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  • Groundwater Models
    Groundwater models are used to simulate groundwater flow and assess groundwater availability., Overview, Effective water planning and management requires an accurate assessment of the location and quantity of the State’s groundwater resources. The United States Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with SCDES, the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), and the United States Army Corps of Engineers, is developing a computer model to simulate groundwater flow in the Coastal…, andy.wachob@des.sc.gov, ., Project Documents and Related Information, For additional information on the USGS groundwater model, visit the, USGS project website, . For information about stakeholder meetings, please visit, Clemson's stakeholder website, . Geologic Provinces
  • Hydrogeologic Framework
    The Groundwater Program delineates and maps the principal aquifers and confining units of the Coastal Plain., Overview, Groundwater is a major source of water for public supply, irrigation, industry, and power generation. The Coastal Plain covers two-thirds of the State yet contains about 95% of its groundwater resources. It consists of layers of unconsolidated sand, clay, and limestone. Sand and limestone layers are porous and constitute the water-bearing zones called aquifers; clay layers are relatively…, Hydrogeologic Cross Sections, Fourteen hydrogeologic cross sections were constructed using 42 cores and 68 water wells. The sections depict the distribution, thickness, and continuity of aquifers and confining units of the South Carolina Coastal Plain. Seven of the sections (, A, ,, B, ,, C, ,, D, ,, E, ,, F, , and, F2, ) are drawn along stratigraphic dip and traverse the Coastal Plain in a northwest–southeast direction; seven (, G, ,, G2, ,, H, ,, I, ,, J, ,, K, , and, L, ) are drawn along stratigraphic strike and traverse the Coastal Plain in a southwest–northeast direction. All sections are referenced to mean sea level. Depth below land surface and depth relative to sea level are indicated for each well. One inch on the vertical scale is equivalent to 200 feet of borehole. Distances between core holes and wells are provided along the top of each section.…, Unit Top, Bottom and Thickness, A, spreadsheet, showing the thickness of each aquifer and confining unit and the depth and elevation to the top and bottom of each unit is provided. Numbers in italics were estimated., Core Descriptions, Detailed descriptions of the cores in terms of their lithology, grain size, sorting, induration, mineralogy, fossils, structures, and color are provided. Cores were described by geologists with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC), South Carolina Water Resources Commission (SCWRC), Clemson University, and the South Carolina Department of Environmental…, Well Logs for Water Wells and Core Holes, A well log for each core hole and water well is provided. Each sheet contains geophysical logs, depth and elevation, lithology (where available), screen settings, and the aquifer and confining units., Selected Reports, SCDNR Water Resources Report 5, : Hydrogeologic framework of west-central South Carolina (1995) Aadland, R.K., Gellici, J.A., and Thayer, P.A., SCDNR Water Resources Report 42, : Hydrostratigraphy of the ORG-393 core hole at Orangeburg, South Carolina (2007) Gellici, J.A., SCDNR Water Resources Report 43, : Hydrostratigraphy of the AIK-2448 and AIK-2449 core holes in the Breezy Hill area of Aiken County, South Carolina (2007) Gellici, J.A., USGS Professional Paper 1773, : Groundwater availability in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of North and South Carolina (2010) Campbell, B.G. and Coes, A.L., editors., Contact Information, For additional information, contact Andy Wachob ( andy.wachob@des.sc.gov ).
  • Potentiometric Mapping
  • Saltwater Intrusion Monitoring Network
    The Groundwater Program maintains a network of 11 wells to monitor saltwater intrusion along the Coast., Overview, In South Carolina, 20% of the population lives in coastal areas and depends on groundwater for domestic, municipal, or agricultural purposes. Overpumping of groundwater creates localized cones of depression which disrupt natural groundwater flow and allow saltwater to move into aquifers along the coast. Saltwater intrusion has become a problem for some coastal areas in the State that depend on…, Contact Information, For additional information, contact Brooke Czwartacki (, brooke.czwartacki@des.sc.gov, ).
  • Streamflow Monitoring Workshops
  • Simplified Water Allocation Models (SWAM)
    Direct download access to the Simplified Water Allocation Models is temporarily unavailable. The Surface Water Program maintains master copies of the Simplified Water Allocation Models. Use this page to download SWAM models for the Edisto, Broad, Pee Dee, Salkehatchie, Saluda, and Savannah River basins., Public Release, The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) is pleased to announce the public release of the Simplified Water Allocation Models (SWAM) for the, Broad, Edisto, Pee Dee, Salkehatchie, Saluda, and Savannah river basins, . These models are being made available via this FTP Site. At the site a folder is listed for each basin, and each folder includes the following files: Excel file, with extension .xlsm, containing the most recently updated SWAM Baseline Model. Initial South Carolina Surface Water Quantity Model Report for the basin. Supplemental Technical Memorandums, if any, regarding any updates or changes to…, Background, SCDES awarded a contract to CDM Smith, Inc. in August 2014 for the purpose of developing surface water quantity models using the SWAM modeling tool. The SWAM models are intended to support the development of regional water plans for each of the eight major river basins in the State. Information on the State’s water planning efforts can be found, on the SCDES website, and at, scwatermodels.com, ., System Requirements, Minimum system requirements for using the SWAM models include Microsoft Excel 2013 and a computer with 8 GB of RAM., Model Updates, SCDES has made tremendous efforts to ensure the accuracy of data included in the model but cannot guarantee that data inputs are error free. Models will be updated as necessary and a log describing any changes or updates to the model will be included in each basin’s subfolder. To ensure access to the most recent model, users are encouraged to access the model directly from this public site., Distribution, Each individual user should download his or her model(s) of interest directly through this public access site. The distribution of the models to other potential users is strongly discouraged., Notice and Disclaimer, The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services is providing free public access to the SWAM models and associated data. The SWAM models were developed for the purpose of providing general water availability information and are intended to support the development of regional water plans in each of the eight major river basins in the State. The model is not designed or intended to function…, Download Models, Direct download access to the Simplified Water Allocation Models is temporarily unavailable. Please contact Scott Harder (, scott.harder@des.sc.gov, ) for access., Contact Information, For any issues regarding the use of the models or to report potential data input errors, please contact Scott Harder (, scott.harder@des.sc.gov, ) or Leigh Ann Monroe (, leigh.monroe@des.sc.gov, ) with SCDES.
  • Publications
  • Broad Basin Planning
  • Broad Basin Planning Meetings
    Two public meetings were held on November 8th and 9th, 2021 to introduce the new Planning Framework to stakeholders, and formal Council meetings began in March, 2022. Agendas, presentations, meeting recordings, and meeting summaries can be accessed below., Planning Meetings
  • Broad River Basin Council