Kiawah Island Marsh Management Plan

Protecting Kiawah's marsh and the benefits it offers

Welcome to the Marsh Management Plan Story Map, which is intended to grow with the plan. The Town of Kiawah Island is exploring methods to protect the Island’s marsh, including strategies for managing the interface between highlands and critical areas that are vital to a healthy salt marsh.

Please provide your input to the planning team below.

Town of Kiawah Island Marsh Management Plan

Use this interactive map to identify areas of marsh concern.

Kiawah Marsh Public Input 2022

Marsh Vulnerability

  • Water Quality in marshes can be sensitive to the quantity and temperature of fresh water entering them. Drainage can also contribute to erosion issues.
  • Pollution includes contaminants such as pesticides or pavement runoff containing oil, grease, or coolants damage plants.
  • Sea Level Rise will force marshes to migrate upslope where possible or drown them where barrier prevent such movement.
  • Traditional Bulkheads cannot absorb or dissipate wave energy, which rebounds and causes local turbulence. This can often kill vegetation, convert marsh to mud flats, or scour and deepen the nearshore.
  • Unregulated Public Access tramples vegetation and results in local erosion that can become more severe during storm events.

Marshes dissapate wave energy, whereas traditional bulkheads reflect it.

              

REFERENCES

Kotz, J. Kiawah Island. Self-published, Blurb. 2018.

Sun, F. and Carson, R.T., 2020. Coastal wetlands reduce property damage during tropical cyclones. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences117(11), pp.5719-5725.

Marshes dissapate wave energy, whereas traditional bulkheads reflect it.