Press Releases

State recreational water quality officials today lifted a water quality swimming advisory for a sound-side swimming area in Carteret County.

The State Water Infrastructure Authority will meet Tuesday, July 18, at 10:00 a.m. and Wednesday, July 19 at 9:00 a.m. at the Steve Troxler Agricultural Sciences Center in Raleigh. The public may listen to the meeting online or by phone.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is reminding potential shellfish lease applicants that the 2023 application period ends Aug. 1.

The N.C. Division of Coastal Management and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office are urging the public to act responsibly during the upcoming July Fourth holiday at the Masonboro Island Reserve, a research reserve and dedicated state nature preserve. In preparation for the holiday, the state coastal agency and the sheriff’s office are working together to provide public safety resources and increase public awareness of responsible visitor behavior on the island.

The N.C Division of Coastal Management (DCM) announced the availability of funding through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the CZM Habitat Protection and Restoration Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Competition for habitat restoration and conservation projects. Funds are available for coastal habitat restoration; coastal habitat restoration planning, engineering, and design; and land conservation projects that support the goals and intent of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP), and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

An advisory against swimming was posted today at a sound-side site in Carteret County, where state officials found bacteria levels in the water that exceed the state’s and Environmental Protection Agency’s recreational water quality standards.

The N.C Division of Marine Fisheries will collect Red Snapper carcasses from recreational fishermen during the July 14-15 Red Snapper mini-season.

North Carolinians sensitive to air pollution should exercise caution this week as a plume of smoke from wildfires in Canada enters the state.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries today announced that the 2023 recreational flounder season will open at 12:01 a.m. Sept. 15 and close at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 29.