Isle of Palms City Council held a special meeting on Tuesday, October 14 to discuss and consider emergency measures related to ongoing beach erosion. Coastal Science & Engineering provided an overview of current beach conditions and offered recommendations following recent storm activity and king tides that have impacted both the beach and private property.
City Council took the following actions:
• Approved $300,000 for approximately 700 additional sandbags to be installed in three critical areas: the Port O’ Call, Beachwood East and the Breach Inlet end of the island. The goal is to have these sandbags in place before the November king tides.
• Approved $225,000 to move approximately 25,000 cubic yards of sand from an shoal. The objective of this work is to minimize the impact of the shoal coming ashore, while also providing some protection to the areas critically eroded.
In addition, the city is preparing for a major beach nourishment project that would include the placement of up to 2,500,000 cubic yards (cy) of beach-quality sediment along up to 19,200 linear feet (lf) of shoreline on the two ends of the island. The sand will be obtained from offshore borrow areas approximately 2–3.5 miles from the beach. The expected cost of the project is between $25M-$30M and work is expected to begin as early as spring 2026. Permits from state and federal regulatory agencies have been requested and are under review.
We appreciate your continued patience and support as beach restoration efforts move forward.
If you have questions, please email us at hello@iop.net.