Even though our state's coastline is only 187 miles long, 3000 miles of actual shoreline are created from the various estuaries, bays, rivers, and creeks (OCRM, 2000). The location of these various bodies of water help to determine the distinct shoreline types found along South Carolina’s coast.

• The arcuate strand is a crescent-shaped beach stretching from the North Carolina –South Carolina border south to Winyah Bay, SC (OCRM, 2000). This area is generally considered the most stable region along the S.C. coast. It is a wide, continuous beach approximately 60 miles long with few tidal inlets. The absence of inlets in this region is also associated with the lack of barrier islands and salt marsh. Why? Inlets are waterways between barrier islands that transport water to and from the estuaries and the ocean.

• The cuspate delta, south of the arcuate strand between Winyah Bay and Bulls Bay, is referred to as the Santee River Delta (OCRM, 2000). It is the largest deltaic complex located on the eastern seaboard of the United States and is 18 miles long. Here, headlands (or capes) extend into the ocean and form elongate spits.

• The barrier island complex, south of Bulls Bay to the Georgia border, includes transgressive barrier islands and beach-ridge barrier islands. These relatively thin, elongate islands are located along the majority of South Carolina’s central and southern shoreline. They protect our coastal areas from storm forces and rising sea level (OCRM, 2000).

• Beach-ridge barrier islands (also referred to as prograding barrier islands) are larger islands that contain a beach, vegetated sand dunes, shrubs, and a maritime forest. Kiawah Island is an example of this type of barrier island.

 

Photo provided by www.golfpac.com/.../ westin_hilton_head_resort.htm

 

• Transgressive barrier islands are long, narrow islands that are extremely unstable because they lack heavy vegetation and healthy dune systems (OCRM, 2000). These are referred to as retrograding islands because they retreat landward. Folly and Morris Islands are typical examples of this type of barrier island and will be the focus of the CD-Rom.