Research will be continued in this Phase II proposal to evaluate the effectiveness of innovative Best Management Practices (BMPs) such as Low Impact Development Practices (LIDs) that are being constructed in actual residential developments in southeastern coastal regions. Furthermore, the work will identify and evaluate the obstacles (e.g., educational and regulatory) that may prevent the implementation of LIDs in coastal South Carolina. Stormwater management strategies traditionally promote the use of BMPs, such as detention ponds and vegetated buffers, however recent research in southeastern coastal regions suggest that these systems may not be efficient in these landscapes.
The objectives for this project will be to (1) develop water budgets, flow rates, and pollutant masses and loadings for both pre-, during- and post- construction phases of a treatment (LIDs) in the Oak Terrace Preserve micro-watershed as well as develop post-construction conditions within a micro-watershed of a bordering, older residential neighborhood employing curb and gutter techniques, (2) compare the hydrodynamics and pollutant loadings of the LID micro-watershed in Oak Terrace Preserve to the suburban (curb and gutter) micro-watershed, (3) promote public awareness and understanding of watershed concepts and the link between development and water quality through outreach and education, (4) use the Oak Terrace Preserve as a LID demonstration site for land use planners, developers, engineers, scientists, regulatory agencies, community officials, and the public, and (5) identify obstacles and opportunities for constructing LID stormwater BMPs in coastal South Carolina.