through the ponds and leaves the Island through outfalls
into the marsh and river. In the future, higher tides will
decrease the effectiveness of the pond system by slowing
the flow of water from the ponds into the outfalls. Among
other improvements, repairs to clogged and deteriorating
pipes are underway and will improve the flow of water into
ponds and the drainage system. In addition, outflow valves
that can be remotely controlled are being installed.
• • Kiawah needs to evaluate its entire road system and take
actions to ensure main arteries remain passable as long as
possible for emergency vehicles to access people on the
Island who need help and to assist property owners, guests,
and workers in evacuating the Island and returning after
storm damage is minimized. Planning needs to look several
decades into the future, not just at immediate flooding
problems. Fortunately, we have access to high-resolution
Geographic Information System (GIS) analyses developed
by Professor Levine that can assist in the planning process.
• • Essential services on the Island include potable and waste
water services, and electrical services. The former are
provided by the Kiawah Island Utility, and electrical service
is provided by Berkeley Electric Cooperative. We were
gratified to learn that all appear to be well managed and
relatively prepared to withstand most expected flooding
events.
• • There are steps homeowners can take to adapt their
residences and landscapes to more frequent flooding,
and we met with local architects to discuss these issues.
The Town Environmental committee and the Kiawah
Conservancy are committed to helping in this regard.
• • We are fortunate to have a beach that is accreting, and we
have had the foresight not to allow building close to the
ocean. The beach is evaluated annually by experts, and they
recommend allowing the Kiawah beach and dune system
to recover from storm erosion naturally rather than using
artificial means such as sand fencing, which can create
other problems. Challenges may arise as the dune system
moves landward with higher sea levels and encroaches on
residences and public buildings. Such an anthropogenic
barrier to beach movement may, in the future, lead to
beach loss and require renourishment. Therefore, the Town
should plan well in advance for access to beach-compatible
sand that might come from the uplands, nearshore, or
offshore sources.
• • We want to stress the preservation and, where necessary,
the restoration of Kiawah’s salt marshes. Much of the
flooding in recent storms occurred on the marsh side of the
Island, so these areas are crucial to our adaptation strategy.
Recommendations include working with neighborhoods
to develop policies to protect landward migration routes
SUMMER/FALL 2018 • VOLUME 40
for marshes and possibly supplying supplemental sediment
for vertical growth of the marshes. Living shoreline
construction may be appropriate in some locations to
protect marshes from sea level rise induced erosion.
• • Finally, we are concerned about the groundwater reservoir
that is vital to the health of our terrestrial ecosystems.
This water is the freshwater lens that floats on salt water
underlying the Island. Drought can reduce the recharge
of this freshwater lens, reducing its volume and ability to
hold back seawater. Sea level rise will also contract this lens
by creating more pressure for saltwater infiltration, which
could lead to changes in the Island’s vegetation.
In addition to these areas, we believe it is essential that the
Town, KICA, and the other decision-making entities work
cooperatively and coordinate their efforts. Because the rate
of sea level rise and its impacts on Kiawah are uncertain,
the Committee recommends that these entities adopt an
“adaptive management pathways” approach to addressing the
issues that will confront the Island. This approach identifies
trigger points for when action needs to be taken and provides
time to spread out implementation, allowing for capital
development, community support, and new options to be
developed. Planning for flooding and sea level rise should
be recognized as essential issues to incorporate into such
documents as the Town’s Comprehensive Plan and KICA’s
Strategic Plan.
The Town and KICA, and perhaps other entities, should
develop collaborative structures to ensure that these
challenges are appropriately addressed over time. This may
entail the creation of such things as a Resilience Specialist
position, a Resilience Committee, ad hoc groups to establish
trigger points and to periodically review progress, and
collaboration by Kiawah representatives with Charleston
County, the College of Charleston, a variety of state agencies,
and public-private organizations like the Charleston
Resilience Network. Sea level rise will affect everyone
associated with Kiawah, and success in dealing with it will
require a broad cooperative and coordinated effort.
The Committee is grateful for the opportunity to work
on this important project, which has long-term implications
for the health of this beautiful Island we call our home. We
learned so much about our local and regional environment
and hope that residents and visitors will come to appreciate
even more its uniqueness. Finally, we thank the Town and
other Island organizations and personnel, as well as residents,
who participated in this project and shared valuable insights.
The implications of sea level rise will unfold in the years
ahead and will require the vigilance and cooperation of
all of us on a continuing basis. NK
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