The Port Royal Sound watershed has been spared many pressures that challenge many waterways along the East Coast. Unlike the Chesapeake Bay or the Savannah River Basin, Port Royal Sound does not have major shipping ports, or heavy industry, or widespread commercial agriculture to pollute its waters. If you’re reading this, you probably agree that this is a beautiful area with its expansive green salt marshes and deep salty waters teeming with life – who wouldn’t want to live in such a paradise!? And therein lies the conundrum.
The Port Royal Sound watershed is located in one of the fastest-growing regions in one of the fastest-growing states in the US. In 2024, Jasper County was touted as having the fastest-growing white population in the country – a fact that even made headlines in the UK press. With shifting demographics and a growing population, we are also witnessing dramatic changes in land use and land cover.
The proposed Euhaw Overlay District is an area in Jasper County, situated along the Broad River corridor, that has retained its rural, Lowcountry character. It’s also comprised mainly of large, old family properties that have been passed down through generations — properties that could be sold, subdivided, and developed into thousands of homes if that’s what someone wanted to do.
In 2023, facing unprecedented demand from new residents seeking to move to the area, developers looking to build new communities, and a straining infrastructure system, the Jasper County Council made a bold decision to pause development in the Euhaw District. It placed a nine-month moratorium on approving new significant developments in the region to give itself time and space to revisit and carefully consider what future the County and its residents wanted.
With extensive community input and advice from experts across the region, Jasper County planners developed a proposal for the Euhaw Overlay District that encourages the concentration of development in already developed areas, while supporting low-density development and conservation in critical areas for habitat and water quality. One hallmark of the Euhaw Overlay District is the designation of areas as Rural Preservation 10 (RP-10) zones, where development would be limited to one residential home per ten acres.
To learn more about the specifics of the Euhaw Overlay District, visit the Jasper County Planning page HERE.
Let Your Voice Be Heard
Consider reaching out to members of the Jasper County Council to let them know you support the Euhaw Overlay District as a way to direct growth and development into the appropriate areas of the region, and to protect the Euhaw Creek.