The Folly Beach Shore Protection Project
The Folly Beach Shore Protection Project is a collaborative effort between the local sponsor, the City of Folly Beach, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In addition, the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Department has been a close partner.
The original project was authorized by Federal legislation in Section 501 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986. For the current nourishment, there has been additional funding by Congress for emergency preparedness, response, and recovery through Public Law 84-99. This appropriation was provided as a result of the severity of the 2004 hurricane season to replace sand eroded during severe weather events.
The Corps awarded the $12 million project this March to Weeks Marine of Covington, La.
The placement of sand on the front beach of Folly Island, South Carolina this year (2005) is a periodic re-nourishment of the existing shore protection project. The recommended plan provides for re-nourishment of 28,200 linear feet (5.34 linear miles) of shoreline. A berm will be constructed with a top width of 15 feet and an elevation of 9.0 feet national geodetic vertical datum (NGVD). The project extends from just below the U.S. Coast Guard Base, and includes the Charleston County Park on the west end of Folly Island. The exact quantity of sand that will be placed on the beach during re-nourishment will be dependent on the existing beach profile at the time of construction; however, based on expected erosion rates, it is estimated that more than two million cubic yards of beach quality sand will be placed on the beach.
Weeks Marine’s hydraulic cutter head dredge will transport sand from an offshore borrow site through a pipeline. The pipeline will come ashore at the east end of the washout and run parallel with the beach. Sand from the offshore source will be pumped along the roughly 28,000 linear feet of the project and will be discharged as slurry (sand and water). Sections will be graded by land-based equipment, such as bulldozers, articulated front-end loaders, and other equipment as necessary to achieve the desired beach profile.
The protection of sea turtles is a major concern during any beach nourishment activity, but especially during the summer months as this coincides with the turtles nesting season. Additional personnel have been provided and protocols established for the protection of this resource.
More information is available on the Folly Beach Turtle Watch Program here.
Questions concerning Programs & Projects?
Call the Charleston District Office(1) 866.329.8187 (Toll Free)
843.329.8044 (Local)
843.329.2332 (Fax)
Email point of contact for Charleston's Programs & Projects Division
Mailing Address:
US Army Corps of Engineers
Programs & Projects Division
69A Hagood Ave.
Charleston, South Carolina 29403-5107