Beach Relocation and Habitat Restoration Projects

Beach Relocation Project Background

Assateague Island is on the move. As a result of natural processes, the island is approaching the mainland at a rate of approximately 10-13 feet/year. Large storm events accelerate the process and lead to costly repairs and long-term closures of public parking areas.

More than $15 million has been spent for storm recovery since 2003 - including as much as $400,000 per year on repeated maintenance costs.

The refuge, owned and operated by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the recreational beach, managed and operated by National Park Service, attract more than 1 million visitors annually. Closure of the parking areas due to storm damage reduces the ability of the USFWS and NPS to provide recreational beach access and interpretive opportunities to these visitors.

Over a multi-decade public planning and engagement process, the agencies carefully considered substantial public input and comments that informed the current strategy. Moving the recreational beach to a more stable location north of the existing beach was the only available course of action that could conserve wildlife resources on the refuge, significantly reduce annual and long-term maintenance costs, and protect the viability of the local economy.

$17.7 million in funding for this project was obtained in 2022 via a U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects grant.

Status

Completed

• Design at 100%
• Agreement for the Air National Guard (ANG), through the Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training Program, to supply labor and equipment to construct the roadways and parking areas. The ANG and FWS met in January 2025 to discuss construction logistics.

Timeline

• Permitting: December 2024 - April 2025
• Construction of roads and parking areas: anticipated mid-April 2025 - Fall 2025
• Construction of visitor amenities and routes to the beach: anticipated Fall 2025 - April 2026

Image Details

New Beach Location

• 2.5 miles north of the current site
• Mile long, similar to length of current beach area
• Maintaining the approximate 961 space parking capacity + RV spaces

Potential of Construction Impacts to Visitors

• Increased truck traffic in the Town of Chincoteague and on the refuge throughout the course of this work. Traffic delays and detours along Beach Road and the recreational bike trail are possible.
• Restricted access to the Service Road including closures, suspension of bus tours, or access to associated areas including the North OSV Zone, Archery Only and Northern Hunt Zones, and Wildlife Loop.

Assateague Channel Salt Marsh Restoration

In partnership with Ducks Unlimited, Chincoteague NWR is also restoring 30 acres of salt marsh salt marsh
Salt marshes are found in tidal areas near the coast, where freshwater mixes with saltwater.

Learn more about salt marsh habitat in Assateague Channel to restore historical hydrology to marsh habitats, build resiliency in the face of mounting threats, and increase habitat for marsh nesting birds, fish, and shellfish. This project involves a thin layer placement of fill from the Service Road west to the oyster castles, graded and planted with grasses to match surrounding marsh elevation. Potential impacts to visitors during construction will include increased traffic in the Town of Chincoteague and on the refuge on Beach Road, the Wildlife Loop, and Service Road.

Contractors are currently staging materials for future project completion.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Will the existing recreational beach be closed during construction?

The existing recreational beach will remain open until the construction efforts for the new beach are complete. We anticipate no interruptions to beach access from construction, but the site could be subject to temporary closures caused by weather, NASA launches, or other safety-related events.

How will this impact OSV use?

South OSV area: No changes to normal operations: area known as the Hook is closed March 15 - August 31 (or later based on the age of the shorebird chicks); area known as the Overwash can close at any time after March 15th due to shorebird nesting and will remain closed until the newly hatched shorebirds can fly.
North OSV area: Closed.

What will happen to the current beach and parking lot location?

Once the new recreational beach facilities are completed and open, the current beach will be managed as natural beach, dune, and saltmarsh habitats. We anticipate that working with nature will allow for the natural barrier island process to occur, creating habitat for threatened and at-risk species and offering protections to the local community from future storms.

How will this project impact wildlife?

Allowing for natural processes to occur at what is now the recreational beach and parking lot will create habitat for multiple priority beach nesting birds including American oystercatcher and piping plover. Construction of the new recreational beach will be timed to minimize disturbance to wildlife.