Press Releases

The NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries is reminding individuals interested in leasing public coastal waters to cultivate shellfish that the 2026 Shellfish Lease & Aquaculture Program application period closes Aug. 1, 2026.

The State Water Infrastructure Authority will meet in person in Raleigh and via teleconference (Webex) on Wednesday, July 15, from 9 a.m. – 4:35 p.m. The public may listen to the meeting online or by phone.

The NC Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Public Water Supply Section is accepting comments through Aug. 31 on proposed changes to state rules on oversight of facilities providing supplemental water treatment.

The NC Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Coastal Management (DCM) is accepting applications for FY2027 funding through the North Carolina Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) Program. The BIG Program provides competitive grant funding to construct, renovate and maintain boating infrastructure serving transient recreational vessels 26 feet or longer.

MOREHEAD CITY – Advisories against swimming were posted today at two sound-side sites in Carteret County, where state recreational water quality officials found bacteria levels in the water that exceed the state’s and Environmental Protection Agency’s recreational water quality standards.

MOREHEAD CITY – State recreational water quality officials today lifted a water quality swimming advisory at a sound-side site in Dare County.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources will hold a public hearing on July 14 to accept public comments on water quality impacts from Martin Marietta Materials Inc.’s proposed expansion of a limestone quarry in Castle Hayne, located in New Hanover County.

La División de Recursos Hídricos del Departamento de Calidad Ambiental de Carolina del Norte celebrará una audiencia pública el 14 de julio para recibir comentarios del público sobre los impactos en la calidad del agua derivados de la propuesta de Martin Marietta Materials Inc., acerca de la ampliación de una cantera de piedra caliza, ubicada en Castle Hayne, Condado de New Hanover.

As drought conditions continue across North Carolina heading into the Fourth of July weekend, the public is encouraged to continue to follow water supply restrictions set by their local water systems.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management (DCM) and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office are urging the public to act responsibly during the upcoming July Fourth holiday at the Masonboro Island Reserve, a research and dedicated state nature preserve. In preparation for the holiday, the state coastal agency and the sheriff’s office are working together to provide public safety resources and increase public awareness of responsible visitor behavior on the island and surrounding waters.