The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) is required by law to establish and review the position of two lines of beachfront jurisdiction (the baseline and the setback line), once every seven to ten years. This web application allows the public to view and download the current established jurisdictional lines, the line reports, and the survey packets.

Jurisdictional lines and basemap imagery are provided here for reference purposes only. In order to determine the exact position of jurisdictional lines for a given property, coordinates must be downloaded, and a property-specific survey must be performed.

Aerial imagery featured in this application is provided by ESRI and is periodically updated by ESRI^® as new imagery becomes available (similar to the way in which Google^® or Bing^® maps are updated). A change in aerial imagery may appear as a shift in the position of the jurisdictional lines due to the angle of the photography. However, the coordinates of the current established baseline and setback line have not changed, since they were established by Act 173 in May 2018. They will be the established lines until the next review cycle, which will begin no sooner than 2024.

PLEASE BE ADVISED: Baseline and setback lines for specific properties on Kiawah Island, and Sullivan’s Island are pending litigation for the 2016-2018 establishment cycle. Until such time as the baselines and setback lines are finalized at these properties, the 2008-2012 baselines and setback lines are in effect pursuant to SC Code of Laws Section 48-39-280(C). Please see the individual line reports for more information.

For additional information on beachfront jurisdiction, please visit the State Beachfront Jurisdiction page.

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Measurement

Shoreline Change Rate

Shoreline change rate values, also known as long-term erosion rates (LTER), are available through this web application. In order to view a rate for a segment of shoreline, select a beach, then zoom in on the property of interest. Using your mouse, hover over the setback line until you see a hand icon. Using the hand icon, click on the setback line closest to the property of interest. A dialog box will pop up with the shoreline change rate value. For more information about how these values were calculated, download the line report for the beach of interest.

For the 2016-2018 establishment cycle, the setback was established by Act 173. The setback distance is usually established by multiplying the shoreline change rate, or long term erosion rate (LTER) by 40. Therefore, the setback distance may not reflect the shoreline change rate value (or long-term erosion rate).

Enter Parcel ID (No Spaces, Dashes or Periods) and Click Search.

Enter Address, Including City/Town and Click Search.

Select Tool. Click Map to Start. Double-click to End.

For the 2016-2018 establishment cycle, the baseline and setback lines were established by Act 173, which was signed into law in May 2018. This Act established the baseline location as the most seaward location of either the baselines established during the 2008-2012 cycle or the baseline proposed by DHEC on October 6, 2017. Similarly, Act 173 established the setback line as the most seaward location of either the setback line established during the 2008-2012 establishment cycle, or the setback line proposed by DHEC on October 6, 2017.

For clarity purposes, DHEC OCRM staff implemented this Act by creating a single baseline and setback for the state, which is now available on this website. The line reports and survey packets have also been updated to reflect these lines, as established by the Act. As noted on the splash screen, baselines and setback lines for specific properties on Kiawah Island and Sullivan’s Island are pending litigation for the 2016-2018 establishment cycle. Until such time as the baselines and setback lines are finalized at these properties, the 2008-2012 baselines and setback lines are in effect pursuant to SC Code of Laws Section 48-39-280(C). Please see the individual line reports for more information.

SC Beachfront Jurisdictional Lines Help

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) is required by law to establish and periodically review the position of two lines of beachfront jurisdiction (the baseline and the setback line) once every seven to ten years. This application allows the public to view and download the current and proposed jurisdictional lines. It also provides links to line reports.

Important Notes:

Folly Beach is exempt from the State's Setback Jurisdiction. Current jurisdiction information is available on the map interface and data is available for download, but there are no changes to the Folly Beach jurisdiction, at this time.

During the previous line revision, Botany Bay & Pockoy Islands were represented by separate jurisdictional lines and distributed in separate files. For this proposed line revision, Botany Bay & Pockoy Islands are being represented jointly.

During the previous line revision, the beachfront jurisdictional lines for the Town of Briarcliffe Acres and the adjoining unincorporated area (southwest to Singleton Swash) were referred to collectively as "Briarcliffe Acres." For this proposed line revision, this area is being referred to as "Singleton to White Point Swash."

Jurisdictional lines and basemap imagery are provided for reference purposes only. In order to determine the exact position of jurisdictional lines for a given property, coordinates must be downloaded and a property-specific survey must be performed.

The aerial imagery featured in this application is provided by ESRI® as part of their Imagery Hybrid basemap service. Aerial imagery featured in this service is periodically updated by ESRI® as new imagery becomes available (similar to the way in which Google® or Bing® maps are updated). A change in aerial imagery may appear as a shift in the position of the jurisdictional lines due to the angle of the aerial photography. However, the coordinates of the current and proposed jurisdictional baseline and setback line have not changed since initial release in October 2017.

For additional information on beachfront jurisdiction, please visit the State Beachfront Jurisdiction page.

Baseline Information

When clicking on the Baseline, the pop up dialog box will contain three items: the beach name, the source year, and the beach zone. All locations will have a beach name and the beach zone. Only unstabilized inlet zones will have a source year. In unstabilized inlet zones, the baseline is set at the most landward point of erosion in the past 40 years. In unstabilized inlet zones, the year will indicate which shoreline was used to set the baseline. If you are reviewing an unstabilized inlet zone, and the year is listed as 'N/A', this means that the baseline in this location was set by Act 173 of 2018, and was placed on the 2008-2012 baseline.

Setback Line Information

When clicking on the Setback line, the pop up dialog box will contain two items: the beach name, and the shoreline change rate (also known as the long term erosion rate (LTER)). If this rate is negative, that means that the long term shoreline change rate is erosional. If this rate is positive, that means the long term shoreline change rate is accretional. These rates are calculated using wet/dry shorelines captured over a long time frame (late 1800s to present day). There are short segments that have 'N/A' as the rate; these are transitional areas. If your home is in one of these areas, click on the setback line to the north and south; the rate associated with the segment in closest proximity to the property would apply.

How To Use This Application

There are three(3) ways to begin a search.

1. Use the Beach navigation dropdown.

2. Select a Beach point from the map.

3. Use the Search button located on the left side of the map to toggle up the Search control and supply parcel ID or address to zoom in to the parcel.

Tools and Search Options

Parcel & Address Search

1. Address Search - Enter the address and city name and click the "Search" button. The applicaton geocodes (calculates the approximate location) and zooms to that location. If the address is not in a designated beach area, an alert appears.
2. Parcel Search - Enter the parcel number of the location you're interested in and click the small "Search" button. Parcel locations are only available for the immediate coastal areas. This function requires an exact match to locate the parcel. The complete parcel number is required, with no spaces ( ), dashes (-), or periods (.).

Legend

The Legend tool allows the user to understand what features on the map represent. The legend appears on the lower panel of the application. It can be scrolled horizontally for use on smaller screens.

Identify

The Identify function is "on" by default when zoomed into a beach area. The Identify function is only disengaged if a Measurement tool is in active use. Simply click a map feature (pointer cursor will appear when hovering over a feature is "selectable"). When a feature is selected it is highlighted in light blue & details of the feature appear in the "popup" infowindow. The more "zoomed-in" the more precise the feature selection will be. If zoomed-out or if features lie in close proximity, the identify will capture multiple features in the popup. The user can iterate through the selected features using the small pointer arrow at the top-right of the infowindow.

Measure

The Measurement widget provides three tools:

1. Area Measure - Tool provides the ability to the user to create a polygon and calculate the area in a variety of units (square miles, acres, square kilometers, etc.). To use the tool, the user clicks the map to create boundary points, and when boundary is defined, the user double-clicks to complete the operation.

2. Distance Measure - Tool provides the ability to the user to create lines/polylines and calculate the length in a variety of units (miles, feet, kilometers, etc.). To use the tool, the user clicks the map to create line points, and when line is defined, the user double-clicks to complete the operation.

3. Location - Tool allows the user to view map coordinates (in decimal degrees or degrees-minutes-seconds) as they move their mouse across the map. Once the user determines the point on the map for which they want the coordinates, the user simply clicks the map.

Basemap

The Basemap Toggle allows the user to switch between ESRI-provided basemap services - imagery with labels & street map.

Data Download Menu

The Data Download menu allows the user to download GIS data in ESRI® Shapefile format for the current jurisdictional lines, and download beach-specific Survey Packets containing DWG and Excel (.xlsx) coordinate files for the current jurisdictional lines, Line Reports, & Beachfront Monument Survey Sheets.

View Line Reports Menu

The View Line Reports menu allows the user to view beach-specific line reports in PDF format.

Definitions

Beachfront Jurisdiction

Baseline - Within a standard erosion zone the baseline is established at the location of the crest of the primary oceanfront sand dune in that zone. In a standard erosion zone in which the shoreline has been altered naturally or artificially by the construction of erosion control devices, groins, or other man-made alterations, the baselines must be established by the Department using the best scientific and historical data, as where the crest of the primary ocean front sand dune for that zone would be located if the shoreline had not been altered.

Within an unstabilized inlet zone the baseline must be determined by DHEC-OCRM as the most landward point of erosion at anytime during the past forty years, unless the best available scientific and historical data of the inlet and adjacent beaches indicate that the shoreline is unlikely to return to its former position. In collecting and utilizing the best scientific and historical data available for the implementation of the retreat policy, the Department as part of the State Comprehensive Beach Management Plan provided for in this chapter, among other factors, must consider: historical inlet migration, inlet stability, channel and ebb tidal delta changes, the effects of sediment bypassing on shorelines adjacent to the inlets, and the effects of nearby beach restoration project on inlet sediment budgets.

Within a stabilized inlet zone the baseline location must be determined in the same manner as provided for in a standard erosion zone. However the actual location of the crest of the primary oceanfront sand dune of that erosion zone is the baseline of that zone, not the location if the inlet had remained unstabilized.

Setback line - The line landward of the baseline that is established at a distance which is forty times the average annual erosion rate as determined by historical and other scientific means and adopted by the Department in the State Comprehensive Beach Management Plan. However, all setback lines shall be established no less than twenty feet landward of the baseline, even in cases where the shoreline has been stable or has experienced net accretion over the past forty years. Note: Subsequent to S.C. Code of Laws 48-39-290, a setback line is not present on Folly Beach.

Beach Zones

Standard Zones - a segment of shoreline which is subject to essentially the same set of coastal processes, has a fairly constant range of profiles and sediment characteristics, and is not directly influenced by tidal inlets or associated inlet shoals.

Unstabilized Inlet Zones - inlets that have not been stabilized by jetties, terminal groins, or other structures.

Stabilized Inlet Zones - inlets which are stabilized by jetties, terminal groins, or other structures.

Longterm Erosion Rates

Long term erosion rates are determined by analyzing historical shoreline positions and calculating annual erosion rates based on beach profile data. Each year, DHEC monitors over 400 survey monuments on state beaches and analysis is conducted in conjunction with professional shoreline experts.

Definitions are excerpted from S.C. Code of Laws 48-39-10 et. seq. and S.C. Code of Regulations R.30-1 et. seq.

More Information

Additional information regarding beachfront permitting, monitoring and management can be found on the DHEC - OCRM website. If you require assistance, please contact DHEC - OCRM at 843-953-0200.

Note: Sincere appreciation to Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Georgetown and Horry County governments, and the S.C. GIS Coordination Council for providing data to enable parcel-based navigation functionality.