On Saturday, Nov. 7, Marinex finished pumping sand onto Reach 2 at the Wild Dunes end of the island. The next morning the City posted that crews were moving the submerged pipeline and equipment to Reach 3 near Breach Inlet, with production expected "within the next few days."
Paid beach parking ended with October, the dogs have most of the day back, and the City's holiday calendar is filling up. This November, though, the last leg of the 2026 beach renourishment has moved to the stretch between the pier and Breach Inlet. The north end got its sand between late July and Nov. 7. The south end is getting its share during the quiet season.
The work zone moved to the end closest to Front Beach
The City's beach renourishment page splits the project into three reaches. Across all three, it allows up to 2.5 million cubic yards of sand on 19,200 linear feet of shoreline. About 1.7 million of that goes to Wild Dunes and about 800,000 to the southern end. Live 5 reported that Reach 3 runs from the Isle of Palms Pier to Breach Inlet. A 2025 City Council packet lists Reach 3 as 10th Avenue to Breach Inlet. The sand is dredged from an offshore borrow site about 2 miles southeast of the pier.
The City's tentative schedule shows how far this year's work has traveled down the island:
| Phase | Start | Duration on the City schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Reach 1, Wild Dunes toward Dewees Inlet | July 27 | 50 days, finished ahead of schedule |
| Reach 2, Wild Dunes toward 56th Avenue | Sept. 1 | 45 days, marked delayed |
| Reach 3, pier to Breach Inlet | Anticipated Nov. 11 | 45 days |
| Demobilization | Listed for Dec. 15 |
The Reach 2 numbers explain why "tentative" is in the table's title. Reach 2 was scheduled for 45 days. It started Sept. 1 and finished Nov. 7, which is 67 days. In its Oct. 29 update, the City said about 1,000 feet between 57th Avenue and the Grand Pavilion still needed sand, and that Marinex expected at least another week of nor'easter delays. Reach 1 went the other way. Live 5 reported it was done in about 35 days, with roughly 900,000 cubic yards placed from Mariner's Walk toward Dewees Inlet. The Reach 3 entries don't line up with each other either. A 45-day run from Nov. 11 would go past the Dec. 15 demobilization date, so the south end's finish date depends on November and December weather.
How a 300-yard work zone moves past your beach access
The beach doesn't close all at once. The City says the work moves in sections of about 300 yards, people can generally walk around the fenced area, and sand ramps take you over the dredge pipe. Building the dune can briefly block passage around an active section. The City posts the moving work area on its construction forecast map, which is the quickest way to see where the fencing is on any given day.
Expect the work to run around the clock. The City warns of lights at night and backup alarms on the heavy equipment. In ABC News 4's coverage, one speaker suggested a white noise machine and noted that the trucks and backhoes all have backup alarms that would sound 24/7. On the south end, the homes, rentals and beach accesses sit close together near the pier and Breach Inlet. As a 300-yard section passes, it will be close to a lot of front porches and morning walks for a few days at a time.
The north end shows what comes after the sand
In an Oct. 16 notice, the City said Earth Balance planned to start planting Reaches 1 and 2 on Monday, Oct. 26, over about six days, and to put up fencing afterward. In an Oct. 12 report, Island Vibes described the full dune plan as about 500,000 square feet of sea oats, bitter panic grass and beach morning glory, plus roughly 10,000 feet of fencing.
The same report said planting on Reach 3 could slip to spring 2027. So even if the pumping wraps up around mid-December, the south end may spend the winter with new sand and no new plantings. The planted, fenced dunes already on the north end are likely to reach the south end later, possibly around the time the paid-parking season returns.
The south end's share is the City's alone
The funding is split differently by reach. On the north end, the City is paying 47% of Reaches 1 and 2 and the Wild Dunes Community Association is paying 53%. On Reach 3, the City is paying the full cost. The City asked for $5.3 million in state funding and has received $1.5 million so far, which it says will offset the cost of Reach 3.
The City has also asked coastal engineering firm Foth for a formal proposal on a possible terminal groin near Breach Inlet. The proposal is to cover engineering requirements, permitting, estimated costs and other considerations. Foth will also start scoping a shoal management project at the north end. Foth's final alternatives report is posted on the City's site for anyone who wants the engineering background. So once the sand is in, the Breach Inlet end is next on the City's planning list.
The off-season rules that make room for it
The work is landing in the months when the island's own rules give residents the most room. The City's parking page lists the municipal beach lots and Front Beach on-street meters as paid only from March 1 to Oct. 31. If one access is fenced off, you can drive a few blocks to another without paying for the stop.
Dogs get more beach time this season too. From Sept. 15 to March 31, the City's dog rules allow off-leash dogs from 4 p.m. to 10 a.m. That's 18 hours a day, up from four hours, 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., between April 1 and Sept. 14. Off-leash, owners must have a leash in hand, keep the dog under voice command and clean up after it. At all other hours, dogs need to be leashed and under complete control, even in the water. The longer hours also put more dogs on the sand near fenced work zones and pipe crossings, so it helps to check the City map before letting a dog off the leash on the south end. Dog permits are free and issued every year by the Isle of Palms Police Department at 30 JC Long Blvd., (843) 886-6522.
A holiday calendar that overlaps the pumping
Most of the City's holiday programming falls between the anticipated Reach 3 start and the listed Dec. 15 demobilization date. None of it is on the beach itself:
- Coffee & Canines, Saturday, Nov. 14, 9 to 11 a.m. A free morning at the Bark Park behind the Recreation Center, with coffee and acoustic music.
- Holiday Street Festival, Saturday, Dec. 5, 2 to 7 p.m., Front Beach. Arts and crafts, food vendors, children's activities, live entertainment and Santa, with the tree lighting at 5:30 p.m. Details are on the City's festival page.
- Rec Speaker Series, Monday, Dec. 7, 5 p.m., 24 28th Ave. Narcan training for seniors and families.
- Santa's Cookie Workshop, Thursday, Dec. 17, 4 to 5 p.m., at the Rec. Registration is required, and children need an adult with them.
Front Beach sits at the north edge of Reach 3, and the street festival falls inside the City's scheduled pumping window.
At the other end of the island, Wild Dunes Resort runs its own Thanksgiving week. The Turkey Trot 5K starts at 11 a.m. on Nov. 25 on the beach in front of the Grand Pavilion. That's part of Reach 2, so the race runs on new sand. Entry is $10 per participant. The golf-cart parade leaves the Swim Center at 10:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, and the listing invites spectators to come watch. The Holiday Festival on Nov. 27 runs from 5 to 7 p.m., with the tree lighting at 5:30. Dinner is $78 for adults and $40 for children ages 4 to 12. Wild Dunes is gated, and its FAQ says drive-in visitors need access arranged through the Welcome Center by a guest. Check with the resort about entry before you go.
Front Beach has its own build ahead
The beach work ends this winter, but Front Beach has a longer project coming. At its Oct. 27 meeting, City Council approved four Planning Commission recommendations for the GC-3 commercial district, which includes Acme Lowcountry Kitchen. Setbacks drop from 25 feet to 0 along J.C. Long Boulevard, to 15 feet along Carolina Boulevard and to 10 feet along Pavilion Drive, and required parking goes down by 25%. That's according to the mayor's Nov. 2 message. The City also said it was willing to give Acme access to its garbage compactor and to the municipal lot for construction parking. The next step is for Acme's owners to hire an architect and design a building that fits the new setbacks. Live 5 reported that the owners want to build behind the current restaurant and keep it open during construction.
Down Palm Boulevard, Ben & Jerry's has a listing in Suite G at Ocean Park Plaza, 1400 Palm Blvd. Its posted weekly hours run from 1 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. In January, the Post and Courier reported the shop was slated to return to the island.
The City's tentative schedule has the last of the equipment leaving the beach on Dec. 15. Until then, the City's status map shows where the south-end work zone is each day.
If you own on the south end and want to talk through how the new beach and dunes might factor into a sale or refinance next year, the team at Synergy Group Properties will pick up the phone and walk you through it. Contact Us.
