Category: Engineering

Captain Sams Inlet Relocation Permit Application Status Update

On By SIPOAIn Beach Projects, Engineering

SIPOA began preparations to submit a permit application for the 4th Captain Sams Inlet Relocation project in the spring of 2025 by meeting with project stakeholders and collecting their feedback.  A permit application was filed with the SC Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in October 2025.

In March of 2026, a settlement agreement was proposed that would transfer ownership of Captain Sams Spit from Kiawah Development Partners to the State of SC.  This settlement agreement is proceeding through the state budgeting process, but the timeline for final approval and property transfer is not clear at this time.  As part of the permit requirements with SCDES and USACE, SIPOA must obtain authorization from the property owner before any construction activities can be authorized.  Given this, the Captain Sams Spit settlement agreement and pending ownership transfer is preventing SIPOA’s permit application from being reviewed by SCDES and USACE.  According to SCDES, these permit applications must be processed within certain defined regulatory timelines. 

Because SIPOA’s permit application will likely exceed any applicable timeline as determined by SCDES, SCDES has requested that SIPOA agree to a pause in the current permitting review process.  Accordingly, SIPOA has agreed to withdraw its permit applications with SCDES and USACE to allow the Captain Sams Spit settlement agreement and future ownership of the subject property to be resolved. This administrative step is not expected to change the overall project timeline.

Similar issues were overcome during the previous inlet relocation permitting process.  SIPOA withdrew its permit applications prior to the 2015 inlet change to allow for construction access issues to be addressed with the property owner at the time. 

“SIPOA is committed to implementing the 4th inlet relocation project as part of Seabrook Island’s shoreline management program and will resubmit permit applications once the property ownership issues have been resolved.” 

-John Lassiter
SIPOA Board President

Boardwalk 1 Detour

On By SIPOAIn Boardwalks, Engineering

Update: Construction was delayed one week for this project. Beginning August 17th, the short section of boardwalk from the Oyster Catcher Community Center parking lot toward Rolling Dune and Boardwalk 1 will be closed.

The boardwalk is being replaced with a concrete sidewalk. There will be a detour walking path immediately to the left of the existing boardwalk that will have signs, stakes, and rope.

Construction will take 5 days or less and the sidewalk will be reopened on August 21st.

Thank you for your patience as we work to keep our facilities in great condition.

Beginning on August 10th, the short section of boardwalk from the Oyster Catcher Community Center parking lot toward Rolling Dune and Boardwalk 1 will be closed. 

The boardwalk is being replaced with a concrete sidewalk. There will be a detour walking path immediately to the left of the existing boardwalk that will have signs, stakes, and rope. 

Construction will take 5 days or less and the sidewalk will be reopened on August 14th. 

Thank you for your patience as we work to keep our facilities in great condition.

Get the Scoop – Beach Management

On By SIPOAIn Activities, Engineering, Get the Scoop, GOMC, SIPOA1 Comment

Steve Hirsch (SIPOA) and Patrick Barrineau (Coastal Science & Engineering) will present on the planned sand scraping project that will take place in October 2026. 

They will also provide an update on the status of the future Captain Sams Inlet Relocation project.

When: Monday, September 14, 2026

Where: New Location: Oyster Catcher Community Center

Zoom link

Time: 3:00pm

Click to View GTS Event List

Crab Dock Renovations Complete

On By SIPOAIn Crab Dock, EngineeringLeave a comment

The renovations to the crab dock, pile cap, and viewing platform are complete.

The viewing platform seating area was adjusted to allow for the stairs to be relocated to a more appropriate location. The new pile cap is a composite material that blends in well with the existing bulkhead. The crab dock handrails were also replaced and the walking path regraded.

Please stop by and enjoy the view when you get a chance!

Maintenance Project Update

On By SIPOAIn Engineering, Maintenance

You may have noticed that SIPOA has installed new trash can enclosures at each of the beach access boardwalks and other locations on the island. The old enclosures were deteriorating and needed to be replaced.

The maintenance staff (pictured below from left to right: Gary Brown, Larry Swails, Duaine Collins, Jonathan Jones, and Jonathan Scrughan) began building them in the spring. Last month, they completed the replacement of 16 trash enclosures with an improved design to make accessing the cans easier.

The new enclosures look great, and we wanted to acknowledge the entire maintenance staff for their hard work to get this completed!

Boardwalk 3A Closure

On By SIPOAIn Boardwalks, Engineering

Beach access will be closed at Boardwalk 3A on Monday, June 22, 2026, from 7:00am – 4:00pm.

The beach access is immediately adjacent to stormwater pump station 3. The pumps, motors, and drives at this pump station are scheduled to be replaced during this time. A large crane will be needed to remove the old pumps and install new pumps.

Residents should plan to use another beach access on this date.

Thank you for your patience as we work to keep our infrastructure in great condition.

Lake House After Hours Closure – 6/17/26

On By SIPOAIn Engineering, Lake House

Wednesday, June 17 | 8:00 – 11:00pm

Berkeley Electric needs to cut the power off at the Lake House for 2-3 hours to replace a transformer.

They plan to do it at 8:00pm on Wednesday (6/17/26). The after-hours access to the building will not be available on this date.

We apologize for the inconvenience as we work to keep our facilities in great condition.

Crab Dock Renovation Project

On By SIPOAIn Crab Dock, Engineering

UPDATE – 6/12/26

We would like to provide clarification regarding the Crab Dock Renovation project currently underway.

While the crab dock, viewing platform, and connecting causeway are closed during construction, the boat ramp and kayak launch remain open and accessible from the end of Cap’n Sams Road. No construction work is taking place in the boat ramp or kayak launch area.

Closed during construction:

  • Crab dock
  • Viewing platform
  • Causeway connecting two dock areas

Remaining open during construction:

  • Boat ramp
  • Kayak launch dock

Construction is anticipated to be completed by July 3. We appreciate your patience as we make these improvements to the area.

The planned renovations to the crab dock will begin tomorrow (6/10). These renovations include:

  • replacing the handrail on the crab dock
  • replacing the pile cap on top of the bulkhead
  • replacing the viewing platform adjacent to the crab dock

Construction is anticipated to take approximately 3 weeks, and the crab dock will be closed during this time. We hope to have the area reopened on July 3rd.

We appreciate your patience as we work to keep SIPOA amenities in great condition.

Photo by Ralph Secoy

Engineering Intern Program 2026

On By SIPOAIn Engineering, Intern ProgramLeave a comment

This summer, SIPOA has two interns participating in the Engineering Intern Program. Maria Miller is a Biosystems Engineering student from Clemson University. She is excited to be here and is looking forward to seeing how classroom calculations and design are translated into real world stormwater solutions. Alex Arquette is a Johns Island native and recent graduate in Geography and Economics from the University of South Carolina. He is looking forward to applying his GIS skills to stormwater resiliency applications on Seabrook Island.

Maria and Alex will be working on updating SIPOA’s stormwater outfall maintenance program among other projects this summer. If you see them out on the island or in the marsh surveying, please welcome them to Seabrook Island!