A new manual, Low Impact Development in Coastal South Carolina: A Planning and Design Guide, has recently been published. The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium Extension program, in partnership with the ACE Basin and North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERR) and the Center for Watershed Protection, developed the guide to assist coastal decision-makers with how to implement low impact development (LID) techniques in order to mitigate stormwater impacts. The project team organized three stakeholder workshops, two research “roundtables,” and contributed their own technical knowledge of LID practices to develop this comprehensive publication. The guide was made possible by a NERRS Science Collaborative grant.
The guide is specific to coastal South Carolina and contains five chapters which cover the following topics: Introduction to LID in Coastal S.C.; Strategies for Local Governments; Conservation Principles and Neighborhood Site Design; Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs); and Local Case Studies. Also included are eight appendices, with information ranging from infiltration testing and soil compost amendment to coordinating erosion control and stormwater statutes and regulations. An extensive section of maintenance checklists is also provided, as well as an online compliance calculator tool useful for engineers to evaluate and predict stormwater runoff, determine the most effective BMPs for a given site, and how to decide if additional measures are needed to provide channel and flood protection for major rainfall events.
Visit www.northinlet.sc.edu/LID to download the entire guide or individual chapters, as well as the compliance calculator tool. Contact April Turner, coastal communities extension specialist, at (843) 953-2078 or april.turner@scseagrant.org to receive a hard copy of the guide.