Regulatory Programs

OCRM's regulatory programs are divided among the following areas:

Critical Area Permitting

The critical area is defined as tidelands, coastal waters and the beach/sand dunes system. OCRM staff determines this jurisdictional boundary and is refered to as the "critical line". A permit is required from OCRM prior to any alteration to the critical areas of South Carolina. These activities can include docks, bulkheads, boat ramps or other alterations such as filling or dredging. Permit Applications are available for download and at OCRM office locations.

Beachfront Development

South Carolina's beaches are also under OCRM's jurisdiction. Using historic shoreline and present-day profile information, OCRM designates a baseline and setback line along the coast. The baseline is typically placed at the crest of the primary sand dune (that is the dune immediately adjacent to the ocean) while the setback line is demarcated landward of the baseline. The setback line's distance from the baseline varies along the coast. It is determined by the annual erosion rate in that particular area. Stable or accreting beaches have a minimum 20' setback line, while erosion areas have setbacks of as much as 400'.

These lines are revised every 10 years as required by the South Carolina Coastal Zone Management Act. The last revisions were made in 1999 and 2000. All construction seaward of the setback line requires an authorization or permit from OCRM. Many activities are authorized by OCRM with General Permits. Contact OCRM to see what permits will be required for your proposed construction.

Stormwater Management

If you are planning any construction in the coastal region, you must first apply for a approved stormwater management permit. OCRM administers the stormwater management programs in the eight coastal counties that include Beaufort, Berkeley , Charleston , Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Horry and Jasper Counties. DHEC's Bureau of Water implements the program in the other counties in South Carolina.
The reason for the permit is simple. DHEC is concerned about water quality and sediment control. We want to make sure that stormwater runoff during construction of projects as well as completed projects will not have an adverse effect on rivers, streams, marshes and other sensitive areas of the coast. The stormwater program requires the development and implementation of a plan to control stormwater runoff and sediment to prevent silt and mud from entering surrounding wetlands and waterbodies. Other permits may also be required for construction.

Stormwater management permit applications and other information is available online. You may also contact the OCRM office nearest you for information on the types of permits needed for your particular project.

Coastal Zone Consistency Certification

Before any state or federal permit can be issued for a project in the coastal zone, OCRM must review the project to make sure that it is consistent with the state coastal management policies. This process is called "Coastal Zone Consistency Certification" This certification is required of any project taking place in the eight coastal counties.

Federal Permits

This category includes direct federal activities and any federally permitted, licensed or funded program. Federal agencies must notify OCRM of their consistency determination in accordance with federal regulation.

State Permits

A Coastal Zone Consistency Certification is needed if you are planning to apply for a state permit or certification in the eight county coastal zone.

If you have any questions about which projects need consistency certification, contact the OCRM Office nearest you.

Freshwater Wetland Protection

The South Carolina Coastal Zone Management program also addresses the protection of freshwater wetlands. The concept of wetlands protection is simple: avoidance and minimization of impacts to wetlands being foremost and then mitigation for allowable impacts. OCRM approaches wetland management on a comprehensive basis, and to provide some flexibility when developing adjacent to wetlands, OCRM uses a Wetland Master Planning concept. If a pre-development Wetland Master Plan is prepared for a project, identifying all wetlands, drainage patterns and conceptual development, isolated freshwater wetlands of one acre or less in total size may be impacted without objection if adequately mitigated and the wetland contains no endangered species or critical habitat. Onsite mitigation is required when available and usually involves the protection of the remaining wetlands onsite along with an undisturbed upland buffer. These wetlands and upland buffers are required to be protected in perpetuity through appropriate protective mechanisms. For more information on Freshwater Wetlands, contact OCRM's Federal Certification Section.

Beach Erosion Monitoring

Following passage of the 1988 Beachfront Management Act, the Coastal Council (now OCRM) established a beach-monitoring program at approximately 400 survey benchmarks along the coast. Each benchmark, a metal disk set in concrete, has a known vertical elevation which is used as the starting point for the beach survey. In addition, the horizontal coordinates of each benchmark have been established, so the benchmark can be replaced in the same location if it is ever destroyed. The information from this beach-monitoring program was used to delineate the position of the baseline, set at either the actual dune crest for natural beaches or the theoretical dune crest for armored beaches. With grant support from the US Geological Survey, this monitoring program collects beach profiles at all stations twice a year to a depth of -5 feet, as a surveyor wades into chest-deep water at low tide. In addition, offshore profiles to a depth of -20 feet are collected annually at selected stations, using a submersible survey rig towed by a boat. State of the Beaches Reports are available online.