. Judge (2000) showed through annual wind records that southwesterly winds dominated in the summer months while northeasterly winds dominated during the fall and winter. This blowing back and forth of the prevailing winds causes the dunes to migrate and assume a particular shape. Jockey’s Ridge is a transverse dune, which is a dune forming a wave-like ridge transverse to the prevailing wind direction (State of North Carolina 1993).
It was noted by the park master plan in 1976 that the dune field had an apparent ability to remain within the same fluctuating boundary year-to-year with only a southwesterly migration (Judge et al. 2000). This slow southwesterly migration was noted at the time but was not considered to be a management problem. However, within a short period of time neighbors to the southwest of the park began complaining of property damage from blowing sand. These residents complained to the State that it should take action in confining the migration to within the park’s limits. At the time the State had no plan to deal with the situation (Judge et al. 2000). This caused the State of North Carolina to produce a general management plan for Jockey’s Ridge State Park.
In response to this, the general management plan contains a summary of laws. One such law contained in this document is the Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA). CAMA protects “areas of environmental concern” (AEC). These AEC’s include estuarine systems, public water supply, and natural and cultural resources. All of Jockey’s Ridge State Park lies within the estuarine systems and natural and cultural resources AEC’s. Because of this, “landowners within the AEC adjacent to the park are required to put sand that has accumulated on their property back in the park if they move over 10 yd3 of sand annually” (State of North Carolina 1993).
This southwesterly migration of the dune into these neighboring communities has been a perpetual problem. At one point in the 1980’s, sand accumulated to such an amount outside the park’s boundaries that certain entrepreneurs hauled the sand away for commercial use. Even nearby businesses have been affected by this migration. A restaurant and miniature golf course were bought by the State and added to the park’s property in 1987 because of encroaching sands. Today, the turrets of a castle that once guarded the eighth hole reappear above one edge of the massive sand dune (Figure 1). The park is beginning to encroach on Soundside Road, which borders the southern end of the dune and is the site of several homes and businesses (Bourdow). Referring to the dunes migration towards these homes, Marshall Ellis, a resource management specialist, said, “That’s the trouble spot.” (Associated Press 2000).
The question that faces the park service here is what to do to effectively manage this migration problem. In the past, when sand became too serious a threat to any neighboring homes, the park service bought them, and sand now occupies the spot where a house was torn down. The park service has also installed four-foot-tall fences and old Christmas trees along the southern end of the park, and they have bulldozed sand before (Figure 2). Marshall Ellis believes the park has three options, “You can do nothing, you can haul sand away on a regular basis, or you can vegetate it” (Associated Press 2000). The park has been hauling the sand but that has proved to be an expensive solution. 50,000 yd3 could be moved about every five years from the southern end to the northern end for recycling back through the dune. 40,000 yd3 of sand were moved in 1994; 8,000 in 1996; and 4,000 in February of 2000. Ellis believes that hauling sand is the easiest solution for now, and that a regular bulldozing program could put the park on a cycle that might control migration without harming the dune (Associated Press 2000).
Park officials are also considering planting vegetation over parts of the dune (Figure 3). A study showed that the dune has stabilized twice that way since its development, but wind and salt aerosols destroyed this vegetation. However, most people, the park service and residents alike, feel that anchoring the dune with vegetation would defeat the purpose of having an active dune system (Associated Press 2000). The Wright Brothers Memorial in nearby Kill Devil Hills once had a migrating dune, but in the 1920’s, the State vegetated the dune, and it is now a stabilized grassy hill. If Jockey’s Ridge were vegetated only the southern end would be covered. The park service wants to keep it as a naturally functioning dune.
Managers have also discussed limiting recreational use of the park to minimize human impacts on the dune. The park allows hang gliding and foot traffic throughout the year. This has been a difficult decision because it is hard to quantify what impact visitors make on the dune.
In 1996, concern for the park’s future prompted the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation to fund a research program to study the dune field’s evolution. This study was conducted by Judge (2000). The study found that although there had been a considerable change in elevation and position of Jockey’s Ridge over time, the overall volume change was insignificant. This indicated a redistribution of the sand throughout the park rather than a net loss (Judge et al. 2000). These types of studies are important tools in determining what ways to effectively manage the park.
In conclusion, the eventual outcome for Jockey’s Ridge State Park as a prominent natural landmark along the Outer Banks is not expected to continue. Development and stabilization of dune systems to the north since the 1960’s has severely diminished the amount of new sand that was supplied to Jockey’s Ridge. It is reasonable to speculate that over time the height of the dune will continue to fall and more and more sand will be lost from the system into Pamlico Sound downwind. Also, succession by vegetation will most likely occur by means of slowly encroaching plants up the slopes of the dune. This will lead to stabilization of the dune with low salt-spray tolerant plants along the perimeter and maritime forests in more protected areas of the dune field.
The past keeps record of how it has not been difficult to stabilize dunes along the Outer Banks. The Seven Sisters dune system south of Jockey’s Ridge was leveled thirty years ago by area development. The Wright Brothers Memorial is another example. Jockey’s Ridge is headed for that same fate if action is not taken to prevent this. That is why the park was originally founded, and that is why it needs to be a continued practice.
Figure 1. Castle Turret emerges
Figure 2. Sand Fences covered
Figure 3. Vegetated Dune
References
Associated Press. 2000. <
Auster, Bruce B. U.S. News and World Report. The Best Beaches are in North
Carolina – Unless the Wind Blows them Away. April, 23, 2001.
Bourdow, Lyn. 2000. Cricket Magazine. <
worldwide/articles/worldwidearticle14.html>
Judge, E.K.; Garriga, C.M. and Overton, M.F. 2000. Topographic Analysis of
Dune Volume and Position, Jockey’s Ridge State Park, North Carolina,
Shore and Beach, 68(4), 19-24.
North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. 2001. Jockey’s Ridge State
Park <
Runyan, R.B. and Dolan, R. 2001. Origin of Jockey’s Ridge, North Carolina: The
End of the Highest Sand Dune on the Atlantic Coast?, Shore and Beach,
69(3), 29-32.
State of North Carolina. 1993. General Management Plan for Jockey’s Ridge
State Park, Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources,
Division of Parks and Recreation, Planning and Development Section,
October, 1993.