South Carolina Coastal Pond Comparison Tool
The Consortium aims to assist S.C. stormwater pond managers in identifying changes to the number and locations of coastal stormwater ponds by funding an updated inventory of stormwater ponds based on data from 2021, and a tool to view this inventory compared with data from 2013.
Using the S.C. Coastal Pond Comparison Tool
Access the S.C. Coastal Pond Comparison tool below.
Tool Highlight
- Discover dynamic pond statistics by zooming in or out on the map including counts, area, and classes.
- Compare ponds by turning on or off map layers to view shape, class change, and distribution.
- Access pond info by clicking on the map to view watersheds, critical areas, and pond area.
Understanding the Layers
The South Carolina Coastal Counties Pond Inventories for 2013 and 2021 were created by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and the University of South Carolina (USC). The layers were published in January 2016 and July 2024, respectively; both can be downloaded from SCDNR Geospatial Open Data.
Ponds in eight S.C. coastal counties were digitized manually from the 2013 and 2021 USDA NAIP imagery, at a minimum scale of 1:3000. Differences between 2013 and 2021 inventories are due to new pond creations, old ponds filled-in, or ponds that were incorrectly digitized due to the lower resolution of 2013 imagery.
How to Cite
Tool:
S.C. Sea Grant Consortium. SC Coastal Pond Comparison Tool (2013 / 2021) [web tool]. “Santee Cooper GIS and Remote Sensing Laboratory”: https://scgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/08bb21875e724c1cabaedbefbba4ddd7, May 2025. Using: ArcGIS Experience Builder [GIS software]. Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (Esri)
Layers:
- South Carolina Coastal Counties Pond Inventory 2013 [File Geodatabase Feature Class]. Charleston, SC: SC Department of Natural Resources and the University of South Carolina, 2016.
- South Carolina Coastal Counties Pond Inventory 2021 [File Geodatabase Feature Class]. Charleston, SC: SC Department of Natural Resources and the University of South Carolina, 2024.
Project Background
The state of South Carolina has seen some of the most rapid coastal population growth rates and overall rates of urbanization in the nation. As impervious surface area in a watershed increases, so does the amount of stormwater runoff. In coastal S.C., the most common best management practice is stormwater ponds. In addition to collecting water, these ponds also accumulate runoff pollutants before reaching receiving water bodies. Proper maintenance is critical for these systems.
Stormwater ponds are important for retaining rainwater and associated runoff pollutants during and following storms. The number of ponds in coastal South Carolina has rapidly grown as population and development have increased in the region. To identify where these ponds are located for effective management, the Consortium funded the S.C. Department of Natural Resources and University of South Carolina to update the inventory of stormwater ponds in the eight coastal counties of South Carolina, which was last conducted in 2013. Consortium staff used mapping software to create a tool that compares ponds in 2013 to those in 2021, revealing areas with increased development and associated pond density.
Goals and Findings of the Project
This project aims to create an online GIS-based tool to facilitate the management and maintenance of stormwater ponds in coastal South Carolina. The pond data and comparison tool can be used to analyze the impact of these systems on the hydrology and water quality of coastal watersheds. The tool reveals that an additional 6,057 ponds were added between 2013 and 2021, representing an additional 9,800 acres of ponds.
Related Resources
Project Partners
S.C. Department of Natural Resources, University of South Carolina, and the College of Charleston.
Contact
For questions related to stormwater ponds, please contact Brooke Saari, Coastal Environmental Quality and Extension Services Specialist. For questions related to the tool and its development, reach out to Shu-Mei Huang, Coastal GIS Specialist.