On This Page
- South Carolina Assessment Summary
- Water Quality by Waterbody Type
- Causes of Impairment
- Probable Sources Contributing to Impairments
- TMDL Alternatives by Cause of Impairment
- Previously 303(d)-Listed Waters Now Attaining All Applicable Water Quality Standards
- Causes of Impairment for 303(d) Listed Waters
- Cumulative TMDLs by Pollutant
- Cumulative Number of TMDLs
Data are also available for these cycles:
2002
2004
2006
2010
Waterbody Changes from Prior Cycle
For More Information:
South Carolina Assessment Report
State Water Quality Program
South Carolina Water Quality Assessment Report
Features
- About This Database (Integrated Report)
- Assessing Water Quality (Questions and Answers)
- Integrated Reporting Guidance
- Previous National Water Quality Reports
- EnviroMapper for Water
- AskWATERS
- EPA WATERS Homepage
- Exchange Network
- Assessment Database
- Statewide Statistical Surveys
- How's My Waterway Local Search tool
- Pollution Categories Summary Document
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Summary Results
South Carolina (2008)
Description of this table| Size of Water | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivers and Streams (Miles) |
Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds (Acres) |
Bays and Estuaries (Square Miles) |
Coastal Shoreline (Miles) |
Ocean and Near Coastal (Square Miles) |
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| Good Waters | 2,008.8 | 91,964.1 | 316.4 | 2.1 | |||||||||||
| Previously impaired waters now attaining all uses |
193.3 | 4,879.5 | 74.2 | ||||||||||||
| Threatened Waters | |||||||||||||||
| TMDL completed | |||||||||||||||
| TMDL alternative | |||||||||||||||
| Non-pollutant impairment | |||||||||||||||
| TMDL needed | |||||||||||||||
| Impaired Waters | 3,593.8 | 28,394.5 | 229.7 | 4.0 | .0 | ||||||||||
| TMDL completed | 706.7 | 6.9 | 15.3 | ||||||||||||
| TMDL alternative | |||||||||||||||
| Non-pollutant impairment | |||||||||||||||
| TMDL needed | 2,887.1 | 28,387.5 | 214.4 | 4.0 | .0 | ||||||||||
| New TMDLs completed | 448.4 | 34.0 | 12.8 | .0 | .0 | ||||||||||
| Remaining TMDLs needed | 2,438.7 | 28,353.6 | 201.6 | 4.0 | .0 | ||||||||||
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| Total Assessed Waters | 5,602.5 | 120,358.5 | 546.1 | 4.0 | 2.1 | ||||||||||
| Total Waters | 29,794.0 | 407,505.0 | 401.0 | Unavailable | Unavailable | ||||||||||
| Percent of Waters Assessed | 18.8 | 29.5 | 136.2 | Unavailable | Unavailable | ||||||||||
For the 2008 Integrated Report Cycle, the total assessed waters size is greater than the total waters size for the EPA Waterbody Type Bays and Estuaries in South Carolina. This discrepancy was identified after the release of the data, and is likely due to the improvements in mapping state waters.
Summary of Water Quality Assessments for Each Waterbody Type
for Reporting Year 2008
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
South Carolina Rivers and Streams 2008
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Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Individual Designated Use Support
South Carolina Rivers and Streams 2008
* Waters assessed for more than one designated use are included in multiple designated use groups below.
Description of this table| Designated Use | Miles Assessed | Percent Good | Percent Threatened | Percent Impaired | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aquatic Life Support | 5,373.6 | 60.1 | .0 | 39.9 | |
| Fish Consumption | 156.0 | 15.4 | .0 | 84.6 | |
| Primary Contact Recreation | 4,001.9 | 43.5 | .0 | 56.5 |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Causes of Impairment
South Carolina Rivers and Streams 2008
Description of this table
| Cause of Impairment | Cause of Impairment Group | Miles Threatened or Impaired |
|---|---|---|
| Fecal Coliform | Pathogens | |
| Benthic Macroinvertebrates Bioassessments | Cause Unknown - Impaired Biota | |
| Dissolved Oxygen | Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion | |
| Copper | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Mercury | Mercury | |
| pH | pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions | |
| Zinc | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Nickel | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Turbidity | Turbidity | |
| Chromium, Total | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Ammonia, Total | Ammonia | |
| Lead | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| PCB-1254 | Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Probable Sources
South Carolina Rivers and Streams 2008
No probable sources of impairments reported.
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
South Carolina Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds 2008
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Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Individual Designated Use Support
South Carolina Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds 2008
* Waters assessed for more than one designated use are included in multiple designated use groups below.
Description of this table| Designated Use | Acres Assessed | Percent Good | Percent Threatened | Percent Impaired | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aquatic Life Support | 120,046.2 | 76.4 | .0 | 23.6 | |
| Fish Consumption | 60.0 | 50.0 | .0 | 50.0 | |
| Primary Contact Recreation | 119,371.2 | 99.9 | .0 | .1 |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Causes of Impairment
South Carolina Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds 2008
Description of this table
| Cause of Impairment | Cause of Impairment Group | Acres Threatened or Impaired |
|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus, Total | Nutrients | |
| pH | pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions | |
| Copper | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Chlorophyll-A | Algal Growth | |
| Dissolved Oxygen | Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion | |
| Ammonia, Total | Ammonia | |
| Turbidity | Turbidity | |
| Nitrogen, Total | Nutrients | |
| Fecal Coliform | Pathogens | |
| Zinc | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Mercury | Mercury | |
| PCB-1254 | Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Probable Sources
South Carolina Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds 2008
No probable sources of impairments reported.
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
South Carolina Bays and Estuaries 2008
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Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Individual Designated Use Support
South Carolina Bays and Estuaries 2008
* Waters assessed for more than one designated use are included in multiple designated use groups below.
Description of this table| Designated Use | Square Miles Assessed | Percent Good | Percent Threatened | Percent Impaired | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aquatic Life Support | 78.7 | 82.0 | .0 | 18.0 | |
| Primary Contact Recreation | 79.9 | 70.0 | .0 | 30.0 | |
| Shellfish Harvesting | 464.0 | 58.4 | .0 | 41.6 |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Causes of Impairment
South Carolina Bays and Estuaries 2008
Description of this table
| Cause of Impairment | Cause of Impairment Group | Square Miles Threatened or Impaired |
|---|---|---|
| Fecal Coliform | Pathogens | |
| Dissolved Oxygen | Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion | |
| Copper | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Turbidity | Turbidity | |
| Ammonia, Total | Ammonia | |
| pH | pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions | |
| Nickel | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Zinc | Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| Mercury | Mercury |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Probable Sources
South Carolina Bays and Estuaries 2008
No probable sources of impairments reported.
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
South Carolina Coastal Shoreline 2008
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Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Individual Designated Use Support
South Carolina Coastal Shoreline 2008
* Waters assessed for more than one designated use are included in multiple designated use groups below.
Description of this table| Designated Use | Miles Assessed | Percent Good | Percent Threatened | Percent Impaired | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fish Consumption | 4.0 | .0 | .0 | 100.0 |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Causes of Impairment
South Carolina Coastal Shoreline 2008
Description of this table
| Cause of Impairment | Cause of Impairment Group | Miles Threatened or Impaired |
|---|---|---|
| Mercury | Mercury |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Probable Sources
South Carolina Coastal Shoreline 2008
No probable sources of impairments reported.
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
South Carolina Ocean and Near Coastal 2008
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Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Individual Designated Use Support
South Carolina Ocean and Near Coastal 2008
* Waters assessed for more than one designated use are included in multiple designated use groups below.
Description of this table| Designated Use | Square Miles Assessed | Percent Good | Percent Threatened | Percent Impaired | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Contact Recreation | 2.1 | 99.4 | .0 | .6 |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Causes of Impairment
South Carolina Ocean and Near Coastal 2008
Description of this table
| Cause of Impairment | Cause of Impairment Group | Square Miles Threatened or Impaired |
|---|---|---|
| Enterococcus Bacteria | Pathogens |
Site-specific Targeted Monitoring Results
Probable Sources
South Carolina Ocean and Near Coastal 2008
No probable sources of impairments reported.
South Carolina Causes of Impairment for Reporting Year 2008
Description of this table
| NOTE: Click on the underlined Cause of Impairment Group to see a list of specific state causes of impairment making up the Cause of Impairment Group. See also Pollution categories summary document (PDF) (20 pp, 557K, About PDF) for brief, non-technical descriptions of general cause categories. | |||||||||||||||
| Cause of Impairment Group | Size of Assessed Waters with Listed Causes of Impairment | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rivers and Streams (Miles) |
Lakes, Reservoirs, and Ponds (Acres) |
Bays and Estuaries (Square Miles) |
Coastal Shoreline (Miles) |
Ocean and Near Coastal (Square Miles) |
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| Algal Growth | 2,000.9 | ||||||||||||||
| Ammonia | 9.7 | 424.2 | 1.9 | ||||||||||||
| Cause Unknown - Impaired Biota | 924.0 | ||||||||||||||
| Mercury | 257.3 | 40.1 | .1 | 4.0 | |||||||||||
| Metals (other than Mercury) | 521.6 | 5,691.6 | 4.7 | ||||||||||||
| Nutrients | 16,144.6 | ||||||||||||||
| Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion | 574.8 | 1,285.7 | 6.1 | ||||||||||||
| Pathogens | 2,259.2 | 175.9 | 216.9 | .0 | |||||||||||
| pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions | 160.8 | 11,294.9 | .5 | ||||||||||||
| Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) | 1.0 | 4.0 | |||||||||||||
| Turbidity | 68.1 | 323.9 | 4.0 | ||||||||||||
South Carolina Probable Sources Contributing to Impairments
for Reporting Year 2008
No probable sources reported.
South Carolina TMDL Alternatives by Cause of Impairment 2008
No TMDL Alternatives reported.
South Carolina Previously 303(d)-Listed Waters Now Attaining All Applicable Water Quality Standards
Description of this table| NOTE: Click on the underlined "Number of Waters Attaining" value for a detailed list of those previously 303(d)-listed waters now attaining all applicable water quality standards. | ||
| Year Attaining | Number of Waters Attaining | Number of Causes of Impairment Addressed |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 9 | |
| 2004 | 39 | |
| 2007 | 52 | |
| 2010 | 108 | |
South Carolina Causes of Impairment for 303(d) Listed Waters
Description of this table| NOTE: Click on a cause of impairment (e.g. pathogens) to see the specific state-reported causes that are grouped to make up this category. Click on the "Number of Causes of Impairment Reported" to see a list of waters with that cause of impairment. | |
| Cause of Impairment Group Name | Number of Causes of Impairment Reported |
|---|---|
| Pathogens | |
| Mercury | |
| Cause Unknown - Impaired Biota | |
| Organic Enrichment/Oxygen Depletion | |
| Metals (other than Mercury) | |
| pH/Acidity/Caustic Conditions | |
| Nutrients | |
| Turbidity | |
| Algal Growth | |
| Ammonia | |
| Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) | |
Total: 1,371 Causes of Impairment
South Carolina Cumulative TMDLs by Pollutant
This chart includes TMDLs since October 1, 1995.
Description of this table| NOTE: Click on the underlined "Pollutant" value to see associated listed waters for which a TMDL was developed. Click on the underlined "Number of TMDLs" value to see a listing of those TMDLs for the pollutant. | ||
| Pollutant | Number of TMDLs | Number of Causes of Impairment Addressed |
|---|---|---|
| Fecal Coliform | 453 | |
| Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) | 23 | |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 4 | |
| Ammonia | 2 | |
| NH3-N | 2 | |
| Oxygen Demand | 2 | |
| pH | 2 | |
| Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) | 1 | |
| Phosphorus | 1 | |
| Total Suspended Solids (TSS) | 1 | |
Total: 485 TMDLs; 491 Causes of Impairment Addressed
South Carolina Cumulative Number of TMDLs
EPA Fiscal Year starts October 1 and ends September 30.
Description of this table
| NOTE: Click on the underlined "Number of TMDLs Completed" value for a detailed list of the TMDLs for the fiscal year. | ||
| Fiscal Year | Number of TMDLs | Number of Causes of Impairment Addressed |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 4 | |
| 1999 | 20 | |
| 2000 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 15 | |
| 2002 | 14 | |
| 2003 | 16 | |
| 2004 | 172 | |
| 2005 | 135 | |
| 2006 | 30 | |
| 2007 | 6 | |
| 2008 | 4 | |
| 2010 | 29 | |
| 2011 | 22 | |
| 2012 | 17 | |
| 2013 | 6 | |
Total: 485 TMDLs; 491 Causes of Impairment Addressed
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