Evolution of a Relocated Tidal Inlet: Mason Inlet, NC

Mason Inlet, situated between Figure Eight Island and Wrightsville Beach, N.C. was artificially relocated 850 m updrift of its former position at the southern terminus of a migrating barrier spit. Relocation that occurred in early 2002 was chosen from several management options due to the increased backbarrier infilling and southerly migration of the inlet that imminently threatened a resort complex and infrastructure on northern Wrightsville Beach. The relocated Mason Inlet provides an exemplary site to study the evolution and impacts of a recently relocated system from its inception while simultaneously assessing the relative success of the project. Jarrett's theoretical equation relating tidal prism (T_P) and cross-sectional area (A_C) appears to be a useful tool for estimation of the relocated Mason Inlet's T_P. However, ebb-tidal delta volume after 4.5 years remains well below the equilibrium volume predicted by Walton and Adams' model.