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Dredging projects finish on Isle of Palms

Beach Nourishment
April 20, 2026, by Eldin Ganic

The USACE Charleston District completed two dredging and sand placement projects on the Isle of Palms today.

USACE staff and contractors visit a material placement area along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW), March 31, 2026. The dredge “Ahtna One” moved about 700,000 cubic yards of beach-quality sand from USACE’s routine maintenance of the AIWW to nourish the Isle of Palms coastal system. Unlike a traditional beach renourishment, which builds a wide, dry-sand beach, this project placed sand below the high-tide line at no additional cost the City of Isle of Palms. The AIWW operations and maintenance program largely paid for the project.

The Breach Inlet Beneficial Use Projects moved about 700,000 cubic yards of beach-quality sand from USACE’s routine maintenance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) to nourish the Isle of Palms coastal system.

“These projects represent a major step forward in the beneficial use of dredged material in our state,” said Jacob Kyzar, project manager. “It’s not waste – it’s a valuable resource and our goal with these projects is to provide multiple benefits to the area,” he said.

The project advanced USACE’s navigation mission on the AIWW in one of the most troublesome shoals for mariners.

The Breach Inlet project’s main purpose is to ensure the long-term, safe navigation of the AIWW. Instead of storing the dredged material elsewhere, USACE used the sand in a more beneficial way by strategically placing it in the intertidal zone between 2nd and 10th Avenue on Isle of Palms.

According to USACE, this method allows natural wave and tidal action to wash, sort, and gradually distribute the sand along the beach profile, enhancing the shoreline.

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