SCDES’s Watersheds Program supports the goals of the Clean Water Act in the state’s eight major river basins: Savannah, Saluda, Edisto, Salkehatchie, Broad, Catawba, Santee, and Pee Dee. Through a non-regulatory approach, the program serves as a water quality information and watershed planning resource to stakeholders, provides technical support to the Section 319 Nonpoint Source (NPS) Grants program, and manages the SC Watershed Atlas.
The South Carolina Nonpoint Source (NPS) Program strives to address nonpoint sources of pollution to help restore and maintain water quality throughout the state. To achieve this goal, the objectives of the program are to focus on voluntary measures to reduce and prevent NPS; promote locally driven NPS reduction and prevention; develop collaboration and partnerships; carry out statewide programs and on-the-ground projects to achieve measurable water quality improvements; and provide NPS project and program funding.
What is a Watershed?
A watershed is a geographic area into which the surrounding waters, sediments, and dissolved materials drain, and whose boundaries extend along surrounding topographic ridges. Each watershed or unit has a unique hydrologic unit code (HUC). Hydrologic unit codes are a USGS cataloging system that arranges watersheds from the largest area or region (2 digits - 03) to the smallest (12 digits - 030502020101).
Watershed-based water quality management recognizes the interdependence of water quality-related activities associated with a drainage basin including monitoring, problem identification and prioritization, water quality modeling, planning, permitting, and other activities. Watershed-based management allows the Agency to address Congressional and Legislative mandates and fulfill EPA reporting requirements including activities under Sections 303(d), 305(b), 314, and 319 of the Clean Water Act. The watershed approach also improves communication between SCDES, the regulated community, and the public on existing and future water quality issues.
- Surface Water Quality
- Shellfish Water Quality
- Ocean Water Quality
- Water Quantity
- NPDES Program
- Nonpoint Source Management Program
- Growth Potential and Planning
- Watershed Protection and Restoration Strategies
- Watershed Stewardship Program
Watersheds Program Contacts
Send feedback or questions about the SC Watershed Atlas to SCWatershedAtlas@des.sc.gov
S.C. Adopt-a-Stream Coordinator
Sierra Hylton
(803) 898-4168
Sierra.Hylton@des.sc.gov
S.C. Adopt-a-Stream Coordinator
Alexandra (Lexi) Thomason
(803) 898-4168
Alexandra.Thomason@des.sc.gov
S.C. Adopt-a-Stream Coordinator
Erin Rosebrock
(843) 953-0149
Erin.Rosebrock@des.sc.gov
S.C. Watershed Atlas Coordinator
Southeast Region Watershed Coordinator
Shellie Hoover
(803) 898-4031
Shellie.Hoover@des.sc.gov
Central Region Watershed Coordinator
Cynthia McBride
(803) 898-4355
Cynthia.Mcbride@des.sc.gov
Northwest Region Watershed Coordinator
Amanda Ley
(803) 898-4183
Amanda.Ley@des.sc.gov
Nonpoint Source Coordinator
Shea McCarthy
(803) 898-4401
Shea.Mccarthy@des.sc.gov
319 Grant Administrator
Jana Baxley
(803) 898-4213
Jana.Baxley@des.sc.gov
Section Manager
Chanda Cooper
(803) 898-4187
Chanda.Cooper@des.sc.gov