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Accreted Land Management Plan
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Town of Sullivan’s Island, SC
and promoting the economic and social improvement of the coastal zone. The South Carolina
Coastal Zone Management Act of 1977 gives OCRM jurisdiction in all seven of South Caro-
lina’s coastal counties, including Charleston County. Though there is some controversy con-
cerning OCRM’s authority over federal nonjurisdictional wetlands, discharge of fill material into
wetlands may require additional permitting from OCRM. [See Appendix 4 for more information,
including wetland definition, wetland impacts, and permitting.]
Exotic Invasive Species
There are a number of federal and state laws related to exotic invasive species (eg – Title 46
of the 1976 Codes of Laws updated through 2007). The Department of Natural Resources
(DNR) provides guidelines and management recommendations. Despite controls on their im-
port and use, some plants imported from other parts of the world have escaped cultivation and
have disrupted native ecosystems. These “exotic invasive” plants all share several common
characteristics – they grow quickly, propagate easily, resist native pests, grow in a wide range
of soils, can invade undisturbed habitats, and have traits considered attractive enough to
encourage further distribution by people (Jubinsky 2002). Appendix 5 contains information
regarding management of these species and other common invasive species of the south-
eastern United States.
Physical and Topographic Controls
The ALMP is necessarily constrained by the physical boundaries of the AL site and its relation-
ship to the ocean and adjacent development. Physical processes such as winds, waves, tides,
and currents have created the AL area via the introduction, deposition, and reshaping of littoral
sediments. While sandy sediments dominate, there are also accumulations of finer grained
sediments in some swales, which provide opportunities for more diverse species to occupy the
AL area. As long as sediment continues to accumulate seaward of the beach, accreted land
will remain stable. However, the relatively low elevation will leave it exposed to storm surges.
Hurricanes, like Hugo (1989), will potentially reshape the topography of the accreted land.
Surges and waves associated with major storms tend to flatten the dunes and fill in the swales
between dunes. Because of its strategic position between the ocean and existing develop-
ment, the AL area provides a critical line of defense over which the hazards of storm waves
can be attenuated. The effectiveness of the AL area in absorbing waves and protecting the
development and infrastructure of Sullivan’s Island is directly related to its elevation and width.
Therefore, the ALMP should take into account the accreted land’s important shore-protection
function.