Coastal South Carolina ’s population is on the rise. As development to support this growth increases, communities must contend with the increase in stormwater runoff that accompanies the spread of roads, parking lots, and other impervious surfaces. Rather than soaking into the ground, much of this stormwater is flowing directly into coastal water bodies, changing the ecological conditions in which the region ’s fish and shellfish thrive. To protect coastal waters, officials from the state ’s Beaufort County need to know which areas are most sensitive to the impacts of this runoff so they can allocate their resources effectively.

About this resource

In their 2013 Collaborative Research project, the ACE Basin Reserve worked with these stakeholders and local researchers to meet the need for water quality and rainfall data and modeling to inform Beaufort County policy and management decisions into the future. This project overview describes the project approach, benefits, products, and targeted end users.