The Battleship NORTH CAROLINA’s Living with Water project makes space for the Cape Fear River rather than treating every flooded surface as a repaving problem. Part of the site’s low parking area became wetland, while remaining parking and drainage were redesigned. Understanding those separate functions gives a visitor something useful to look for beyond the ship itself.
Flooding had become a problem for the attraction’s daily operation. In a June 2023 Port City Daily report, Battleship development director Terry DeMeo said that “the coastal flooding was affecting our business model and our livelihood.” Her comments described the access problem that the project was designed to address.
The flooding statistic has a defined source
The Battleship’s project account says a study found a 7,021% increase in tidal flooding since the ship arrived in Wilmington in 1961, and dates the project launch to 2018. The PBS NC segment published April 17, 2025 summarizes that increase as roughly 7,000%.
Reported change in tidal flooding since 1961
The Battleship cites a 7,021% increase in tidal flooding since 1961.
Those historical comparisons describe how flooding changed over time. They do not measure the percentage of the site currently underwater or predict conditions for your visit.
Three features do different jobs
NOAA’s July 2025 project update describes the completed landscape work: two acres of frequently flooded parking lot became intertidal wetland, the remaining lot was raised, and a bioswale was added to capture rainwater runoff. The operator’s project description also identifies about 800 linear feet of living shoreline. NOAA says researchers are monitoring the created wetland and the project’s effects on water quality and flooding, so completion of the work is only the start of understanding its longer-term performance.
| Feature | What to notice from a permitted visitor route | Why the distinction matters |
|---|---|---|
| Wetland and tidal creek | Low planted land connected with tidal water | Water entering wetland is not automatically a failure |
| Bioswale/drainage | A vegetated drainage feature by parking | Runoff management is different from eliminating all river flooding |
| Living shoreline | A softer transition between bank and water | Habitat and erosion goals differ from ordinary asphalt parking |
Use this design comparison to interpret what you can see from a visitor path. It does not measure the project’s performance. Do not enter planted areas or approach wildlife to inspect it. Ask staff which paths and interpretation signs are currently open.
Raised parking is not a future flood guarantee
Raising the remaining lot and improving drainage were intended to reduce flooding. The road, lot and visitor routes can still be affected by tides, storms and future sea-level conditions.
Check the Battleship visitor information and dated notices before traveling to 1 Battleship Road. An engineering explanation does not override a closure or make a flooded access road safe to use. If an access need matters, ask about the actual available route instead of inferring it from a raised parking surface.
Add the project to a ship visit
For an ordinary visit, first settle admission, hours and access using our main Battleship guide. Then allow a short optional pause for the landscape from a permitted path. Our family guide explains the ship’s separate stairs, ladders and visit limits.
The restoration is not a supervised wildlife attraction or a guaranteed free-access trail across every project area. Ask staff where you may go. Viewing birds from a path can be part of a visit, but neither the design nor this article promises sightings.
What the project illustrates
The useful lesson is the distinction between protecting the remaining visitor infrastructure and allowing designated wetland to flood. Seeing tidal water in the latter should not be confused with a failed parking scheme. Conversely, a successful past tide does not prove permanent protection.
Use the landscape to understand how the site is adapting, and use current visitor notices to plan the day.
