Reports and Studies 2014 Review: 1975 Environment of Kiawah Report | Page 6
Summary & Analysis of the 1975 Kiawah Environmental Report
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Page 6
The east end of Kiawah Island and the west end of Seabrook Island are extremely unstable (subject to rapid changes in erosion and deposition), largely
related to adjacent tidal deltas affiliated with the Stono and North Edisto
rivers.
Kiawah River spit (Captain Sam’s) was also considered unstable and had over
washed several times by storms.
The middle of Kiawah Island is relatively stable.
Information on the Beach from Other Sources
Following a major beach renourishment program in 2006, the 2006 East End Beach
Restoration Report was issued and has provided additional information.
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Kiawah Island continues to be one of the healthiest barrier islands on the South
Carolina coast.
Two large Stono River shoal bypassing events in 1994 and 1997 attached significant volumes of sand to the eastern end of Kiawah Island. A new beach line
and dune system formed 2000 feet seaward of the original shoreline.
Sand forced to migrate westward by current and wave action formed a new
barrier island/marsh/lagoon environment flushed by a channel at the western
end.
Changes to wave action and the migrating flushing channel caused erosion at
Ocean Course of 500 feet, leading to the beach restoration plan of 2005.
Kiawah Island is stable to slightly erosional along West Beach. Other sections
of the beach are accretional.
Several Local Comprehensive Beach Management Plans for Kiawah Island have been
published by the Town of Kiawah Island. The first was in 1996, and the most recent
extensive report was in 2012. The important conclusion of the 2012 report was that
"Kiawah Island has a very healthy beach that requires very little management or
manipulation to maintain. ... Kiawah's main issues are dog management, beach
walkover maintenance, and protection of critical wildlife habitat areas."
Many other useful and interesting insights into the Kiawah beach environment
can be found in the 2012 report.
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(Page 3) South Carolina beaches and barrier islands differ greatly from North
Carolina and Florida beaches. South Carolina's higher tidal range (averaging
5.4 feet in Charleston, but exceeding 8 feet during some new moon periods),
lower average wave heights, and finer sand all contribute to our coast's unique
character. ... [There] is probably more sand trapped in inlets south of Charl