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THE BRUNSWICK&KACON D
THURSDAY. DECEMBER 27. 1990 | )
Spirit Of Shallotte River
Association Lives On
BY DOUG RUTTKR
The more things change the more they stay the
same. Brunswick County has seen unprecedented
change over the past three decades. Roads, shop
ping centers, houses and golf courses have sprung up in
areas that oncc were nothing more than timberland.
An unknown and predominantly rural and agricul
tural area has blossomed into the state's second-fastest
growing county, thanks in part to a thriving tourism in
dustry.
But one aspect of Brunswick County life that hasn't
changed over the years is the importance of water
ways?including Shallottc River and Shallotte Inlet.
A recent campaign to get the federal government
more involved in maintenance of the Shallottc Inlet is
reminiscent of efforts made 30 years ago by a group
known as the Shallottc River Association.
The association, which was made up of area busi
nessmen and fishermen, formed in 1958 and worked
several years urging the Army Corps of Engineers to
dredge a wider and deeper channel in the river and inlet.
The organization of about 200 members requested
the work to help the commercial and sport fishing in
dustries as well as tourism.
An association survey made in January 1959 said
there were between 2,000 and 2,500 people who were
entirely dependent on the river and inlet for a living.
There were more than 40 shrimp boats and 13 charter
STAFF PHOTO BY DOUG HLfTTE*
COMMERCIAL FISHING VESSELS such as
the Miss Angela, out of Shallotte Point, depend
on a clear path through Shallotte Inlet to har
vest seafood.
boats using the inlet in addition to sport fishing boats
and private yachts.
Members said dredging the waterways would
improve fishing for spots, mullet and trout; improve ac
cess to the ocean for shrimp boats; and create a freer
flow of water that would benefit oyster and clam popu
lations.
The Shallottc River Association also said a wider
and deeper river channel would help Shallottc regain
the place it once held in the fishing and pulpwood trans
portation industries. International Paper had operated a
pulp loading wharf in Shallottc until 1952.
The group's request was endorsed by the towns of
Shallotte and Ocean Isle Bcach, the Brunswick County
Board of Commissioners and United States senators
and representatives from North Carolina.
But Hubert Bellamy, who was a member of the as
sociation that presented its findings to the Corps of
Engineers at a public hearing in 1960, said very little
came out of the group's work.
"They cleared out a couple of spots and it helped for
a couple of years," Bellamy said. "But then it filled back
in again, and I don't ever remember them coming back."
Although many members of the old Shallotte River
Association have died since then, the spirit of the orga
nization lives on today. At the request of fishermen and
boaters, local public officials have picked up where the
river association left off.
Brunswick County and Ocean Isle Beach leaders
have renewed the push to get the Corps of Engineers to
take over a dredging project in Shallotte Inlet, stressing
the same reasons that were at the top of the river associ
ation's list 30 years ago.
In arguing for a clear inlet today, officials still point
io ihe needs of commercial fishermen and recreational
boaters. They say the inlet is often used by visitors to
the area and is important for tourism, which has become
the leading industry in Brunswick County.
As a result of the renewed efforts, the Corps of
Engineers' Wilmington district office has asked its divi
sion office in Atlanta to fund a study that would deter
mine if there is a need to dredge Shallotte Inlet. County
officials should hear in January whether or not the
study will be funded.
Bellamy said there was more of a commercial fish
ing fleet 30 years ago than there is now. But the number
of tourists using Shallotte Inlet has multiplied, making
the project as important as ever.
Shrimp boats used to travel eight or nine miles up
the river to Shallottc for repairs. Bellamy said the
Shallotte River doesn't have the boat traffic it used to
have, mostly because of the shallow waters and lack of
fish.
'There's very few people who can bring their boat
up there anymore because of the shifting shoals," he
said.
Woodrow Russ, who has run a business in Shallotte
for 53 years, said he's seen the role of the river change
from being a vital link with the outside world to a wa
terway used mainly for commercial fishing and recre
ation.
"Years ago we got our supplies by the river," Russ
said in a recent interview. "We didn't have any roads
back then."
Sailboats used the river back in the 1920s to deliver
fertilizer, flour and furniture to Shallotte. Russ said the
boats would leave town loaded with tar, turpentine and
lumber.
Russ said the people working to get the inlet
dredged now will need some luck to accomplish their
goal, and the government will need deep pockets. "You
can walk across it on low water now. It would take
some money to move that much soil."
Thanks For
Sharing The Spirit
S Happy Nev ^
/ ^^rrom Dr. Skip Davis & Staff at
Chiropractic Center of Shallotte/Ocean isle
Thanks to everyone who helped us share the spirit with those In need. Your donations
were greatly appreciated during our second annual "Share The Spirit" food drive.
rood donations were given to the
Hwy. 179, ocean isle Salvation Army Christmas Distribution Center Phone 57&3502
THE CAPE
SHALLOTTE
FEAR
HIGHWAY 179
VILLAGE PINES OFFICE PARK
T7 f | TP ? SUITE 4 ? 754-8848
rUUi Center
Professional, Thorough and Gentle Foot Care
?Heel Pain / Heel Spur 'Running / Sports Injuries / Broken Bones
?Bunions, Corns, Calluses #Diabetic Foot Care / Nail Care
?Warts, Ingrown Nails ?Alternatives to Surgery
?In-Office Surgery
?Insurance Forms Filed For You ?Most Insurances Accepted
?Blue Cross Costwise Provider ?Medicare Assignment Accepted
Dr. Gregory Young, DPM By Appointment Only 754-8848
Medical & Surgical Specialist of the Foot and Ankle
+mo tic macon
rk:.1 I'.,-?MMSH
#,v. -v
PHOTO CONTIIRUTEO
A 1938 view of Shallotle River shows a bustling waterfront at the intersection of old U.S. 17 (now
Village Road) and Main Street, Shallotle. In a I960 photo of the same location, buildings and boats
had disappeared.
\?S. ?
STAfF PHOTO IT DOUG ?UTTE?
RECREATIONAL BOATS docked near Shallotte Point are evidence of the growing tourism industry
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