Relationships have been developed between coastal development and tidal creek environmental quality; however, further study is needed to determine whether the relationships observed are causal. Using data collected starting in 1994, the research team will revisit a number of systems that have undergone further development to determine if coastal growth has caused the ecosystem-level changes that have been observed. A number of the systems studied have since “jumped” land-use categories, and many of the natural watersheds previously studied have now been developed using Best Management Practices (BMPs), including stormwater ponds, to control runoff.
This study will provide new ecosystem-scale information to determine if the use of stormwater ponds has resulted in documentable reductions in pollutants or improvements in water quality. The overall goal of the project is to assess and refine the existing models relating the environmental quality in tidal creeks to their surrounding land use over a 20-year period.
The research team plans to (1) evaluate land cover, demographic, and modeled stormwater runoff changes in 48 tidal creeks over a 20-year period, (2) sample 18 tidal creek systems to determine if there are cause-and-effect relationships between coastal development and tidal creek environmental quality, (3) validate the relationships previously identified and assess the influence of BMPs, (4) develop predictive relationships to understand the impacts of continued development on the coast of South Carolina, and (5) develop outreach materials for target audiences in coastal South Carolina.