Last month, beach renovations began in the Cherry Grove section of North Myrtle Beach, long a paradise for shell lovers.
Visitors have flocked to the beach since U.S. Army Corps of Engineers boats located off the coast began pumping sand and seawater slurry onto the beach. Ocean dredging has brought many shells, including conches, olives and whelks, which are often hard to find.
While it’s not illegal to shell the beach, some people also excavate huge sand walls, which are built to replenish the sand dunes that act as a natural barrier between the ocean and homes, which is illegal.
Signs of beach erosion are clearly visible when king tides and fall storms caused dunes to collapse in the Cherry Orchard section of North Myrtle Beach in mid-October.
Gianna Forbis, multimedia coordinator for the city of North Myrtle Beach, said in an email that any area designated as a “dune” is a no-go zone and no digging is allowed.
“As beach restoration work continues, the Department of Environmental Services has the authority to issue citations to individuals who violate these restrictions, which may result in fines,” Forbis said. “The city urges residents and visitors to avoid entering U.S. Army Corps of Engineers restricted areas and to be mindful of how specific areas are designated throughout the project.”
Violators could be fined up to $500 and face jail time, according to the city’s ordinance. Violations of federal regulations enforced by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can also result in penalties, including substantial fines and requirements to restore affected areas.
South Carolina Beach Improvement Project
During the restoration, the Corps will close each portion of the beach and access areas associated with it that are undergoing construction. The contractor worked in an area 1,000 feet wide at a time.
The restoration project will continue 26 miles south, adding 2 million cubic yards of sand to the shoreline.
The project is expected to move through North Myrtle Beach in early 2026, then continue through Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach before arriving in Garden City around April 2026.
As the project moves into Myrtle Beach, officials don’t expect there to be a sand wall as large as in North Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Beach police spokesman Randolph Angotti said the Myrtle Beach shoreline does not have the same problems as North Myrtle Beach, and the city planted seagrass last year to help with dune structure.
However, Angotti said it is also illegal to dig in or enter dunes within the city.
