Modeling Stormwater Impacts in Coastal South Carolina - NERRS/NSC(NERRS Science Collaborative)

Coastal South Carolina’s population is on the rise. As development to support this growth increases, communities must contend with the increase in stormwater runoff that accompanies the spread of roads, parking lots, and other impervious surfaces. Rather than soaking into the ground, much of this stormwater is flowing directly into coastal water bodies, changing the ecological conditions in which the region’s fish and shellfish thrive. To protect coastal waters, officials from the state’s Beaufort County need to know which areas are most sensitive to the impacts of this runoff so they can allocate their resources effectively.