Isle of Palms council hears 2.5 million-cubic-yard beach nourishment plan, construction targeted July–November

Stephen, a city consultant, told the Isle of Palms City Council that beach nourishment is “the process of bringing sand into a system from an outside source” and walked members through the project scope, construction schedule and expected impacts.

The project covers three fill reaches and totals roughly 2.5 million cubic yards of sand. Stephen said Reach One (northeast/Wild Dunes area) will receive about 900,000 cubic yards, Reach Two about 800,000 cubic yards and Reach Three the remaining 800,000 cubic yards. He described an approximate construction window of July through November, with mobilization by contractor Marinex and use of the cutter-head suction dredge Wadmala. The contractor expects to move about 20,000–25,000 cubic yards per day on average and to advance 100–250 feet of shoreline per day in favorable conditions.

Why it matters: the city says the work aims to restore eroded shorelines, maintain the tax base and reduce emergency control measures. Stephen said the fill will add width—on average the project will add roughly 1½ feet of beach width for every cubic yard per foot placed, with some Wild Dunes areas gaining more than 600 feet of new beach width in places.

Construction impacts and mitigation: Stephen warned crews often work 24/7 for efficiency and that active work zones (typically 500–1,000-foot rolling sections) will be marked and may temporarily close parts of the beach. He noted louder equipment backup alarms and nighttime lighting will be required; if turtles or nests are observed, work must stop until the animal is clear. He said the dredge pipeline and floats will be offshore and boaters should expect marked areas and avoid the pipeline.

Environmental protections and monitoring: The presenter described permit conditions requiring pre- and post-project monitoring — sediment sampling, benthic (infauna) surveys and survey profiles — and said the state reduced an initial sampling spacing requirement from 200 feet to 1,000 feet, lowering costs. To meet permit deadlines, staff told council they would collect and store pre-construction samples immediately and return later for processing and reporting.

Staging, access and sandbag removal: Staff said most heavy equipment will be barged in where possible (Dwy’s Inlet) to minimize truck traffic on narrow island avenues; equipment may use wider access points such as 42nd or 53rd avenues when needed. The city is negotiating a contract for sandbag removal that must occur ahead of or concurrent with nourishment to comply with state requirements.

Next steps and monitoring funding: Council and staff agreed a partial monitoring approach would allow construction to start: council authorized a short-term, approximately $15,000 payment to collect required pre-construction samples while staff refines a longer-term monitoring plan and returns with a recommendation on the full monitoring contract.

The city plans additional outreach, an online project page and updates to help residents know when equipment will be working in front of properties. The council set a special meeting to finalize an outstanding capital-project change order unrelated to the nourishment work.