Northampton County and Nature Conservancy to build berm along shoreline of Oyster

Northampton County officials say a new partnership with The Nature Conservancy is aimed to help reduce flooding in the small seaside community of Oyster, where flooding have increasingly threatened homes.

During Tuesday night’s Board of Supervisors meeting, County Zoning Administrator Mike Starling outlined plans for a joint project with the conservation group and engineering firm Dewberry that would combine two flood protection efforts along the south side of Oyster harbor, where most of the village’s homes are located.

The proposal calls for raising and repairing an existing bulkhead and constructing an earthen berm around the residential area. Both structures would be built to an elevation of 8.5 feet, based on projections showing that by 2040 a ‘once in a fifty year storm’ could produce water levels near 8.1 feet above mean low water.

The bulkhead portion of the project would be led by Northampton County using funds from Virginia’s Community Flood Preparedness Fund, while The Nature Conservancy would lead the berm construction using a grant from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Starling reported the Nature Conservancy felt the project is a mitigation measure, not than a permanent solution. Should a storm produce a higher tide than 8.5 feet, the berm would be equipped with single flow drain systems to allow water out.

“This is meant to buy time,” he said, noting the improvements could help protect roughly two to three dozen homes while residents pursue options such as elevating houses through federal grant programs.

Northampton County would be responsible for regular maintenance of the berm, but when asked by Supervisor Dixon Leatherbury, Starling said he was not sure who would be on the hook for repairs should the berm be damaged by a storm.

Preliminary design work includes soil testing, wetlands delineation, drone surveys, and mapping of the harbor bottom to determine the final alignment of the berm while minimizing impacts to wetlands and private property.

Survey crews are expected to begin field work in late March or early April. Once constructed, Northampton County would assume responsibility for maintaining the berm.