ABSTRACT
The Grand Strand Water and Sewer Authority (GSW&SA) is a countywide water and sewer provider to South Carolina’s most rapidly growing county, including the area called the Grand Strand. The GSW&SA through its Natural Land Treatment Programs owns 336 ha of Carolina Bays and 142 ha of riverine wetlands. Opportunities these areas provide for public access and education are significant, and the GSW&SA in conjunction with CH2M HILL has outlined a conceptual plan for a “Carolina Bay Nature Park – A Native Plant and Wildlife Interpretive Center.” An ancillary benefit of the GSW&SA Natural Land Treatment Program is the development of a data base and communication among agencies on objectives of natural land treatment projects. These projects are among the first in South Carolina to raise questions and issues about wetlands discharges. Lack of an adequate data base has been a major factor in the level of concern expressed by regulatory agencies and other interested groups.
