Beach Renourishment

Folly's 2d full beach renourishment project is scheduled for May-September 2005.

The timing is thanks to the final blows from a series of hurricanes in 2004. Their erosive impact turned Folly's chronic sand loss into an acute crisis that got the attention of legislators.

The original 1993 renourishment was expected to last 8 years. Folly has hung on to the borrowed sand a bit longer than expected, but, as visitors have noticed each summer, the beach has narrowed until now at high tide, there is mostly no beach at all and the ocean is within a few feet of many homes.

The hard work of Folly city managers and SC legislators enabled Folly to be added to the list of several other beaches scheduled for renourishment this year under a special federal appropriation. One major stipulation of the legislation was that the projects must be completed before the 2005 storm season.

That timing requirement has set the stage for a very unusual summer, and very anxious turtle season, on Folly.

It's expected that the renourishment project, costing $16 million to place over 2 million cubic yards of sand, will begin to be visible on the beach in early-May as pipe and bulldozers take up residence in The Washout.

The sand will be pumped by an ocean-certified dredge from a borrow-site 3 miles off-shore through a submerged pipeline. Pipe will emerge from the ocean to the dune escarpment where the sand will be delivered and shaped into a prescribed profile. Pipe extensions will be added to move the sand into the next sections of beach.

The 30" diameter pipe will eventually grow to extend the length of Folly's beach from The Washout to the County Park on the West end of the island -- approximately 5 miles.

But first, the pipe will be directed northeast from The Washout for approximately a mile in an effort to renew that critical section before sea turtle nesting begins.

That stretch of Folly has historically been more attractive to nesting sea turtles than Folly's other developed beachfront.

With that in mind, the U.S. Corps of Engineers Environmental Specialists designed the project so that this preferred area would be renourished and ready for turtle nests before the peak of the turtle season (late June/early July). This "new beach" is expected to provide areas suitable for nest relocations as the pipeline moves West.

The actual nesting plan and pace are, of course, up to the turtles.

It's been estimated that renourishment can advance about one mile in two weeks. Hatchlings emerge about 7 weeks after nesting.

We're planning to stay in step with the turtles, which will hopefully be several steps ahead of the renourishment project.

Vigilence and communication will be key to a safe and successful nesting season this year. Please help us stay alert and informed. Call Folly's Public Safety (that's the Folly police) with ANY sea turtle sightings (tracks or animals) or concerns -- 588-2433.

Updates will be posted on follyturtles.com throughout the season.

Environmental Assessment for Folly Beach Renourishment
Environmental assessment reports, in downloadable pdf format, for Folly and other current Corps projects.