Carolina Wetlands Association

South Carolina Communities Step Up for Wetlands

July 4, 2026 · 2 min read · carolinawetlands.orgEnvironment

Buffers and Setback adopted by Cities and Towns

Over the past year, several South Carolina communities have taken important steps to protect wetlands at the local level. In June 2025, the Town of Bluffton became the first jurisdiction to adopt a 50-foot wetland buffer, setting the stage for others to follow. Since then, Mount Pleasant adopted regulations protecting non-jurisdictional wetlands with a 10-foot buffer and Awendaw established an impressive 75-foot buffer and 15-foot setback.

Bluffton: https://www.townofbluffton.sc.gov/443/Stormwater-Permitting
Mount Pleasant: https://www.selc.org/news/south-carolina-communities-step-up-after-losing-federal-wetland-protections/
Awendaw: https://www.townofawendawsc.org/ord-2025---42.html

Momentum Continues in Horry and Georgetown Counties

In June 2026, several counties enacted new wetland protection ordinances. Horry County, one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation, adopted a 15-foot wetland buffer as part of its updated Landscaping, Buffer, and Tree Preservation Standards ordinance. Georgetown County has arguably established the strongest county-level wetland protections in South Carolina following the Sackett decision by creating a permitting system that limits fill in non-jurisdictional wetlands while requiring a 25-foot buffer and 15-foot setback.

While we would like to see even larger buffers and stronger protections, these actions represent meaningful progress. We applaud these local governments for using their home rule authority to adopt standards that exceed current state and federal requirements, demonstrating that communities can take the lead in protecting the wetlands that safeguard water quality, reduce flooding, and support South Carolina's natural heritage.

Horry County: https://library.municode.com/sc/horry_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_APXBZO_ARTVLABUTRPRST
Georgetown: https://www.gtcountysc.gov/177/Planning

South Carolina Environmental Law Project Makes Model Wetlands Ordinance Available to All

The model ordinance, developed by SCELP in 2022 in response to ongoing federal uncertainty and in anticipation of rollbacks under the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Sackett v. EPA decision, is now widely available to any local government or community advocate through SCELP's new wetlands page.