TOPSAIL BEACH – The Topsail Nature Preserve and its beaches reopened to the public October 7 after state coastal managers completed a targeted herbicide treatment of invasive common reed within the property.
The North Carolina Division of Coastal Management says a licensed contractor treated two Phragmites australis patches of about 1.5 acres each, totaling approximately three acres. The patches lie in interior swales between dune ridges rather than directly alongside a tidal waterway.
The contractor used a drone to apply the herbicide, a method the agency says permitted targeted work without bringing heavy equipment onto the habitat. Officials also reported that the treated swales lack a surface-water connection to Banks Channel, New Topsail Inlet or nearby tidal waters.
State managers closed the preserve, parking areas and beach access during the work, then announced reopening after the treatment was finished. That October 7 completion is an observed agency milestone, not proof that the invasive grass has been permanently removed.
The Division says it will monitor the treatment’s effectiveness and possible effects on adjacent native plants. Additional targeted treatments could be necessary in 2027 because the reed can regrow.
Reopening does not restore every former use of the south-end beach. In a September 11 notice, the Town of Topsail Beach said vehicle beach driving, horseback riding and off-leash dogs would no longer be allowed within the preserve. Pedestrian access remains available, and dogs must be leashed. Those restrictions are distinct from the temporary October 7 herbicide closure.
For coastal visitors and nearby residents, the immediate change is restored access. Longer-term progress will depend on the state’s monitoring results, not on a single-day application.
Source(s)
- N.C. Department of Environmental Quality: Official announcement
- Town of Topsail Beach: South End access and pet rules