Table 1. Summary of the Monitoring Plan for the Mason Inlet Relocation Project

Monitoring Plan

Fig. 7. Seven-day comparison of water levels during first spring tidal cycle after reopening of Mason Creek Channel and New Mason Inlet

Erickson_etal-03
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decisions and advance knowledge and understanding of coastal inlet processes. In addition, the

North Carolina Sea Grant program and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington are

conducting field studies to document circulation changes within the surrounding estuary.

Table 1. Summary of the Monitoring Plan for the Mason Inlet Relocation Project

Task

Time in Years from Initial Surveys

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Native Sand and Borrow Sand Quality

Controlled Aerial Photography

Plover and Water Bird Surveys

Current and Water Level Measurements

Protected Species Surveys

Wetland Surveys/Characterization

Benthic Macro-invertebrates

Fig. 6. Major morphologic features and three instrument locations.

FIRST-YEAR RESPONSE

Hydrodynamics

Continuous water level and directional current measurements have been collected at the

AIWW near Mason Creek and at the two tidal channels conveying tidal flows from the relocated

Mason Inlet to the AIWW, since February 1, 2002 or approximately 1 month before the inlet was

opened. Data recovery has been excellent overall, with shoaling in Banks Channel contributing

to the periodic loss of current measurements since October 2002. Water level in Mason Creek,

Western Governors University

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