Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

An Introduction To Consumptive Use Of Water In South Carolina, Heather Bergerud Nix, Mani Rouhi Rad

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

Effective water resource management requires understanding the supply of and the demand for water. In South Carolina, as in other places, water demand is often determined using total withdrawal volumes. However, the volume of water that is withdrawn can be significantly different from the volume that is actually consumed, which becomes unavailable for downstream uses. Water used for energy generation is commonly excluded from evaluations of total withdrawal volume because it is often assumed to be no or low consumptive use, meaning much of the withdrawn water is returned to the source and remains available for downstream uses. Additionally, energy …

Lessons Learned From Incorporating Climate Considerations In The Three Rivers Watershed-Based Plan, Gregory Carbone, Jory Fleming, Kathryn Ellis, Guillermo J. Espinosa

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has recently incentivized planners to incorporate climate change projections into watershed-based plans. Methods for doing so vary by geography, specific basin-level conditions, and available resources. This short communication documents an early example developed by a collaborative team including a council of governments, private contractor, and university researchers. We outline steps taken to construct climate change scenarios, incorporate them into a basin-level model, and develop a holistic approach to climate adaptation and resilience for the Three Rivers Watershed-Based Plan in the Columbia, South Carolina, metropolitan area. We present lessons learned about integrating …

Mapping And Characterization Of Center Pivot And Lateral Move Irrigation Systems In South Carolina Using Quantum Geographic Information System, Udayakumar Sekaran, José O. Payero

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

In recent decades, the adoption of overhead irrigation systems, especially center pivots, to irrigate row crops has been steadily increasing in South Carolina. The adoption of irrigation in the state has been enhanced by the predominance of coarse-textured soils with low water-holding capacities, which increases the likelihood of obtaining a significant and profitable crop yield response to irrigation. As the number of overhead irrigation systems in the state increases, it is vital to understand their number, location, and characteristics for better planning and managing available water resources. The objective of this project was to map and characterize the overhead irrigation …

Relative Sea Level Rise In The Winyah Bay-Waccamaw River Tidal System Over The Last Thirteen Years, Thomas M. Williams, Thomas L. O'Halloran

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

Prediction of sea level rise (SLR) in response to climate change has been the focus of worldwide research, most focusing on the impact by human development. The research has been limited to estuaries and tidal rivers near harbors dealing with the hydrodynamics of reversing tidal flows. This article focuses on the Waccamaw River National Wildlife Refuge in coastal South Carolina where freshwater unidirectional flow is common. We examined the record of water levels in the Waccamaw and Pee Dee Rivers over the period 2007–2019 and the length of record of the United States Geographical Survey (USGS) gauge at Pawleys Island …

Evaluating The Ability Of Constructed Intertidal Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Reefs To Address Shoreline Erosion In South Carolina, Peter R. Kingsley-Smith, Andrew W. Tweel, Sharleen P. Johnson, Gary W. Sundin, Michael S. Hodges, Benjamin W. Stone, Gregory D. Sorg, Denise M. Sanger

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

The application of nature-based solutions to address shoreline erosion and the loss of salt marsh in coastal South Carolina has centered around the creation of intertidal oyster (Crassostrea virginica) reefs that act as natural breakwaters. The installation of such living shoreline materials often results in a rapid accumulation of fine sediments, followed by wild oyster recruitment to suitable materials, and then more gradually the growth of salt marshes (primarily Spartina alterniflora). Leveraging more than two decades of oyster reef restoration and living shorelines research at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, this study quantitatively assessed performance rates for both …

The Development Of A Backyard Composting Project Through Community Engagement, Donald J. Scully, Jeffrey A. Young, Bryan J. Hains, Kristina Hains

The Journal of Extension

It can be argued that public forums are a valuable and essential tool for Cooperative Extension professionals. This article narrates the innovative use of the public forum action steps outlined in Kahl’s (2016) “A Convener’s Guide to Hosting a Public Forum”. The primary objective was to address illegal dumping and littering concerns with the Extension professional's role to engage the community. The resulting “Backyard Composting Project” demonstrated that public forums are valuable in creatively engaging urban audiences. Ultimately the authors illustrate how a community concern can be addressed using innovative programming to reach what Extension considers to be …

Prioritizing Professional Development At The Interface Of Natural Resources And Agriculture, Katherine J. Starzec

The Journal of Extension

Continuous professional development is critical for Extension staff, and many agriculture-focused Extension employees are tasked with outreach related to a wide variety of natural resource topics. The purpose of this study is to help prioritize trainings needed by Kansas Extension agents and specialists based on their current level of knowledge and interest in staying up to date on 18 different natural resource topics. Responses to a statewide survey were analyzed using the Borich model. Results indicate priority professional development needs related to soil health; effects of climate; invasive species, harmful algal blooms; and groundwater, surface water, and air quality.

Improvement Of A Low-Cost Diy Wave Gauge, Matthew F. Virden, Nigel A. Temple, Bret M. Webb, Eric L. Sparks

The Journal of Extension

The impacts of waves on shorelines and nearshore ecosystems has highlighted the need for extension and other environmental professionals to have access to accurate and affordable wave measurements. The development of a low-cost DIY wave gauge improved the accessibility of these measurements; however, the original design was limited in battery life. Here, an improved version of the low-cost DIY wave gauge, the DIY Feather Wave Gauge, is presented with the same performance, longer battery life, smaller design, and cheaper cost along with tutorials, parts lists, and other resources. This new gauge has been used to improve shoreline management recommendations.

Michigan Conifer Growers’ Perspectives On Disease Management, Emily S. Huff, Monique L. Sakalidis

The Journal of Extension

A survey of commercial nursery and Christmas tree growers was implemented online and by mail in 2018 to understand disease issues and information preferences. Overall, the majority of the respondents reported that they prefer online sources of information and many are using Extension bulletins and sources. Cultural, chemical, and weed control methods were considered extremely effective by participants and very few used biological control methods to control disease. Participants identified spruce decline, boxwood blight, and hemlock woolly adelgid as emerging disease threats, so future information to growers should focus on identification and management of these threats.

Engaging Hard-To-Reach Audiences Through Internal Interdisciplinary And External Diverse Collaborations, Erin M. Garrett, Ashley J. Belle

The Journal of Extension

Through a combination of internal and external collaborations, consumer-based energy education designed for hard-to-reach audiences was successfully delivered statewide by an interdisciplinary Extension team. Program participants representing rural residents, senior citizens, and low-income audiences demonstrated improvements in knowledge and increased intention to change their home electricity usage behaviors. This outreach work can serve as a model for other Extension services to combine interdisciplinary teams with community partnerships to reach underserved audiences statewide.

Floodplain Geomorphology And Response To Hurricanes: Lower Pee Dee Basin, South Carolina, Thomas M. Williams, Bo Song, Daniel Hitchcock, Thomas O'Halloran

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

Undeveloped forested wetlands in the valleys of coastal plain rivers can play a large role in storing floodwater and attenuating river flooding. In the lower Pee Dee, Little Pee Dee, and Lynches Rivers, these wetlands played a large role in mitigating downstream flooding following Hurricane Florence. Wetland forest flood mitigation was most effective for large flows in the Great Pee Dee River, where flooding on former river terraces determined the course of overbank flow and the potential storage of floodwaters. Floodwater storage and attenuation of water level were less effective if larger flows were limited to the Little Pee Dee …

Streamflow And Tidal Dynamics In The Lower Pee Dee Basin: Hurricane Impacts, Thomas M. Williams, Bo Song, Daniel Hitchcock, Thomas O'Halloran

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

Over past years, extreme tropical storm events along the North and South Carolina coasts—and subsequent river flooding—have warranted the need for a better understanding of the hydrologic response to these events to protect life, property, businesses, and natural and cultural resources. Our focus in this study is the Pee Dee and Waccamaw River systems, which ultimately flow into Winyah Bay near Georgetown, South Carolina. River flows, coupled with the tidal nature of these freshwater systems, are complex and difficult to predict. The objective of the work is to analyze publicly available data from gauging stations along those river system as …

Understanding Stakeholders’ Knowledge, Awareness, And Perception Of Conservation Programs In South Carolina, J. Carl Ureta, Marzieh Motallebi, Lori Dickes, Lucas Clay, Joan Ureta, Robert Baldwin

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

The increasing population and economic growth of South Carolina make it attractive for landowners to convert their land to commercial and urbanized zones. However, since ecosystems are directly affected by land use, changes in these land uses directly impact the ecosystem services (ES). Therefore, efforts to conserve ecosystems are paramount and are often supported through conservation-incentive programs. One approach for conservation programs is to provide economic incentives for landowners to retain their land as forest or agricultural land. The success of these programs eventually affects the ES recipients or “end-users,” particularly the residents. Therefore, it is important to understand the …

A Multi-Reservoir Study Of The Impact Of Uncertainty In Pool Evaporation Estimates On Water-Availability Models, R. C. Phillips, Nigel Kaye, John Saylor

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

Quantifying evaporative loss from reservoirs plays a critical role in sound water-availability management plans and in reservoir management. Various methods are used to quantify reservoir evaporation; however, each method carries a degree of uncertainty that propagates to model predictions of available water within a reservoir or a reservoir network. Herein, we explore the impact of uncertainty in reservoir evaporation on model outputs of historical and future water availability throughout the five major reservoirs in the Savannah River Basin in South Carolina, USA, using four different evaporation methods. Variability in the total available water is evaluated using the United States Army …

Mapping Center Pivot Irrigation Fields In South Carolina With Google Earth Engine And The National Agricultural Imagery Program, C. Alex Pellett

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

Aerial images taken during the growing seasons of 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017 were visually inspected for evidence of irrigation. Center pivot irrigation was identified by the characteristic shape of the spans and the curved tracks left by the wheels. The author manually delineated a polygon over each agricultural area where signs of irrigation infrastructure were observed. The result is a map of 2,689 polygons covering 146,662 acres in South Carolina. Compared with the United States Department of Agriculture 2017 Census of Agriculture, the sampling results account for over 69% of total irrigated area and over 98% of area …

Modeling Tidal Characteristics In A Creek-Marsh Drainage System: Implications For Stormwater Management, C. E. Brown, T. J. Callahan

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

The traditional goal of stormwater management is to reduce the threat of flooding to life and property, and so most landscapes are engineered to maximize the speed at which the unwanted water leaves the watershed. This has been effective in landscapes with some topographic gradient. This often involves the installation of drainage ditches that disperse runoff from urban areas to receiving water bodies; in coastal areas this means a tidal creek, estuary, bay, sounds, or the coastal ocean. This practice reduces flood hazards in some cases but results in unintended effects on the natural hydrology in the watershed and downstream …

Lessons From A Landscape Irrigation Rebate Program In Miami Dade County, Haimanote K. Bayabil, Laura Vasquez, Jesus Lomeli, Patrick Martin

The Journal of Extension

We calculated savings in outdoor water uses from 37 properties in Fisher Island, Florida, that were retrofitted with smart Evapotranspiration-based irrigation controllers through the Miami Dade County’s Landscape Irrigation Rebate Program. We found average water savings of 11.4 million gallons per year from the 37 properties on the island. We discuss the roles of extension personnel in developing and effectively managing an irrigation rebate program and the implications of results from this program for large scale efforts towards efficient use of freshwater resources.

Fish Disease Outreach Messages: Testing Of Gain And Loss Frames, Erin L. Pavloski, Heather A. Triezenberg

The Journal of Extension

Gain and loss framing has been used as a technique in risk communication to shape individuals’ behaviors in many fields. Our community-engaged research, conducted in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), experimentally tested five message frames to determine efficacy for outreach programs. We found: a) to increase risk perceptions of fish disease use a loss frame in a management context, b) to decrease risk perceptions of fish disease management use a gain frame in a disease context, and c) to motivate behavioral intentions for prevention and risk reduction use a gain frame in a disease context.

Measuring And Modeling Flow Rates In Tidal Creeks: A Case Study From The Central Coast Of South Carolina, Kathryn K. Ellis, Timothy Callahan, Dianne I. Greenfield, Denise Sanger, Joshua Robinson, Martin Jones

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

The purpose of this study was to collect site- and condition-specific hydrology data to better understand the water flow dynamics of tidal creeks and terrestrial runoff from surrounding watersheds. In this paper, we developed mathematical models of tidal creek flow (discharge) in relation to time during a tidal cycle and also estimated terrestrial runoff volume from design storms to compare to tidal creek volumes. Currently, limited data are available about how discharge in tidal creeks behaves as a function of stage or the time of tide (i.e., rising or falling tide) for estuaries in the southeastern United States, so this …

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons And Suspended Materials In A Semi-Urbanized Tidal Creek After An Historic Flood Event And Implications For Water Quality Monitoring, Barbara A. Beckingham, Michael Shahin, Kathryn Ellis, Timothy J. Callahan

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

Tidal creeks transport both dissolved and particulate natural organic carbon materials and contaminants, connecting land-based activities with estuarine surface waters. It is important to characterize these materials in tidal creeks because it provides insights as to their origins and potential for ecosystem impacts. Surface water samples were collected from Bull Creek, Charleston, SC, a semi-urbanized tidal creek wetland, on five sampling dates from fall 2015 to spring 2016 to measure total suspended solids (TSS), turbidity, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), SUVA254 (specific absorbance as an indicator of aromaticity of DOC), and total water concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a ubiquitous …

Journal Of South Carolina Water Resources Volume 4, Issue 1

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

For the better part of 2017, South Carolina saw an improvement in drought status for many of the state’s 55 counties, with the SC Drought Response Committee reporting 28 of those in ‘incipient’ (first stage of drought) status and the remaining 17 in ‘normal’ status on November 27. With regard to major rain events, Tropical Storm Irma brought noteworthy levels of rainfall to much of the state in mid-September, as well as coastal flooding. Because of the ongoing significant weather events that continue to threaten water resources and related infrastructure, Clemson’s SC Water Resources Center held its first Summit Series …

Climate And Water Resources In The Carolinas: Approaches To Applying Global Climate Change Information To Local Decisions, Kirsten Lackstrom, Gregory J. Carbone, Daniel L. Tufford, Aashka Patel

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

A wide range of resource managers, community planners, and other stakeholders are increasingly asking for information regarding how climate change will affect South Carolina’s freshwater and coastal resources. They are interested in using this information for decisions related to infrastructure design, water system planning, vulnerability assessments, and ecosystem management. While climate change data, projections, and related information are also becoming increasingly available, many uncertainties around future climate change and its potential impacts often hinder its application. Furthermore it is often not available in a format or at a scale that is easily translated to local- and regional resource management decisions. …

Adjusting Nrcs Curve Number For Rainfall Durations Less Than 24 Hours, Michael Meadows

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

The primary use of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) curve number (CN) is to compute total storm runoff based on total rainfall. The method was originally created to determine the mean daily depth of runoff during flood producing events on small agricultural watersheds. CN values were determined using daily rainfall and runoff data. Practically, it did not rain for 24 hours during many, perhaps most, of the events, but since the data were recorded as daily rainfall, 24 hours became the implicit duration for values input to the curve number runoff model. NRCS references do not specifically state the …

A Policy Lens Of South Carolina Coastal Stormwater Management, Lori A. Dickes, Jeffrey Allen, Monika Jalowiecka, Katie Buckley

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

Similar to many environmental issues today, stormwater management lies within a network of regulatory and policy oversight. As South Carolina coastal communities continue to experience economic and population growth, understanding the broader policy context of stormwater pond management is important. This study was aimed at compiling the state-of-the-knowledge of stormwater pond management policy for the eight coastal counties of South Carolina. In order to enhance researchers and policymakers understanding of the stormwater policy and regulatory environment, this research utilizes a mixed methods approach. A mixed methods approach allows researchers to explore different components of a particular research question by deploying …

Hydro-Meteorologic Assessment Of October 2015 Extreme Precipitation Event On Santee Experimental Forest Watersheds, South Carolina, Devendra M. Amatya, Charles A. Harrison, Carl C. Trettin

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

The extreme precipitation event on October 3-4, 2015, likely resulting from the convergence of a persistent deep easterly flow, the continuous supply of moisture, the terrain, and the circulation associated with Hurricane Joaquin off the eastern Atlantic Coast (http://cms.met.psu. edu/sref/severe/2015/04Oct2015.pdf) resulted in extreme and prolonged flooding in many parts of South Carolina. We present the precipitation amounts and intensities observed at four gauges on the USDA Forest Service Santee Experimental Forest (SEF) watersheds during this extreme event in conjunction with the antecedent conditions for 5 days prior to the event. All four rain gauges recorded 24-hr maximum rainfall of 340 …

Development Of Extended Unimpaired Streamflow Records In The Saluda Basin, South Carolina, C. Alex Pellett, John Boyer, Nina Caraway, Tim Cox, Joseph A. Gellici, Scott Harder, Andy Wachob, Kirk Westphal

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

This paper presents the steps involved and the methodologies employed in the first phase of the South Carolina Surface Water Assessment - development of extended and unimpaired streamflow estimates based on USGS gage data in the Saluda basin. Streamflow data are first adjusted to remove effects of anthropogenic impairments. Adjustments are made for reservoirs, withdrawals, and discharges based on available documentation. Where documentation is insufficient, hindcasting methods are used. The resulting datasets are called unimpaired flows (UIFs).

The UIFs are then extended in time from 1925, the starting date of the first continuous stream discharge data available in the basin, …

The Historic South Carolina Rainfall And Major Floods Of October 1-5, 2015, Hope Mizzell, Mark Malsick, Wes Tyler

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

A record setting and historic rainfall event occurred October 1-5, 2015, producing widespread and significant flooding across much of South Carolina. The rainfall resulted from several atmospheric and hydrometeorological factors. The record rainfall triggered flash floods and riverine flooding that resulted in emergency evacuations, travel disruptions, personal property damage, business losses, bridge collapses, dam failures and tragic loss of life. Precipitation records were broken from the midlands to the coast, with totals ranging from 10 to over 26 inches of rain. Sixteen National Weather Service Cooperative Weather Stations set new 24-hour rainfall records for October. The amount of rainfall during …

Journal Of South Carolina Water Resources Volume 3, Issue 1

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

It has been a busy and somewhat tumultuous time for South Carolina’s water resources since the publication of the Journal’s second volume. This past October, Hurricane Matthew caused significant flooding and major property damage throughout a large swath from Beaufort County in the Lowcountry up into eastern North Carolina. The small town of Nichols on the Little Pee Dee River in Marion County was especially hard hit. Residents there continue salvage and recovery work, and dozens of properties were lost. Meanwhile, recovery efforts are still ongoing in many areas from the storm complex of October 2015 which created a historic …

Decision Support System For Optimally Managing Water Resources To Meet Multiple Objectives In The Savannah River Basin, Edwin A. Roehl, Jr., Paul A. Conrads

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

Managers of large river basins face conflicting demands for water resources such as wildlife habitat, water supply, wastewater assimilative capacity, flood control, hydroelectricity, and recreation. The Savannah River Basin, for example, has experienced three major droughts since 2000 that resulted in record low water levels in its reservoirs, impacting dependent economies for years. The Savannah River estuary contains two municipal water intakes and the ecologically sensitive freshwater tidal marshes of the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. The Port of Savannah is the fourth busiest in the United States, and modifications to the harbor to expand ship traffic since the 1970s have …

Use Of A Volunteer Monitoring Program To Assess Water Quality In A Tmdl Watershed Utilized For Recreational Use, Pickens County, South Carolina, Travis H. Nation, Leah A. Johnson

Journal of South Carolina Water Resources

Municipalities, regulatory agencies, and resource advocacy organizations are often tasked with the enormous responsibility of monitoring water quality and implementing management strategies for vast areas within their jurisdictions. A potential means for addressing the resulting sampling shortfall is the use of volunteer monitoring programs. The project reported herein demonstrates the use of QA/QC protocols developed by Georgia Adopt-a-Stream (AAS) to monitor water quality issues for Twelve Mile Creek located in Pickens County, SC. The Twelve Mile watershed has a storied past as a U.S. EPA Superfund site due to industrial PCB contamination. Recent mitigation efforts involving the removal of two …