The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers controls various beach projects on the Isle of Palms which the City does not manage.
Projects
Sediment Rehandling Project - Ahtna
The Sediment Rehandling Project is a beneficial use project, meaning it reuses material that would otherwise be wasted or disposed of.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is rehandling sediment from four existing placement areas to make room for future Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway dredging. Using that sand for beach renourishment puts it to productive use instead of dumping it.
The project is funded in part through routine Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway operations and maintenance funds, along with support from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
In short, this approach maximizes existing federal dollars while providing shoreline protection, rather than wasting usable material.
Intracoastal Waterway Dredging at Breach Inlet - Cottrell
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) contractor, Cottrell, will begin placing sand on the Isle of Palms late January 2026.
The project comes at no cost to the Isle of Palms, as it is fully funded through federal maintenance of the Intracoastal Waterway. This dredging would occur regardless of whether the Island accepted the sand.
USACE has been dredging multiple shoals in the Intracoastal Waterway near the Isle of Palms, from Dewees Inlet to Breach Inlet. One of these shoals in Breach Inlet is the source of the sand designated for beach placement on the Isle of Palms.
Cottrell will dredge this shoal and place 265,000 CY of sand directly onto the Isle of Palms between 6th and 9th Ave. Beach placement is projected to begin in late January 2026 and continue through March 2026, coinciding with the ongoing Sediment Rehandling Project managed by Ahtna.
Funding
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) projects are funded in part by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) as well as regular funding for Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Operations & Maintenance.
