Holiday Boaters Ordered To Steer Clear Of Explosive-Laced Browns Island

As the Memorial Day rush to the water ramps up, the U.S. Marine Corps is telling boaters and beachgoers to give Browns Island and the nearby shallows a wide berth. Decades of live-fire training combined with recent shoreline erosion have left dangerous unexploded ordnance buried in the sand and shoals, turning the area into a very real blast hazard for anyone who lands, anchors, or stirs up the bottom.

Lt. Col. Jeffrey Cummings, director of Range Control at Camp Lejeune, said the impact area holds “everything from 500‑pound air‑delivered bombs all the way down to 25‑ and 40‑millimeter high‑explosive dual‑purpose munitions,” according to The News & Observer. The island sits between the Atlantic Ocean and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway north of the base, roughly 20 miles east of Jacksonville, the paper reports.

What the Marines say is off-limits

Marine officials are blunt about the boundaries: Browns Island itself, its shoreline, its tributaries and the surrounding navigable waters are off-limits. That means no anchoring, tying up, walking ashore or doing anything that churns up the bottom, including clamming, oystering or fishing with bottom‑dragging nets.

In a press release from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, the base notes that Browns Inlet may be transited without stopping only when there is no military activity, and warns that posted signs ring the area to mark those restrictions.

Patrols and penalties

Military Police and U.S. Coast Guard crews regularly work the inlet and nearby waterways, watching for trespassers and risky behavior. Anyone caught ignoring the rules can be cited and face fines of up to $5,000, up to six months behind bars, or both, according to WITN.

Why erosion makes the island dangerous

Browns Island has served as an impact area since the 1940s, and base explosive‑ordnance‑disposal teams say storms and erosion can peel back layers of sand, exposing munitions that have been buried for decades. Military photo archives on DVIDS and recent base imagery show controlled demolitions and clearly marked UXO on the island, while The News & Observer points to photographs from May 14 documenting ordnance and warning signs on site.

How boaters should behave this weekend

Anyone heading for the coast this holiday weekend is being urged to treat Browns Island and every warning sign around it as legally restricted, and to avoid any contact with the bottom in waterways near the island. For the latest boundaries, range schedules and contact information, check Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune for the published Browns Island policy or call Range Control before casting off.