Folly Beach coastal project sent to Congress

Late last month, Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, USACE Commanding General and 55th Chief of Engineers, signed a Chief’s Report recommending the Folly Beach Coastal Storm Damage Reduction Project to Congress.

Folly Beach is located on Folly Island in Charleston County along South Carolina’s central coast. The project consists of a 5.85 mile main dune and berm combination beach fill.

During the 50-Year period of recommended federal participation in the Recommended Plan, material for the beach fill would be dredged from proposed borrow sources and transported to the beach by pipeline for the beach fill construction and all renourishments, reported the Corps.

Implementation of the Recommended Plan would place approximately 2,169,000 cubic yards of beach quality sand from the borrow areas on the beach for initial construction and approximately 2,106,000 cubic yards thereafter for each of the three nourishments resulting in a total of approximately 8,488,000 cubic yards over the 50-year life of the project. The renourishment interval for the project is approximately twelve years.

According to USACE, this project could be included in the next Water Resources Development Act. If approved, separate appropriations legislation would have to be passed to fund the construction of the project.