Coastal development increasingly combines low impact development (LID) practices, such as vegetation-based stormwater control, with traditional Best Management Practices (BMPs) like storm water detention ponds. Properly designed stormwater control measures (SCMs), such as incorporating vegetation for water quality improvement, may be a viable complement to or alternative for stormwater detention ponds. In coastal areas with shallow water tables and low gradient topography, surface and groundwater coupling complicates decision-making with respect to LID and stormwater management. The researchers will investigate the ecohydrological functions, including groundwater-surface water interactions, of natural and engineered wetland systems in the South Carolina coastal plain for stormwater quantity and quality management. They will also determine water table elevations and ranges for soil types typical in the region in order to determine suitability of infiltration and retention practices. The information collected will be publicly available through the Community Resource Inventory (CRI) and aid the development of an LID suitability index.
The researchers plan to (1) determine water budgets, nutrient and bacteria loading, and performance of natural and designed wetland systems; (2) develop siting requirements, design criteria, and specifications for wetland systems based on Objective (1); (3) define shallow water table ranges and variability for soils found in coastal South Carolina; (4) mine existing data and develop metrics and LID suitability indices to populate the online CRI and increase its utility for LID decision-making; and (5) convey these results to practitioners and decision-makers via the online CRI, various extension materials and programs, and by supporting the LID guidance manual.
Research Results
Hitchcock, D. R., A. D. Jayakaran, and D. L. White. “Green Infrastructure in Coastal Landscapes: Ecological Design, Hydrological Function, and Sustainable Land Use Goals,” Journal of South Carolina Water Resources, 2014.
Jayakaran, A.D., T.M. Williams, W.H. Conner, D.R. Hitchcock, B. Song, A.T. Chow, and E.M. Smith. “Monitoring Water Quality Changes in a Forested Freshwater Wetland Threatened By Salinity,” Proceedings of the 2014 South Carolina Water Resources Conference.