Press Releases

MOREHEAD CITY – State recreational water quality officials today advised beachgoers to be aware of the floodwaters being pumped to the ocean surf in Oak Island. Surfers and swimmers should avoid these sites.

As temperatures rise, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Water Resources (DWR) reminds the public to avoid contact with discolored water that could indicate the presence of an algal bloom.

The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission amended the state’s Eastern Oyster and Hard Clam fishery management plans at its business meeting this week.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management is warning the public about how they can help reduce the risk to the most vulnerable residents of Rachel Carson Reserve. On Saturday, May 10, a 6-day-old wild horse, or foal, a resident of the Rachel Carson Reserve in Beaufort, was separated from its mother for hours following disturbance by humans on foot and boats. Several days later, a visitor approached the foal and its social group to coax the foal closer. Visitors are advised that these actions may result in legal consequences. *image available for download

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

MOREHEAD CITY – State recreational water quality officials today lifted a water quality swimming advisory at a sound-side site in Dare County.

As the summer beach season ramps up, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management (DCM) Public Beach and Coastal Waterfront Access Program reminds coastal residents and visitors about its helpful, interactive public beach and waterfront access map. The map can be accessed directly from mobile devices and desktops to help locate a spot to visit along one of North Carolina’s beaches or coastal waterfronts this summer. The map includes a tool called “Find Sites Near Me,” which will help to locate sites within 10 miles of a location.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Division of Water Resources, in cooperation with Eno River State Park, the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, City of Durham, Durham County, Town of Hillsborough and Orange County, will be treating the Eno River for hydrilla, an invasive aquatic plant, May 29 through Aug. 31.

MOREHEAD CITY – State recreational water quality officials today lifted a water quality swimming advisory for a sound-side swimming area in New Hanover County.