From The Blog

The Lynch Pin to Kiawah’s Floodwater Management Efforts

In 2020, KICA began work on one of the most significant infrastructure improvement projects in recent history – the key project that solved a host of drainage issues. The problem: one drainage outfall on the east end of the island at Inlet Cove was responsible for draining 37 ponds through three miles of drainage pipe, which was too much water volume for one system in the event of a storm. Water could not make its way through the drainage system fast enough, so flooding would occur on the Kiawah Island Parkway (near Fire Station 4), and ponds in the East Beach and Settlement neighborhoods could overflow onto roads.

All of these issues were mitigated with a seemingly simple solution – adding a second drainage outfall to the Kiawah River. By dividing one drainage system into two, the Inlet Cove outfall was relieved and water from the center of the island found a shorter path to travel out and away from land. Learn more about this and more of KICA’s flood mitigation progress.