Proposed SC-22 extension raises fears for SC refuge, flooding. Should you be worried?
The South Carolina Highway 22 Extension Project could already displace Horry County homeowners. But it also has raised concerns of critical wetland impacts and increased flood risk for residents who live downstream from the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge’s integrity and purpose could be impacted by the proposed highway, which is slated to run directly adjacent to the refuge’s boundary. Many local environmentalists are concerned with the opportunity for other development to sprawl and the impact it would leave on rural communities. “I can truly say that this is one of the most impactful development projects that that has ever been proposed along the North Coast, and it really could be devastating,” said Grace Gasper, executive director for Friends of Coastal South Carolina, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the mission of federally protected land. Horry County has applied for permits through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District, to build a 28-mile highway extension connecting U.S. 501 northwest of Conway to Highway 17 in the Murrells Inlet area. The Corps has released three reasonable alternatives , all of which cross the Waccamaw River near the refuge’s property line. The Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge was founded in 1997
