The Dredge Amelia Island, the newest hopper dredge in the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. fleet, works offshore of Surfside Beach, South Carolina, July 27, 2026, as part of the USACE Charleston District's Grand Strand Renourishment project. Measuring 346 feet in length with a 6,330 cubic yard hopper capacity, the state-of-the-art vessel operates by lowering its dual 800mm suction pipes to vacuum sand into its hopper before pumping up to 5,000 cubic yards of material per hour ashore. The vessel's 16,500 total installed horsepower allows it to pump sand further down the pipelines, accelerating coastal protection efforts along the Grand Strand.
The primary purpose of this renourishment is to build a wider, higher beach and dune system capable of absorbing storm wave energy, which protects oceanfront homes, businesses, roads and utilities from flooding and structural damage. While the wide, sandy beach also offers an inviting shoreline for tourists and the public, coastal protection remains the primary goal.
The Grand Strand Renourishment project has progressed steadily down the coast this year. North Myrtle Beach sand placement finished Jan. 31. In Myrtle Beach, work began in May and sand placement finished July 3. The final reach of the project in Surfside Beach and Garden City is expected to be completed by mid-August.
| Date Taken: | 07.27.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.28.2026 09:32 |
| Photo ID: | 9835049 |
| VIRIN: | 260727-A-SL031-1007 |
| Resolution: | 5449x3633 |
| Size: | 5.5 MB |
| Location: | SURFSIDE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 4 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A Modern Marvel on the Coast: High-Tech Dredge Amelia Island Restores Surfside Beach [Image 9 of 9], by Dylan Burnell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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