S.C. Code Regs. § § 30-10
Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 10, October 25, 2024
Section 30-10 - Critical Area BoundariesA. Coastal Waters and Tidelands:(1) The Department has permit authority over the coastal waters and tidelands critical areas defined in Section 48-39-10 as follows: (a) "Coastal waters" means the navigable waters of the United States subject to the ebb and flood of the tide and which are saline waters, shoreward to their mean high-water mark. Provided, however, that the Department may designate boundaries which approximate the mean extent of saline waters until such time as the mean extent of saline waters can be determined scientifically.(b) "Tidelands" means all areas which are at or below mean high tide and coastal wetlands, mudflats, and similar areas that are contiguous or adjacent to coastal waters and are an integral part of the estuarine systems involved. Coastal wetlands include marshes, mudflats, and shallows and means those areas periodically inundated by saline waters whether or not the saline waters reach the area naturally or through artificial water courses and those areas that are normally characterized by the prevalence of saline water vegetation capable of growth and reproduction. Provided, however, nothing in this definition shall apply to wetland areas that are not an integral part of an estuarine system. Further, until such time as the exact geographic extent of this definition can be scientifically determined, the Department shall have the authority to designate its approximate geographic extent.(2) Using biological field surveys and aerial photography, the Department has found the point on the upper reaches of the estuarine systems where tideland vegetation changes from predominately brackish to predominately fresh and has established a boundary using the nearest recognizable physical features within this area. This boundary has been posted on an official map in SCDHEC-OCRM'S principal offices of business and is available for public review. An approximate description of this boundary is as follows: On the south at the intersection of the South Carolina-Georgia border and the old track bed of the Seaboard Coastline (SCL), approximately 1.75 miles above the U.S. Highway 17-A bridge across the Savannah River; thence, northeastward along the track bed until its intersection with S. C. 462 near Euhaw Creek; thence, northward along S. C. 462 until its intersection with U.S. Highway 17/U.S. Interstate 95 near Coosawhatchie; thence, northeastward along U.S. 17/U.S. Interstate 95 until U.S. Highway 17 and U.S. Interstate 95 intersect at Point South, thence, northeastward along U.S. 17 until its intersection with S-15-26, approximately two miles east of Green Pond; thence, southward along S-15-26 (Bennetts Point Road) until its intersection with the old SCL track bed near Airy Hall; thence, east-northeastward along the track bed on its intersection with S. C. 174; thence, northward along S. C. 174 for approximately 1.5 miles until its intersection with S. C. 164; thence, east-northeastward approximately three miles along S. C. 164 until its intersection with S. C. 165; thence, northward along S. C. 165 (Bacons Bridge Road) until its intersection with S. C. 642 (Dorchester Road); thence, southeastward along S. C. 642 until its intersection with U.S. Interstate 26; thence, southward along I-26 until its intersection with S. C. 7 (Cosgrove Avenue); thence, northeastward on S. C. 7 until its intersection with the SCL track bed adjacent to S-10-32 (Spruill Avenue); thence, northward along this track bed until its intersection with the Charleston County/Berkeley County line, approximately one-fifth mile north of S-10-13 (Remount Road); thence, east-northeastward along the county line until its intersection with the Cooper River at Goose Creek; thence, eastward by a straight line across the Cooper River and mouth of Yellow House Creek to Jessen Road at the Cainhoy Industrial Park, thence southeastward until its intersection with (Clements Ferry Road); thence, northeastward along S-8-33 until its intersection with S-8-100 (Resurrection Road) until its intersection with S. C. 41, thence northeastward on S-8-100 (Halfway Creek Road); thence, northeastward along S-8-100 until its intersection with S-10-98 (Guerins Creek Bridge Road); thence, southward along S-10-98 until its intersection with U.S. Highway 17; thence, northeastward along U.S. Highway 17 until its intersection with S-27-30 north of the North Santee River; thence, eastward along S-27-30 for approximately five miles; thence, northward along S-27-30 until its intersection with S-27-18; thence, northwestward along S-27-18 until its intersection with U.S. Highway 17 south of Georgetown, thence northeastward along U.S. Highway 17 (Frasier Street) through Georgetown, thence northeastward along U. S. Highway 17 until the intersection of U.S. Highway 17 Business and U.S. Highway 17 Bypass south of Murrells Inlet; thence, northeastward along U.S. Highway 17 Business (Kings Highway) through Murrells Inlet, Garden City, Surfside Beach, and Myrtle Beach until its intersection U.S. Highway 17 north of Myrtle Beach; thence northeastward along U.S. Highway 17 until its intersection with the South Carolina-North Carolina border. In determining the exact location of this boundary, only those lands seaward of the right-of-way line located on the upstream side of road beds and track beds described shall be included in the tidelands and coastal waters critical areas.(3) All coastal waters and tidelands seaward from this boundary to the State jurisdictional limit are included within the critical areas.B. Beaches and Beach/Dune System: The Department has permitting authority over beaches and the beach/dune system. In determining the boundaries of this critical area, the Department will be guided by Section 48-39-270, Section 48-39-280 and Section 48-39-360.Amended by State Register Volume 14, Issue No. 5, eff May 25, 1990; State Register Volume 15, Issue No. 5, eff May 24, 1991; State Register Volume 19, Issue No. 6, eff June 23, 1995; State Register Volume 23, Issue No. 6, eff June 25, 1999.