Charleston Empact: A Study of our Tidal Creeks

The City of Charleston is working with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the South Carolina Aquarium (SCA) to assess the impacts of stormwater runoff on tidal creeks in the metropolitan area. The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) awarded funding to the City for this project through its Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) program. EMPACT works with communities across the country to make timely, accurate, and understandable environmental information available to millions of people in metropolitan areas. The goal is to equip these communities and their residents with the tools needed to make informed, day-to-day decisions about their lives.

In the Charleston metropolitan area, project investigators are monitoring water quality and quantity in four tidal creeks located in Charleston City, Charleston County and Berkeley County, and tracking atmospheric data collected at a fifth site near Fort Johnson. The four creeks - Shem Creek, Bulls Creek, Parrot Creek and Old House Creek - represent areas with different land-use types, including urban, high and medium-density suburban, and undeveloped. Water and sediment samples collected from headwater and downstream locations in these creeks are analyzed and compared in order to determine which human and non-human activities most negatively impact water quality. Sampling and testing began in the fall of 2002 and will continue for one year to include data collected during each season. The USGS has one gauging station and walk-in shelter at each creek and the SCDNR has two sampling sites in each creek. Samples are tested for pesticides, metals, acids, volatile organic compounds, fecal coliform bacteria, and other substances to determine the type, extent and possible sources of contamination.

Project and test result information presented on the web site will help increase understanding about the potential health and environmental risks associated with stormwater runoff. This runoff picks up a variety of pollutants from human activities - such as walking the dog, washing the car, changing the oil, fertilizing the yard - and discharges them into waterways. When left uncontrolled, these discharges can cause fish kills, destroy spawning and wildlife habitats, decrease the area's aesthetic value, and contaminate drinking water supplies and recreational waterways. By understanding the impacts of daily activities on water quality, citizens can learn how to minimize the harmful effects of these activities. This will help protect personal health and welfare, as well as the wildlife habitats and natural environment that are an essential part of Charleston's beauty and quality of life.

Information on other water quality projects funded through the EMPACT program can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/empact/water.htm

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