2025 Beach Renourishment Project

Hilton Head Island's beaches are vital to both the local community and economy. To ensure the continued health of this valuable resource, the Town has scheduled a beach restoration project for Summer 2025, primarily funded by tourism through the local Beach Preservation Fee.

Hilton Head Island has applied for the following beach renourishment permits:

• Phase 1 - The Heel, Port Royal, Fish Haul and Pine Island - (June 2025 - October 2025)
• Phase 2 - Central Island, South Island, and South Beach - (September 2025 - May 2026)
• Phase 3 - Pine Island Structures - (TBD)

* Timeframes are subject to change and out of our control

PROJECT OVERVIEW
• The 2025 beach renourishment will follow previous successful projects completed in 1990, 1997, 2006, and 2016.
• This project will place approximately 2.2 million cubic yards of beach-compatible sand sourced from up to four offshore borrow areas along 46,500 feet of the Atlantic Ocean and Port Royal Sound shoreline.
• As part of the Town’s long-term beach management program, renourishment occurs every 8 to 10 years based on weather patterns and beach conditions.
• Pine Island in Hilton Head Plantation will be included in the 2025 restoration effort.

SAND PLACEMENT
The project will place sand along five key areas of the island’s shoreline:

• South Beach / South Island: 750,000 cubic yards along 10,230 feet of southern Atlantic Ocean shoreline.

• Central Island: 700,000 cubic yards along 28,860 feet of Atlantic Ocean shoreline.

• The Heel: 500,000 cubic yards along 5,280 feet at the northeast point of the island at the intersection of the Atlantic Ocean and Port Royal Sound.

• Fish Haul Creek: 50,000 cubic yards along 2,130 feet of Port Royal Sound shoreline.

• Pine Island: 180,000 cubic yards of beach-compatible sand, along with the construction of six rock breakwaters between Dolphin Head and Pine Island on the Port Royal Sound shoreline of Hilton Head Plantation.

CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

• Sand will be excavated using a hydraulic dredge from two offshore shoal features.

• Up to 50,000 feet of pipeline will be transported to the island, either trucked in or floated on large rafts before being moved onto the beach.

• The pipeline will be stacked along the shoreline until needed for construction.

• During construction, pipeline sections will be submerged offshore, with the remaining sections progressively laid along the newly constructed beach as sand is pumped onshore.

• The dredge will pump a mix of sand and seawater through the pipeline, where it will be deposited onto the beach. The sand will settle, while the water will return to the ocean.

• Bulldozers and other heavy machinery will shape the sand to meet design specifications.

• Construction will last approximately six months and will operate around the clock.

• On average, progress will advance at a rate of about 200 to 300 feet per day.

• During the process, approximately 1,000-foot sections of the beach will be temporarily closed to pedestrian access for a few days at a time.

• Once sand placement and rough grading are complete, newly restored beach sections will immediately reopen to the public.

IMPACTS ON RESIDENTS AND VISITORS

• Construction noise will primarily come from bulldozers shaping the sand as it is deposited.

• Temporary disruptions at individual properties should last only three to four days as work moves along the shoreline.

• Adjacent property owners and renters may experience short-term minor inconveniences.

PROJECT BENEFITS
This project will help preserve Hilton Head Island’s beaches, benefiting the local environment, economy, and the overall quality of life for residents and visitors alike.

The Town of Hilton Head Island is sponsoring and funding this project, with engineering by Olsen Associates, Inc.