FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCSC) – A law has passed that will allow the City of Folly Beach to take sand from the Folly River for future beach re-nourishments.
The city recently finished a re-nourishment with sand from the river, but it was only allowed due to a one-time exemption.
The Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm, or BEACH, Act, is what prompted the decision.
City officials say the guaranteed access to sand in the Folly River will cost taxpayers a lot less money. They will no longer have to look to offshore sand deposits, which they say are costlier and the sand is lower quality.
“Be excited that this is a really responsible use and makes sense that the government is using our money wisely instead of throwing it away because of a regulation that was kind of outdated,” Director of Public Works Eric Lutz said.
By pumping the sand from the river to the beach, experts say it creates a natural recycling system, and this will ultimately speed up permitting and construction for future projects.
“It’s sort of a recycling way of operating, so when that occurs, the channel opens up, the original sand goes back to the ocean, and then the wildlife and things of that nature are not affected at all,” Councilwoman Katherine Houghton said.
Lutz explains how it will also reduce the negative impacts of pollutants like plastics and runoff.
“We don’t have the problems that we have when we bring it in from offshore,” Lutz said. ”We’d get a different mix sometimes with debris, sometimes there’s historical artifacts from different areas and we aren’t allowed to touch those. It’s just a real complicated process if we have to go offshore.”
The city says moving forward they will continue pursuing projects to guarantee a quality, accessible beach for years to come.
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