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Bluffton officials propose shifting runoff to protect the May River

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In an effort to save the May River from pollutants and bacteria, Bluffton officials plan to redirect stormwater from the May northward to the Colleton River.

Efforts will include removing mounds of dirt obstructing the flow of runoff, installing a pumping system and creating a wetland.

Ten years ago, runoff flowed to both rivers, but rapid growth in and around downtown Bluffton pushed a continuous flow into the May, primarily through Verdier Cove.

"We keep acting as though we don't know why we have this problem," councilman Fred Hamilton said. "Development in these areas has changed the natural flow in these areas. We've built on wetlands."

Jeff McNesby, the town's environmental protection director, presented a recent drainage study to council Tuesday night.

The report shows runoff volume has increased in Verdier Cove by 130 percent, compared to conditions before Bluffton Park, Red Cedar Place and Hidden Lakes were developed. The extra volume from those projects has caused the cove to erode, creating an easier path for runoff to reach the May in just a few hours.

McNesby said the goal is to return to pre-development conditions, when both rivers shared the runoff load.

Immediate action would include removing mounds of dirt near the nature preserve close to Bluffton Park. Those mounds were wrongfully deposited by developers and now are obstructing stormwater flow, McNesby said.

The 9.65-acre nature preserve also is dying.

Stagnant water has killed much of the vegetation and some trees.

McNesby said turning the preserve into a man-made wetland could filter stormwater to the Colleton. Wetland vegetation, which would have to be planted, would absorb some of the pollutants and slow down the time it takes for runoff to reach both rivers.

The town also could install a new pumping system to redirect stormwater, he said.

While plans have not been finalized, McNesby said those projects could cost "several hundred thousand dollars."

A design plan would take about three months.

Obtaining permits would take another six months before the project could begin.

Mayor Hank Johnston questioned whether the proposed plans would work and urged approaches that would disperse stormwater to more areas than the man-made wetland.

"This is like traffic," he said. "You want as many paths as possible to reduce the flow."

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