SouthSouth CarolinaCarolina WaterWater PlanPlan SecondSecond EditionEdition SouthSouth CarolinaCarolina DepartmentDepartment ofof NaturalNatural ResourcesResources Land,Land, WaterWater andand ConservationConservation DivisionDivision On the cover: Water from the Columbia Canal falls over a spillway behind the old Columbia Water Works complex on the Congaree River in Columbia, South Carolina. The Columbia Canal, originally completed in 1824 to provide navigation past local rapids, was redesigned in 1891 to provide hydroelectric power to local industries. The red brick building in the center of the photograph was built in the 1890s and houses the pumps once used by the City of Columbia to supply water to its citizens. Although use of this pumping plant ended in the early 1970s, the canal still serves as a source of public-supply water and hydroelectric power for the City. Today, these buildings and the canal form part of Columbias Riverfront Park. (Photograph by Andrew Wachob, S.C. Department of Natural Resources.) SOUTH CAROLINA WATER PLAN Second Edition by A. W. Badr Andrew Wachob Joseph A. Gellici South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Land, Water and Conservation Division 2221 Devine Street, Suite 222 Columbia, SC 29205 January 2004 This document is available on the Department of Natural Resources web site at http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/ STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA The Honorable Mark H. Sanford, Governor South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Board Members Michael G. McShane, Chairman ............................................................................................ Member-at-Large T. Smith Ragsdale, III ............................................................................................... 1st Congressional District R. Michael Campbell, II ......................................................................................... 2nd Congressional District Stephen L. Davis...................................................................................................... 3rd Congressional District Dr. Joab M. Lesesne, Jr. .......................................................................................... 4th Congressional District Dr. Douglas A. Rucker............................................................................................. 5th Congressional District John P. Evans ........................................................................................................... 6th Congressional District John E. Frampton, Director Land, Water and Conservation Division Alfred H. Vang, Deputy Director A.W. Badr, Ph.D., Chief, Hydrology Section ii South Carolina Natural Resources Board Post Office Box 167 Columbia, South Carolina 29202 Telephone: 803-734-4007 The following letter transmitted the South Carolina Water PlanSecond Edition to: CHAIRMAN (Member at Large) Mark Sanford, Governor of South Carolina Michael G. McShane David H. Wilkins, Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives 1501 Ravens Point Road André Bauer, President of the South Carolina Senate and Lieutenant Governor Johns Island, SC 29455 Telephone: 843/559-9287 Fax: 843/559-9247 The South Carolina Water PlanSecond Edition is presented herewith in accordance with the provisions of the Water Resources Planning and Coordinating Act, §49-3-10, (First Congressional District) et. seq., Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, as amended. This act states that the T. Smith Ragsdale III Department of Natural Resources shall advise and assist the Governor and General 1298 Debordieu Boulevard Georgetown, SC 29440 Assembly in: (1) Formulating and establishing a comprehensive water resources Telephone: 843/545-8908 policy for the State, including coordination of policies and activities among the State Fax: 843/545-8296 department and agencies; The Department of Natural Resources published the first State Water Plan in 1998. (Second Congressional District) This second edition incorporates the experience and knowledge we gained from the R. Michael Campbell, II Post Office Box 11211 severe drought of 1998-2002 and other timely water resources issues. Columbia, SC 29211 The plan contains the Departments conclusions and recommendations on the Telephone: 803/865-7259 policies that it believes the State of South Carolina should adopt at this point in our Fax: 803/865-7147 history for the efficient, equitable, and environmentally responsible science-based (Third Congressional District) management of its water resources. A principle concern has been sustainability. Stephen L. Davis The Department has examined virtually the entire range of water-resources issues Post Office Drawer 428 facing the State, including the effects of neighboring states on our water availability. Greenwood, SC 29648 The problems of water shortage have been addressed, and guidelines and Telephone: 864/229-5211 considerations for management of water in lakes, streams, and aquifers have been Fax: 864/229-1943 included. Each of the important purposes for which water is used has been studied, (Fourth Congressional District) and appropriate guidelines have been drawn for insuring efficient, equitable use of Dr. Joab M. Lesesne, Jr. these resources. While the solutions proposed may not be those that are finally 429 N. Church Street adopted, they will certainly provoke further awareness and constructive thinking Spartanburg, SC 29303-3663 about the water-resource issues facing our State. Water resources planning is a Telephone: 864/597-4010 Fax: 864/597-4018 continuous process. The Department recognizes that the effective management of the States water resources (Fifth Congressional District) is beyond the scope of any one agency or organization and will require cooperation Dr. Douglas A. Rucker and shared responsibility among federal, State, and local agencies, Post Office Box 906 public and private parties. Lancaster, SC 29721 Telephone: 803/283-9969 The Department submits this South Carolina Water PlanSecond Edition to you with Fax: 803/283-9907 the earnest hope that it will contribute importantly to the timely and wise use of South Carolinas most precious natural resource our water. (Sixth Congressional District) The Department appreciates the valuable input and cooperation of the S.C. John P. Evans Post Office Box 1686 Department of Health and Environmental Control. Orangeburg, SC 29116 Telephone: 803/536-6443 Respectfully submitted, Fax: 803/531-4629 Michael McShane Chairman iii PREFACE South Carolina experienced one of its worst multiyear droughts on record during the period from June 1998 to August 2002. Average precipitation was 10-30 percent below normal during the drought. Streamflows were at historic lows throughout the State, threatening water-supply intakes and causing saltwater intrusion in coastal areas. Lakes were being drained to perilously low levels in order to sustain water demands and downstream flows. Levels in Lake Thurmond, for example, dropped so low that the lake had only a few months of storage remaining for downstream flow requirements. Lakes in North Carolina, on the Yadkin-Pee Dee River, were being drained to meet water demands of North Carolina and of major industries in South Carolina, and to prevent saltwater intrusion from contaminating supply intakes in the Grand Strand area. Ground-water levels in shallow and deep aquifers dropped to record lows. Pumps in municipal and domestic wells had to be lowered, wells had to be deepened and, in some cases, new wells had to be drilled to keep pace with declines. Ground water levels in some areas of the State declined to the point that streams were losing water to the ground, the reverse of what normally occurs. What if the drought had continued for another year? The thought of this had policy makers thinking about water. Suddenly, lawyers were reviewing State water laws and water-resource managers were thinking of more effective ways to manage water in the State. The drought, in fact, marked a turning point in how we viewed our water resources. The belief that only water-starved western states could run out of water was replaced by the stark realization that we could run out of water too. Water could no longer be taken for granted in South Carolina. This is the lesson that we learned from the drought. Undoubtedly, the recent drought was one of the worst on record, but its effects were also compounded by population increases that have taken place during the past 50 years. South Carolinas population has nearly doubled during this period, growing from 2.1 million in 1950 to 4.0 million in 2000. The population will continue to grow and the demand for water will correspondingly increase, but the amount of water that is available will remain essentially the same. What steps should the State take now to ensure that adequate amounts of water will be available in the future? This revision to the South Carolina Water Plan addresses this question. The Water Plan recognizes the economic importance of water and the multitude of uses that it has, from hydropower generation and water supply, to recreation and tourism. A fair and balanced approach to managing the resource must consider all users. The goal is to wisely use the water that is available to meet growing demands without jeopardizing the health, welfare, and quality of life of future generations. The South Carolina Water Plan provides guidelines for achieving such a goal. iv EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 1998, the Department of Natural Resources published the first edition of the South Carolina Water Plan, a guide for managing the States