Beach houses aren't what they used to be. There are a number of places along our nation's coast where the modest cottages I remember from my youth have been replaced by luxurious homes that often can only be described as mansions.
Common amenities in these new homes include numerous bathrooms, dishwashers, icemakers, garbage disposals, washing machines, and lush landscaping complete with sprinkler systems.
But what happens when all this water goes down the drain? Coastal resource managers in South Carolina are finding out that many homeowners don't know the answer to this question. If the answer is that it goes into a septic system, then there could be a problem.
Overloaded and unmaintained septic systems can threaten the quality of our coastal waters and, in the worst cases, can make people ill if they drink, swim in, or play in water contaminated with harmful bacteria.
The cover story of this edition of Coastal Services looks at how South Carolina coastal resource managers at the state and local level are proactively addressing this hidden threat.
Water quality is a common theme running through several articles in this edition. You can read how California is taking an annual "snapshot" of the rivers and streams flowing along the state's entire coastline. Last year's Snapshot Day was the largest simultaneous water quality monitoring effort ever to occur in California.
You also will find information on how Wisconsin and California coastal resource managers partnered to bring water quality information to Latino and other traditionally underserved communities.
This edition is rounded out with an article on how Delaware's eight-year quest for science-based management is beginning to pay off for that state's coastal resource managers.
All of these examples of successful management approaches and programs are provided to help keep you informed about what other coastal managers are doing across the country.
Please let us know if you have a successful project or program that you would like to share with your fellow coastal managers.
-- Margaret A. Davidson
