Special Reports

  • Paddling Black River: Park Study Underway

    Reaction to a proposal earlier this year for a new state park along the Black River prompted legislators to revise the measure to instead call only for a study of the idea.

  • Paddling Black River: History, Ancient Trees

    The Black River, home to cypress trees older than 1,600 years, is also a popular paddling destination in an area of North Carolina with few state parks. Today begins a three-part series on what makes the river special.

  • GenX Response: Stored Water Disposal Set

    The utility that provides drinking water to 200,000 Wilmington-area residents is set to begin ridding its aquifer storage system of treated water containing traces of GenX.

  • Team Tracks Ocean Energy From Land, Sea

    In the second installment of our special report, the ongoing study of Gulf Stream energy at Cape Hatteras is undertaken from shore and aboard a research vessel at sea.

  • Project Looks to Tap Gulf Stream’s Energy

    The Coastal Studies Institute’s Renewable Ocean Energy Research Program is making headway in predicting the part of the Gulf Stream that’s the best resource for generating power.

  • Past Hurricanes Have Led to Tighter Rules

    It’s unclear what, if any, regulatory changes may happen as a result of Hurricane Matthew’s destruction, but past storms have brought about more stringent building codes, dune ordinances and flood maps.

  • Living Shorelines Withstand Matthew’s Force

    Hurricane Matthew put living shorelines to the test, and proponents and scientists say the coastal management method that uses marsh grasses and oyster reefs to fight erosion worked as intended.

  • Gauging Matthew’s Environmental Damage

    Efforts to measure the environmental damage caused by Hurricane Matthew, especially the flooding that occurred in its wake continue, but officials are crediting lessons learned from previous storms.

  • Conflicts, Ill Will Threaten Red Wolf Recovery

    Angry landowners, public mistrust and unsettled science spurred the recent dramatic policy reversal and continuing threats to end the endangered red wolf recovery program in northeastern North Carolina.