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out into the
Atlantic: the Oak Island Pier and the Ocean Crest Pier while motor/sail boats moored to piers dot the ICW as well as the Davis Canal and Montgomery Slough. All these waterways also attract a large number of kayakers. The Oak Island Recreation Center located mid-island provides both indoor and outdoor exercise facilities and rents out sports equipment and amenities like balloon tire, beach wheelchairs. A popular sporting event, ”Run Oak Island" held each February, features a marathon, half-marathon, 10K and 5K races. As for other activities, the
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341:, the 2001 sand deposition on the east end of the island using material dredged from the Wilmington Harbor Channel. Since then, two similar projects have been completed along with other, smaller efforts, e.g two Sea Turtle Habitat Restoration Projects. Concern about the beach has also occasioned the creation of Beach Preservation Trust funds by both the Towns of Oak island and Caswell Beach and the formation of active citizen groups supporting the
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the 50s (°F), albeit with brief cold periods. Rain occurs throughout the year with average annual rainfall approximately 57", 45% of this falling between June and
September. Tropical storms are a continuing source of concern, e.g., in the 1996-1999 period, four major hurricanes (Bertha, Fran, Bonnie, and Floyd) made landfall and had significant effects on the area. More recently, in October 2016, the eye of
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Summers on Oak Island are hot and humid with an average temperature of 85˚, although the beach front is cooled much of the time by sea breezes (the prevailing winds are from the southwest). Ocean water temperatures range from the 50s to the mid 80s. Winters are moderate with an average temperature in
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puts on an ocean front fireworks display as part of its Fourth of July festivities, and a parade down Oak Island Drive just before
Christmas. Tours of the Oak Island Lighthouse can be scheduled year round, with trips to the top available by appointment given two weeks advance notice (four weeks in
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Primarily a family beach type locale, the island also provides many other types of recreational activity. The Oak Island Golf course and its related practice facilities are open to the public and an outdoor swimming pool is available for its members' use during the summer. Two fishing piers jut
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brought a temporary halt to in 1954 as it washed away some 350 buildings on or near the ocean front. One of the greatest natural disasters to ever affect the state, Hazel was also one of the most destructive hurricanes to strike the United States. The island quickly recovered and development
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opened for play. The second nine holes was completed in 1975, the same year the Town of
Caswell Beach was incorporated. As a result of both the course and island's sequential development, 13 holes of the golf course are in Caswell Beach while five holes are in the Town of Oak Island.
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located 1/2 mile west of Fort
Caswell. Still standing today, this building features a large lookout tower projecting from its roof. In 1938 it was sold to a private owner and moved directly across the road from its original location near where the current lighthouse stands.
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Along with this increasing level of development came strident demands for reliable access to and from the island. When the ICW was completed, a swingbridge initially provided this service. Destroyed by a barge strike in 1971, construction of a high rise replacement
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282:, during the Civil War the fort defended Confederate positions on the North Carolina coast and subsequently served as an army training ground in World War I and a patrol/ communications base in World War II. In 2013, along with the
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in South
Carolina. Both ends of Oak Island have extensive marshland, while its two major internal waterways (Davis Canal and Montgomery Slough) run east to west and drain into the
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While Native
Americans most likely used the island for fishing, the first permanent settlement took place in the 1830s on the island's east end at
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By the 1930s the island had blossomed into a vacation resort as beach cottages began to dot the area on its western half, something which
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became operational. Located on the east end of the island, in 2004 the Town of
Caswell Beach acquired it and in 2007 it was added to the
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are held at the Hatch
Auditorium in the NC Baptist Assembly while the Oak Island Library hosts a wide variety of events to include "
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caused severe flooding and wind damage in addition to washing away most of the beach sand added earlier in the year.
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passed almost directly over the island inflicting significant damage to the dune system, and then in
September 2018,
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Beach erosion has been a continuing problem for the island, with the first major success in
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In the early 1800s, in recognition of the dangers to navigation caused by
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345:"Protect our Coast" effort. One such group, familiarly known as the
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in 1955; in 1999 they were jointly incorporated into the Town of
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was a key player in the Brunswick County effort opposing
484:"Total Population in Caswell Beach town, North Carolina"
458:"Total Population in Oak Island town, North Carolina"
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977:North Carolina's Hurricane History: Fourth Edition
1097:"Oean Crest Pier/listing/ocean-crest-pier/105/"
305:completed in 1817, and on Oak Island, the 1889
286:constructed during WWI, it was designated as a
516:. The Town of Oak Island, North Carolina. 2024
1248:Landforms of Brunswick County, North Carolina
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583:Herring, Ethel; Williams, Carolee (1999).
152:is located on the Atlantic Ocean coast in
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587:. Oak Island, NC: NC Baptist Assembly.
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353:and off shore drilling as proposed the
280:Christian retreat and conference center
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365:. In 1962 the first 9 holes of the
363:National Register of Historic Places
831:"Natural Resources Defense Council"
156:near the South Carolina border. A
441:" and "Meet the Author" programs.
386:) crossing was completed in 2010.
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1243:Barrier islands of North Carolina
355:Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
343:Natural Resources Defense Council
318:continued anew with the towns of
270:Oak Island Swingbridge circa 1950
807:"Sea Turtle Habitat Restoration"
681:"Oak Island Life Saving Station"
490:. United States Government. 2020
464:. United States Government. 2020
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154:Brunswick County, North Carolina
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1196:Town of Caswell Beach (website)
174:North Carolina Baptist Assembly
1117:"Oak Island Recreation Center"
307:Oak Island Life Saving Station
254:Oak Island Life-Saving Station
178:Oak Island Coast Guard Station
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906:. Long Beach, NC: Furstenau.
585:Fort Caswell in War and Peace
433:the summer months). Monthly
301:, this construction included
262:NC133 "Hazel" Historic Marker
180:which is co-located with the
1191:Town of Oak Island (website)
902:Furstenau, Wolfgang (1995).
488:United States Census Bureau
462:United States Census Bureau
160:, it contains the towns of
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756:"Oak Island Consolidation"
609:"Fort Caswell Rifle Range"
510:"Residents & Visitors"
288:National Historic District
246:Fort Caswell Battery Swift
194:Wilmington, North Carolina
192:Roughly 30 miles south of
28:Oak Island beach at sunset
783:"Harbor Dredging Project"
732:"Hurricane Event Summary"
613:FortCaswellRifleRange.com
202:Southport, North Carolina
143:
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855:"Ocean Development Plan"
415:Ocean Crest Fishing Pier
284:Fort Caswell Rifle Range
172:(since 1949 home to the
120:12 mi (19 km)
1049:"Oak Island Golf Club"
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139:Additional information
435:Civil War Roundtables
423:Oak Island Lighthouse
422:
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407:Recreation/Activities
359:Oak Island Lighthouse
357:(BOEM). In 1958, the
278:. Now utilized as a
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198:Intracoastal Waterway
182:Oak Island Lighthouse
101:33.91028°N 78.06056°W
1165:"Oak Island Library"
1121:OakIslandRecDesk.com
1025:"Hurricane Florence"
975:Barnes, Jay (2013).
928:"Swain's Cut Bridge"
367:Oak Island Golf Club
214:Lockwood Folly River
204:at the mouth of the
200:(ICW). Dredged from
1219:33.9137°N 78.1111°W
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1001:"Hurricane Matthew"
979:. UNC Press Books.
952:"NOAA Weather Data"
106:33.91028; -78.06056
97: /
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1145:OakIslandLight.org
1141:"Oak Island Light"
1029:StatePortPilot.com
787:StatePortPilot.com
661:BaldHeadIsland.com
514:Town of Oak Island
430:Town of Oak Island
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401:Hurricane Florence
384:Swain's Cut Bridge
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1077:OakIslandPier.com
1073:"Oak Island Pier"
1053:OakIslandGolf.com
708:"Hurricane Hazel"
633:"NRHP Submission"
397:Hurricane Matthew
295:Frying Pan Shoals
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369:designed by
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328:incorporated
324:Yaupon Beach
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276:Fort Caswell
273:
210:Little River
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170:Fort Caswell
149:
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131:
1222: /
1169:BrunsCo.gov
956:Weather.gov
371:George Cobb
339:restoration
104: /
80:Coordinates
1237:Categories
1210:78°06′40″W
1207:33°54′49″N
1174:2019-02-01
1150:2019-02-01
1126:2019-02-01
1102:2019-02-01
1082:2019-02-01
1058:2019-02-01
1034:2019-02-01
1010:2019-02-01
961:2019-02-01
937:2019-02-01
904:Long Beach
888:2019-05-13
864:2019-04-15
840:2019-04-15
816:2019-04-15
792:2019-04-15
768:2019-02-01
741:2019-02-01
717:2019-02-01
693:2019-02-01
666:2019-02-01
642:2019-02-01
618:2019-02-01
569:2019-02-01
545:2019-02-01
536:"Topo Map"
445:References
332:Oak Island
320:Long Beach
176:) and the
162:Oak Island
150:Oak Island
92:78°03′38″W
89:33°54′37″N
53:Oak Island
17:Oak Island
763:NCLEG.net
688:NCDCR.gov
303:Old Baldy
188:Geography
65:Geography
859:BOEM.gov
835:NRDC.org
736:NCSU.edu
712:WRAL.com
657:"Shoals"
520:July 21,
494:July 21,
468:July 21,
347:Crabbies
70:Location
1005:NWS.gov
637:NPS.gov
390:Climate
238:History
983:
910:
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326:being
117:Length
759:(PDF)
684:(PDF)
981:ISBN
908:ISBN
589:ISBN
522:2024
496:2024
470:2024
322:and
164:and
883:NPS
132:USA
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
