MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) – A new online resource called the “Coastal Atlas” is helping Lowcountry coastal communities understand their environment.

The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services launched the new online service Monday. Leaders say the online portal compiles about 40 years’ worth of coastal information, history and data points to make navigating easier for the community.

The atlas uses an interactive layout called an ArcGIS StoryMap and includes videos, guided maps and pictures.

Charleston County is one of eight coastal counties with several critical zones.

Critical zones include coastal waters and tide lands, along with beaches and dune systems which leaders say fall along the ocean side of Highway 17.

The state coastal program controls these areas in terms of permitting and activities such as boats and docks in an effort to protect valuable habitats and ecosystems.

Jessica Boynton, who works with the state department’s Bureau of Coastal Management says the service makes finding critical information easier as users can find permitting, emergency operations and history in the one-stop shop.

“An option for us to present a lot of information but in a way that was easily consumable,” Boynton says. “Because it was doing it in video, or map format or an image gallery so people can really interact with this platform at different levels.”

The service shows data for vulnerable spots of flooding and storm surge as well as opportunities for the public to report any dangers in the area.

Boynton says the program also works as a tool for local and state lawmakers to make decisions and plan for beach communities. The Beach Erosion app that contains data points from about 400 monitoring stations along the coastline.

“We collect profile information from the dunes all the way off shore, 3000 feet, to basically get a sense of what is happening on our beaches over time,” Boynton says. “What’s happening with our sand….how much sand is there, how is it moving around. That gives a really good idea of what is happening to our beach and where we might see hot spots for erosion.”

Anyone can access the Coastal Atlas right here for more information.

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