Making Our Beach Bigger and Better in 2026
Beach Renourishment is Here!
Monday AM, 8.3.26 | All beach accesses are open! Enjoy even more room to spread out on our beautifully widened beaches, and don’t forget to keep an eye out for plenty of shells and shark teeth along the shoreline! As the Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. crew continues moving north with the beach renourishment project, the dredging pipe will remain in place for the next 2–3 weeks. To help make beach access easier during this time, temporary sand ramps have been installed over the pipes, allowing guests to continue enjoying the beach with greater ease. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We hope you enjoy our refreshed shoreline!
Impact to Ocean Lakes Beachfront
Our property features more than 4,000 feet of beachfront, and the project will be completed in sections approximately 1,000 feet wide at a time. Only the area where the contractor is actively working will be closed to the public, while the majority of the beach will remain open and accessible as usual.
Impact to Guests
Guests may find awesome seashells and shark teeth! Visit the Nature Center to learn more about your discoveries. There will be equipment and pipes on the beach as the project progresses northward. Some noise and lighting from equipment may occur during nighttime work.
Why Is This Necessary?
The primary purpose of this renourishment is to create a wider, higher beach and dune system capable of absorbing storm wave energy. This helps protect oceanfront homes, businesses, roads, and utilities from flooding and structural damage.
Why Did They Wait Until Summer?!
Beach renourishment began in November at the north end of the Grand Strand. Crews have been working their way south through Myrtle Beach to Garden City and Surfside Beach. Progress may be affected by weather, relocating equipment as work advances, and occasional equipment issues.
Track the Project here
Use this link to track the project in Horry County (the Grand Strand area).
Remember 2018?
It was the last time we had Beach Renourishment on the Grand Strand. The necessary beach renourishment (due to the 2017 storms) occurred at Ocean Lakes from Sunday, August 19th to Wednesday, August 23rd, 2018. See the video from 2018 to learn more!
Learn About Beach Renourishment and Know the Facts
How do they keep beaches open during the renourishment process?
Work happens in 1,000-foot sections and each section is blocked off using plastic orange fencing. The beach by Ocean Lakes Family Campground stretches nearly 5,000 feet, so there is plenty of beach available while crews are working. One concern is often noise due to the heavy equipment (see photo below).
Is it safe to swim?
Yes, enjoy the ocean! We recommend swimmers enter the ocean water at least 50-100 yards away from the orange fencing. Why? Depending on the water’s current that day, you can “drift” down the beach while swimming, surfing, etc. An example, you’re swimming in the ocean only to emerge from the water and wonder where your beach stuff is (then you realize it is about 50 yards up the beach where you entered the water).
Use Caution – we don’t want swimmers drifting into the work zone (they cannot fence off the ocean). Be especially mindful of children in the water.
Will there be enough room on the beach?
Yes. Soon there will be more room! Beach Renourishment pumps sand up onto the beach creating a bigger beach area. When all goes well (weather, machinery), crews can complete about 1,000 feet of beach per day.
In most areas, the fencing will be set up to leave walkways near the dunes area. Please note, the timeline evolves based on weather and/or mechanical issues. You can track the progress via this link.
