Spring 2008 — Vol. 61, No. 2

A one-two punch of booming development and historically low rainfall is threatening to alter both the landscape and the way of life in the Southeast. Previously, an abundance of cheap water and land fueled rapid development and population growth. But the record-breaking drought that we’re in now is drying up lakes and rivers, shriveling lawns and pastures, and generating legal battles over water rights among the states.

More folks, less water

Population growth, development and water use in the Southeast are all outpacing the national average. Business Week (Oct. 18, 2007) noted that water consumption in the Southeast grew 15 percent from 1990 to 2000, compared with just 2 percent nationwide. The population rose by 20 percent vs. 13 percent for the nation, with the region adding 4.4 million people since 2000 and more moving in each year.

“The drought is a serious short-term issue, but it has opened our eyes to the water problems we have and to the fact they won’t be going away,” says Jeff Allen, director of the S.C. Water Resources Center at Clemson. A study he completed in January showed that land development in the I-85 corridor of Upstate South Carolina outpaced population growth by a ratio of 5-to-1 from 1990 to 2000. A study conducted for coastal counties found a similar relationship between the development and population growth. “This rate of development will continue unabated unless regional development policies change,” says Allen.

Gene Eidson, director of the S.C. Center for Watershed Excellence, says, “Water may become the next determinant for economic development. Without it, hydropower plants cannot generate electricity, industries cannot function, and municipalities cannot support new commercial and residential developments.”

The center is part of Clemson’s Restoration Institute. Designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Center for Watershed Excellence is charged with supporting research and education programs that foster development and implementation of cost-effective watershed management throughout the state.

To address these and other issues, the S.C. Water Resources Conference will be held in North Charleston in October 2008. The conference will provide a forum to discuss current water policies, research projects and water management throughout the state. It will complement a similar conference held in Georgia on alternate years, encouraging collaboration rather than conflict between the states.

Participants will come from universities, regulatory personnel from the local to federal levels, industry, environmental managers, environmental consultants and engineers, nonprofit watershed groups, environmental attorneys, public policy decision makers, municipal and regional water authorities, economic development organizations, land managers and interested public stakeholders.

Eidson also leads an annual forum, called Savannah River at Risk, which focuses on issues in the Savannah River basin. It brings together scientists, environmental regulatory agencies and economic developers from Georgia and South Carolina to discuss issues such as sharing water supplies and waste load allocations, as well as managing dissolved oxygen rates and chemical contaminants that can threaten the river’s viability for commercial and recreational usage.

Meanwhile, back on the farm

Water issues affect rural areas as well as urban. Clemson scientists and Extension agents have held regional drought management meetings for more than 300 livestock producers. They’ve shared forage management strategies, herd-culling priorities, byproducts feeding strategies, and equine body condition scoring and nutrition guidelines.

Animal scientist John Irwin recommends feeding baled corn stalks and soybean straw when hay is scarce. Forage specialist John Andrae recommends planting rye, ryegrass and oats to extend the grazing season and minimize hay needs during the drought. The online Home and Garden Information Center provides fact sheets on plant selection, mulching and watering (hgic.clemson.edu).

Water quality is as important as quantity. Oconee County Extension agent Morris Warner works with farms to reduce pollution caused by faulty septic tanks and by cattle entering rural streams. Scientists at the Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science in Georgetown are using remote data sensors and transmitters to provide real-time data on water quality before, during and after development of property in the Bannockburn Plantation. A plan is in development to extend the remote data collection system to all watersheds in South Carolina through an interdisciplinary team that includes Gene Eidson, Steve Klaine, Chris Post and other scientists.

Sustaining the environment

Baruch stormwater engineer Anand Jayakaran is studying ways to mitigate stormwater runoff caused by urban development, which prevents rainwater from being absorbed by the land. Hydrologist William Conner is measuring the effects of global climate change on freshwater tidal forest wetlands as sea levels rise and push salt water into coastal rivers and marshes. Biosystems engineer Dan Hitchcock is evaluating sustainable solutions to environmental impacts caused by converting forests to urban areas, which can increase runoff and pollutants in rivers, lakes and marshes.

A statewide team of Extension agents led by Cal Sawyer is working with local officials, engineers, contractors and private citizens to reduce pollution caused by stormwater runoff and erosion. Regional consortia have been created for the S.C. coast and midlands, with more in development. Public education programs inform citizens how they can minimize their impact on water quality. And lakes and streams are protected from sediment at construction sites across the state through the Certified Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Inspector program.

Additional information can be found at the Baruch Institute (www.clemson.edu/baruch), the Restoration Institute (www.clemson.edu/restoration/ecology) and the S.C. Water Resources Center (www.strom.clemson.edu/teams/water_resources).