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Edaw Letterhead Horry County Comprehensive Plan III. NATURAL RESOURCES ELEMENT A. Introduction A community’s natural environment, if properly protected, can greatly contribute to its social and economic prosperity. The Natural Resources Element demonstrates how the natural environment is not only a source of land for future urbanization but is also a set of resources to be conserved and maintained to achieve sustainable development. The challenge for the Natural Resources Element is to strike a working balance between a community’s productive uses of land and natural resources, maintenance of ecological functions, and protection of people and property from natural hazards. The ultimate goal is community growth that is socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable. B. Inventory and Analysis The following provides an inventory and analysis of natural resources in Horry County. Several natural resource factors are considered, including slopes, soils, prime farmland and forestland, coastal resources, wetlands, floodplains, plant and animal habitat, and recreation and scenic views. These factors were analyzed according to various environmental suitability indicators to determine how future development in the county may affect natural resources. The information will provide a basis for several planning decisions within the comprehensive plan, especially those concerning the placement and allocation of future land uses. 1. Location Horry County is in the eastern portion of South Carolina (Figure III-1). Its land area is approximately 1,160 square miles, or 741,300 acres. Its boundaries are North Carolina on the north and east; Georgetown County and the Atlantic Ocean on south; and Dillon, Marion, and Georgetown counties on the west. The Waccamaw River meanders along the southwestern part of the county. Its headwaters are in North Carolina and it empties into Winyah Bay in Georgetown County. The Lumber River, the Little Pee Dee River, and the Great Pee Dee River form the western boundary of Horry County. The Intracoastal Waterway cuts across the eastern portion of the county through the back swamps and behind the barrier dunes that form the Grand Strand beaches, a long, narrow area of smooth, sandy beaches bordering the Atlantic Ocean in Horry and neighboring Georgetown County. 2. Slopes and Soils Slopes and soils are important considerations in local planning because they provide indicators of suitability and cost of developing particular sites. These characteristics directly influence the construction of buildings, highways, the installation of septic tanks, and agricultural activities, and thus have a profound effect on community development patterns. The most readily available source of soil information is the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Soil Figure Natural Resources Element Page III-1 March 16, 1999 Horry County Comprehensive Plan III-1 – Location Map Natural Resources Element Page III-2 March 16, 1999 Horry County Comprehensive Plan Conservation Service (SCS) County Soil Survey. Typically, the data are used to identify such soil characteristics as prime agricultural or forestland, drainage capability, septic tank suitability, hydric soils, and such potential hazards as flooding or slope failure. The topography of Horry County is generally level to gently sloping, with elevations ranging from sea level to over 100 feet. According to the soil survey, the majority of soils in Horry County range between 0 to 6 percent in slope. As such, slopes greater than 15 percent are not a prevalent development constraint in Horry County. The elliptical or oval depressions characteristic of South Carolina’s Carolina bays are perhaps the only areas in Horry County where slopes exceed 6 percent. Most of the bays are aligned along a northwest-southeast axis parallel to one another in the central western portion of the county. Several of these bays are under State ownership and management as State Heritage Preserves. The majority of soils in Horry County are loamy sand and sandy loam with generally poor drainage characteristics. Along the coast is a thin strip of soils with thick beds of level or dune sand, which provide better drainage. Consequently, poor soil drainage capacity and the lack of suitable land for septic tank absorption fields pose a potential threat to land development in rural Horry County. Avoiding intensive development in these areas may reduce stormwater drainage costs, soil erosion, water quality degradation, and public health concerns for groundwater. The drainage capacity of soils is determined according to the intake of water when soils are thoroughly wet and receive precipitation from long-duration storms. Approximately 314,890 acres, or 43 percent, of the soil groups in Horry County have either high or medium to high run- off potential and, thus, poor drainage capacity and a slow infiltration rate (Figure III-2). These areas are found throughout the county but are concentrated near major rivers and streams. Areas of low run-off potential, which account for approximately 71,240 acres, or 10 percent, occur in soils adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean and in an area near the southeastern border of Georgetown County. These soils have a higher infiltration rate and better drainage capacity. Approximately 651,620 acres, or 88 percent, of Horry County soils have severe limitations for septic tank absorption fields (Figure III-3). These areas are the least suitable for septic tanks and usually require special design, significant increases in construction costs, and increased maintenance. Approximately 50,810 acres, or 7 percent, of Horry County’s total land area has moderate septic tank limitations (central and western portions of the county). Approximately 25,580 acres, or 4 percent, of the soils have slight septic tank limitations, and the majority of these soils are within incorporated areas paralleling the Atlantic Ocean. An area near the southeastern border of Georgetown County also has a concentration of soils with slight limitations. These areas are the most suitable locations for septic tanks. Natural Resources Element Page III-3 March 16, 1999 Horry County Comprehensive Plan Figure III-2 – Soil Drainage Capacity Natural Resources Element Page III-4 March 16, 1999 Horry County Comprehensive Plan Figure III-3 – Septic Tank Soil Suitability Natural Resources Element Page III-5 March 16, 1999 Horry County Comprehensive Plan 3. Prime Agricultural The USDA recognizes that prime farmland is of major importance in meeting short and long- range needs for food and fiber, and that high-quality farmland is limited and under increasing pressure from expanding development. Given these factors, it is critical for government at the Federal, State, and local levels to encourage and facilitate the wise use of prime farmland. Prime agricultural soils are those soils best suited for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops. Prime agricultural soils in Horry County account for approximately 200,090 acres, or 27 percent, of the total land area (See Figure III-4). Prime agricultural soils are distributed throughout Horry County, excluding soil groups found near the coast and to the east of the Great Pee Dee, Little Pee Dee, and Lumber rivers. According to the 1995 Comprehensive Plan, Horry County experienced a decline in harvested acreage for soybeans, corn, wheat, and oats between 1980 and 1990. Accordingly, the amount of farmland declined by 16.9 percent and the number of farms declined by 37.3 percent. The majority of this decline is attributed to rising land prices, as more intensive uses replace agricultural uses. Horry County organized an Agricultural Task Force in 1993 to meet with staff and investigate the issues facing depleting agriculture in Horry County. The Task Force made several recommendations in an effort to preserve prime farmland in Horry County. 4. Prime Forestland Forestry is a major land use in South Carolina, and the soil groups characteristic of Horry County are considered prime for forestland development. Forestlands provide one of the most varied and valuable natural resources, and, if properly managed, provide an excellent sample of sustainable development practices. Some of the values forestlands provide are: • protection of both the quantity and quality of water supplies; • outdoor recreational opportunities such as camping, hiking, picnicking, hunting, and bird watching; • multiple uses while still supplying more than 5,000 products made from trees; • habitat for a variety of wildlife, including both game and non-game species; and • environmental quality by controlling noise, abating winds, preventing soil erosion, and providing scenic beauty. Unfortunately, unmanaged and unregulated forestry operations can accelerate soil erosion and decrease the water quality in streams and rivers. The South Carolina Forestry Commission recently initiated a program to protect water quality in streams and rivers in 14 northeastern South Carolina counties. The program’s emphasis is the prevention of non-point source pollution during harvesting operation and site preparation in the major river basins of the Pee Dee Region, such as Pee Dee, Little Pee Dee, Lynches, Black, and Waccamaw river basins, through South Carolina’s Forestry Commission’s Best Management Practices (BMPs). BMPs are guidelines that describe methods to prevent soil erosion from logging roads, skid trails, mechanical land clearing and other forestry operations. Natural Resources Element Page III-6 March 16, 1999 Horry County Comprehensive
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