2006 Beach Renourishment Project

The Town of Hilton Head Island has long recognized that its beaches are a vital asset to its residents and the Island’s economy. In an effort to maintain the Island ’s beaches in the best possible condition, the Town utilizes beach restoration as part of its long-term strategy. In September of 2006, work will begin on the Town’s next beach restoration project. Town Council intends to fund the $16.6 million dollar project with Beach Preservation Fee funds, which are generated by fees from e.g. hotels and residential rentals.

The 2006 beach renourishment of the Atlantic oceanfront shoreline will be similar to the projects constructed in 1990 and 1997 with the exception of certain design refinements near the Marriott and along North Forest Beach . Additional beach width will be constructed as advance nourishment, near the central portion of the Island in the vicinity of North Forest Beach . This is necessary because of additional erosional stress at that location. Also, a 2006 investigation showed that the Port Royal sound shoreline was suffering chronic erosion. Because of the severity of the problem, the Town elected to include beach stabilization along the Port Royal sand shoreline between the tip of the Island and Fish Haul Creek.

The 2006 renourishment project includes three principal parts:

1. Placement of about 2 million cubic yards of sand along 6.6 miles of Atlantic shorefront – from just South of Coligny Circle to just North of the Westin Hotel at Port Royal Plantation;
2. Placement of about 85,000 cubic yards of sand along 2000 feet of the Port Royal Sound shoreline north of Fish Haul Creek at the Spa; and
3. Placement of about 42,000 cubic yards of sand along 1500 feet of Atlantic Shorefront at South Beach .

As with previous projects, the nourishment sand will be excavated by hydraulic dredge from two offshore shoal features. Some 50,000 feet of pipeline will be trucked or floated to the Island by way of large rafts, then moved onto the beach by a barge and crane during low tide. The 30-inch diameter pipeline will be piled in stacks along the shoreline until needed during construction. This unique “delivery by water” will minimize impacts to the Island ’s already busy roadways. During construction, the contractor will submerge many miles of pipeline on the ocean floor between the offshore borrow sites and the beach.

The rest of the pipeline will be laid progressively along the newly constructed beach as the fill sand is pumped on shore. The dredge pumps a mixture of sand and seawater through the pipeline, and discharges it onto the beach. There it will flow parallel to the shoreline – allowing the sand to settle out and the water to return to the sea. Bulldozers and other heavy construction machinery will constantly shape the sand to meet the design specifications. The appearance of the new sand is sometimes a brownish color, however, within a few days the color becomes more natural.

The entire project construction is expected to last from 5 to 6 months. Because the project is extremely large, construction operations must proceed around the clock. On average, the filling process moves along the shoreline at a rate of about 200 to 300 feet per day. Because the active work area may spread out at least 1,000 feet or more along the beach, several days of work activity can be expected to occur seaward of any one piece of oceanfront property. Although the only noise typifying the construction process is that of the bulldozers shaping the sand as it is deposited; adjacent property owners or renters may suffer short term minor inconveniences. This impact generally lasts for three or four days at a time as the renourishment operation moves past each property within the project limits.

Similarly, as the fill placement progresses, thousand-foot sections of the beach will be closed temporarily to pedestrian access. Once placed and rough-graded, however, the new beach will be immediately reopened to the public.

The benefits of preserving the Island ’s beaches are numerous. The beaches of Hilton Head Island are not only an asset to all facets of the Island’s environment and economy, but also to the general ambiance and way of life for the thousands of individuals who have elected to reside here – and the many more who visit.

Before Renourishment                                              After Renourishment