Beach Restoration

Ongoing Projects

USACE Beneficial Use

One major ongoing effort at the island’s south end is the Beneficial Use Project being carried out by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in the area of Breach Inlet. This project is entirely under USACE’s control — the City does not manage the work or its schedule.

• As part of the maintenance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW), sediment that was previously dredged and stored in upland placement areas is being re-handled. Because much of that material is beach-compatible sand, USACE is using it to support local beaches.
• On Isle of Palms, around 500,000 cubic yards of sand are being placed below the high tide line between 2nd and 10th Avenues, near Breach Inlet.
• Because the sand is placed in the intertidal zone (not as a “dry” sand beach), natural tidal cycles will gradually redistribute and clean the material over time.
• USACE began work in mid-2024

City-led Beach Restoration

• In the summer of 2025, the Wild Dunes Shoal Management Project was completed, placing sand in areas such as Ocean Club, Seascape, and Beachwood East.
• The City's supplemental beach restoration work was also completed in the summer of 2025. This involved placing sand in areas as needed. As a part of this work, a new dune was created from 9th Avenue to Breach Inlet.
• In addition, the city is planning a major beach renourishment project, anticipated to place up to 2.5 million cubic yards of sand island-wide — including both ends of the island. That project, which could begin as early as spring 2026, is part of the City’s long-term Comprehensive Beach Management Plan.
• The City maintains a dedicated Beach Preservation Fund to support these efforts, and is working to secure state and local match funds for the upcoming large-scale renourishment.

Funding

• The city has requested $5.3 million in state funding for the major beach renourishment project. The required $5.3 million local match has already been secured, and an estimated $27 million will come from local sources, including funds raised by the Wild Dunes Community Association, to complete the work.
• All other City beach restoration efforts are being funded through the city's Beach Preservation Fund.
• The USACE Project is funded in part by the Bi-partisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) as well as regular Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway Operations & Maintenance funding.

Live Beach Status