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Horry County officials report major progress on beach renourishment; most Horry portion nearly placed
Summary
County staff reported that Reach 1 of the Army Corps project is complete and that Horry County’s beach renourishment work (220,000 cubic yards planned) had about 204,214 cubic yards placed as of May 17; contractors Amelia Island and Padre Island are working in sequence to finish remaining reaches.
Horry County officials told the Transportation Committee that beach renourishment work is moving quickly, with federal and local projects running concurrently and most of the county’s contracted sand already placed.
Brandon Elvis, who presented the update, said Reach 1 — the Army Corps–led Hurricane Ian restoration segment — is complete and Reach 2 work showed substantial progress. “The Horry County portion started on May 6 and that quantity is 220,000 cubic yards. As of May 17, approximately 204,214 cubic yards had been placed,” Elvis said.
Elvis said the county is managing two projects simultaneously: a larger, federally funded Reach 1–3 effort overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and a locally funded Arcadian Shores project the county is conducting with the city of Myrtle Beach. He described the dredging process: a dredge collects material offshore, connects to a submerged pipeline and pumps sand onshore, where dozers shape the material into beach berms.
Contractors cited by staff include the dredge Amelia Island, which Elvis described as the primary workhorse, and the Padre Island dredge, which was en route to assist and complete additional sublines. Elvis said the Arcadian Shores work was nearly complete and that crews planned to return to finish Reach 2 and then move on to Reach 3; the projected completion date discussed in the presentation moved slightly from May 29 to May 31.
The presentation included photographic and drone imagery showing narrow pre-restoration beaches widening markedly where material had been placed and dozer work shaping the new berms. Elvis also noted that Reach 1 was 100% federally funded and identified the Army Corps as the lead for that segment, while Arcadian Shores is locally funded.
Committee members had no substantive questions after the presentation. The committee did not vote on any beach-specific actions at this meeting.
The county did not provide a detailed, itemized funding breakdown in the presentation; staff indicated the federal Army Corps funding covers Reach 1 and the Arcadian Shores portion is locally financed in partnership with the city of Myrtle Beach. Staff said they would return with further updates as the contractor completes the remaining reaches.
