Murrells Inlet Volunteer Monitoring
Since June 2008, four teams of volunteers have been measuring water quality biweekly year-round at eight sites in the Murrells Inlet watershed. Horry and Georgetown counties jointly support the Murrells Inlet Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program.
Of the eight sampling sites, two are located in the Inlet, two sites are in retention ponds, and four upload sites are located in small streams that drain into the inlet. The major pollutant of concern is fecal bacteria, which has resulted in the closure of public shellfish harvesting beds in the Inlet. The volunteer data is also used to detect potential illicit discharges of sediment through measurements of turbidity. Trends in nutrients and oxygen are used to evaluate concerns of cultural eutrophication in which stormwater runoff of fertilizers can lead to algal blooms.
In 2014, the volunteer data were used to help develop a watershed-based plan. The Murrells Inlet Watershed Plan contains recommendations for mitigating fecal bacteria pollution.
