Upper Cooper Natural Resource Management Plan: The Product of a Stakeholder Dialogue Prepared for the Steering Committee for the Upper Cooper River Special Area Management Plan Presented by Consensus Solutions, Incorporated 90 West Wieuca Road, NE – Suite 222 Atlanta, GA 30342 404.531.9940 November 30, 2004 II Table of Contents Consensus Agreement.........................................................................................................vii Foreword................................................................................................................................viii Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................. x Executive Summary ...............................................................................................................xi Introduction and Organization of this Report ....................................................................xii Chapter 1 – The SAMP and the Evolution of the Stakeholder Group.............................. 1 The SAMP .......................................................................................................................... 1 NRMP Goals for the Cooper River Corridor SAMP.................................................... 3 Participants in the Stakeholder Group ....................................................................... 5 The Charge....................................................................................................................... 6 The Road Map to a Natural Resource Management Plan ................................... 6 Educating the Participants ..............................................................................6 Negotiating the Elements of the Plan............................................................7 Outside the Scope of Deliberations............................................................................ 7 Chapter 2 - A Systematic Look at Natural Resource Planning in the Upper Cooper River.......................................................................................................................................... 9 The Role of the Government ........................................................................................ 9 Federal Government ........................................................................................9 State Government...........................................................................................14 Local Government ..........................................................................................16 Public Involvement ....................................................................................................... 17 SAMP Outcomes / Types of Recommended Actions..................................................... 18 Chapter 3 - The Nexus of Economy and Environment in the Upper Cooper .............. 20 The Cooper River: Economic Engine of the Lowcountry .................................... 20 An Historic Perspective – How Water Flows Affect the River ............................... 20 History’s Impact on the River ...................................................................................... 21 The River Defines the Community.............................................................................. 22 Through the Years ......................................................................................................... 23 Santee Cooper: Another Catalyst for Industrial Development.......................... 24 A Natural Place for Growth ........................................................................................ 24 Bold Greenspace Initiative ......................................................................................... 26 The River Tomorrow....................................................................................................... 27 Chapter 4 - Water Quality: Crucial to the Future of the Region..................................... 31 Mercury Impairment .......................................................................................32 Fecal Coliform Impairment ............................................................................34 Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Impairment ............................................................35 Point Source Discharges.............................................................................................. 36 III Nonpoint Source Policies............................................................................................. 38 Urbanization and Growth............................................................................................ 40 Vegetation ..................................................................................................................... 40 Sediment......................................................................................................................... 41 Nutrients........................................................................................................................... 42 Further Research ........................................................................................................... 42 Chapter 5 – Fish, Wildlife Resources and Wildlife Habitat............................................... 45 Tidal Fresh and Brackish Marsh Habitats................................................................... 45 Non-Tidal Emergent Wetlands.......................................................................46 Freshwater Riverine, Open Water Habitats.................................................46 Freshwater Wetlands and Aquatic Habitats........................................................... 47 Freshwater Wetland Functions ......................................................................47 Conservation Strategies............................................................................................... 48 Chapter 6 - Land Use Management and Rice Impoundments .................................... 52 Transparency in Public Policy ..................................................................................... 57 Chapter 7 – The Demonstration Project ............................................................................ 58 The Cooper River Corridor SAMP Area – Today’s Laboratory ............................. 58 Beyond the Demonstration Project........................................................................... 61 Chapter 8 - Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 64 Chapter 8 - Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 65 Afterword ............................................................................................................................... 67 Appendix I – Catalogue of Recommendations .............................................................. 69 Appendix II - Glossary of Acronyms and Key Phrases................................................... 78 Appendix III – Participants in the Development of this NRMP........................................ 88 Compendium of Bios.................................................................................................... 90 Self-Employed Copy-Editor/Technical Writer.......................................................... 91 Tommy Evans........................................................................................................................ 96 Erwin J. Krull ......................................................................................................................... 100 Facilitator for Process and President of Consensus Solutions, Incorporated..108 Appendix IV – Resource People and Their Organizations ........................................... 110 Appendix V – The Charge to the Stakeholder Group................................................... 111 Appendix VI - Historical Discussion of Water Quantity ................................................. 114 The Cooper River.........................................................................................................114 The Santee River..........................................................................................................115 Cooper River Rediversion Project............................................................................116 Appendix VII - Discussion of the Legal Requirements for Reimpounding ................. 118 Demonstration of Ownership....................................................................................118 IV Impacts on Submerged Lands.................................................................................118 Blockage of Navigable Waterways........................................................................118 Compliance with SC DHEC/OCRM Statutes and Regulations .........................119 State Water Quality Standards and the Federal Clean Water Act .................120 Appendix VIII – Characterizations of the Cooper River System Rice fields ............... 121 Appendix IX – Additional Water Quality Efforts.............................................................. 132 Appendix X – The Science of Water Quality .................................................................. 133 Dissolved Oxygen........................................................................................................134 Point Source Dischargers...........................................................................................136