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Tom Stroud has noticed for the past month that the Pamlico River looks higher than in past years. He is concerned, because he cannot explain the prolonged higher levels of water. Stroud is the Director of the North Carolina Estuarium located on Water Street in Washington. 

“We started noticing about the middle of September that the water was up a foot or so on a regular basis,” Stroud said. He speculates that rain from a recent hurricane could have increased the Pamlico’s water levels as it traveled eastward from the Tar River. 

What is typical to see is heavy flood water rains travel from the Tar River to the Pamlico then spread out across the Pamlico’s width making an increase unnoticeable and insignificant, he explained.   

The Estuarium is able to monitor the Pamlico’s water levels while conducting river roving tours multiple times per week. Stroud said steps were added to the Estuarium’s Pontoon to assist tour members access the boat, because the boat has always been slightly below the pier.  For the past month, the steps were unnecessary, because the boat has been “consistently higher above the pier,” he said. 

“There’s just no explanation that I could see, because there’s not that much water coming downstream,” he continued. “Even if it was, it’s not a foot or two. There’s not been heavy easterly winds that push a lot of water in and not on a consistent basis like this.” 

The Pamlico River, Stroud explained, is “very responsive to wind tides.” Winds can either push water out toward the Pamlico Sound, or push water up the river. 

Recent increased water levels are not unique to the Pamlico River. Stroud added that the Roanoke/Cashie River Center in Windsor, North Carolina has noticeable differences. The center’s finger pier in the Cashie River was underwater as of Thursday, Oct. 10. It is normally a foot above water level in the Cashie. His best guess as to why the pier is underwater relates to tides. “What is more interesting to me is that this almost seems tidal. That it will rise up a little bit and go down a little bit on a cyclical basis.” Stroud has yet to do his own measurements to see if the increase matches a lunar cycle.  In addition, the Scuppernong River has seen recent “notably higher” increases in water levels for the past month. The increases are greater than two inches, he said. 

Possible causes for higher levels of water include rising sea levels. Stroud said rising sea levels will increase the water levels of local rivers. 

Sea-level rise is natural; however it is aggravated by greenhouse gasses polluting the atmosphere and polar ice caps melting. 

According to the World Meteorological Organization, global sea levels are rising more than double the rate they did during 1993 to 2002, and hit a new record high two years ago. 

“The United Nations agency said extreme glacier melt and record ocean heat levels contributed to an average rise in sea levels of 4.62 millimeters (0.18 inches) a year between 2013 and 2022. That is about double the pace of the first decade on record, leading to a total increase of over 10 centimeters (3.93 inches) since the early 1990s,” Gareth McGrath reported for USA Today, last year. 

McGareth also reported that Wilmington could see an average sea-level rise of 1.7 ft. over 1992 levels by 2050. These numbers are based on historic tide gauge data. Wilmington’s National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration tidal gauge is at the base of the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge. 

Where rising sea-levels can pose a problem for Washington-Beaufort County residents and business owners is possible water damage from storm surge and higher levels of river water. 

Should residents be worried? Stroud says no, not right now. It takes years before issues begin to increase in severity. 

“We have been open since 1998 and there has definitely been a gradual increase that I’ve noticed on the river out here, but nothing really significant. I’d say an inch or two in terms of a mean level,” Stroud said, referring to Estuarium staff. Stroud has been with the Estuarium since it opened. 

“There’s been this gradual increase for a couple of decades. This just seems beyond gradual,” Stroud said, referring to the past month.

Those interested in monitoring and reporting water levels of the Pamlico or Pungo Rivers can participate in the North Carolina King Tide Project. Created in 2017, the project allows citizen scientists to record water levels during king tides with photos. King tides are the highest and lowest tidal events of the year. They are regular and predictable events when the sun, moon and Earth are in alignment and the moon is at its closest point to Earth. There is one expected starting Oct. 15 and continuing until Oct. 22. 

For more information about the NC King Tide project, visit: https://nckingtides.web.unc.edu/ 

And for more information about water levels in Beaufort County, visit the North Carolina Flood Inundation Mapping and Alert Network at https://fiman.nc.gov/