New lake development, Cherokee Shores, is environmentally pleasing

A new development on Lake Murray is under construction with a design that helps protect the lake’s natural beauty and water quality. The development, called Cherokee Shores, is located in Lexington County at the end of Old Cherokee Rd. Scott Bolo is managing partner for Beau Ideal Development and owner of The Insite Group, an environmental-civil engineering firm located in Columbia. The development will consist of 14 lake front lots , 32 lake access lots, a 32 slip marina, boat ramp and common beach area.

Bolo’s firm along with Kevin Berry of Earth Sciences Engineering in Charleston, put together an environmentally friendly design, better known in engineering circles as “low impact development”. Low Impact Development (LID) is a relatively new practice that attempts to unite site planning, land development, and storm water management with ecosystem protection. LID projects commonly are implemented because they reduce life cycle costs for storm water infrastructure and shift maintenance burdens away from local governments. Additionally they provide superior control of non-point source pollution.(CE News, July, 2004)

The Cherokee Shores design incorporated many of the methods recommended by experts in the LID field. For pre-construction, Bolo’s firm used roadway stabilization with lime to form a soil which resist runoff and siltation. A seven layer silt protection design was implemented including capture at roadways with double redundant silt fences at the catch basins, sediment basins, fabric filters at basin outfall and extended routing through swale/bio-filters. Bolo indicates that “this system limits the amount of silt that will reach the lake.”

For post-construction, Bolo informed that “A tree protection and staged brush clearing and removal program was completed with the assistance of Consulting Foresters. And a reduced width right-of way design helped to preserve trees and create green areas that adsorb and filter storm water. Also architectural guidelines prevent tree damage by the use of deposits up front for tree preservation and strict approval requirements for lot clearing plans. As a final measure, tree preservation buffer areas were included as an integral part of the design to help protect the lake from direct run-off and provide natural common areas for enjoyment”

Representatives from the Lake Murray Association and Lake Watch recently met with Mr. Bolo, to tour the site and review development plans. Joy Downs, LMA Executive director stated that “It is refreshing to find a development that is giving thought to the health of the lake.” Ms. Downs indicated that she is “hopeful that this will be a trend with developers and that a whole new attitude about protecting the lake is occurring.” This hasn’t been the case in the past. In one instance, a large wooded lake front tract on Pilgrims Rd. was clear cut to put in high density housing. Trees and other vegetation help keep the lake healthy by absorbing pollutants. To complicate matters, the developer installed large storm water conduits which dump unfiltered, residential pollutants directly into the lake.

Lake Murray is a public waterway and its shoreline represents public resources. Most lake groups believe that protecting the lake’s natural beauty and water quality should be a priority when designing shoreline communities. Developers that want to take over these resources by installing docks or marinas should be required to design communities that incorporate vegetative buffers on the shoreline, green spaces for wildlife and storm water systems that won’t pollute the lake.

SCE&G could “recommend” that developers design lake friendly communities in exchange dock privileges and permits for marinas. Ownership of land adjacent to the lake does not guarantee dock or marina privileges. SCE&G and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) have the final say on all shoreline uses. Additionally this issue will be brought up in the upcoming relicensing when FERC officials take a fresh look at the entire project. Further restrictions on the number of docks and marinas could be imposed if officials believe that development is negatively impacting the project’s resources.

Ms. Downs indicated that “ Those of us interested in seeing that development is conducted in a responsible way, should encourage all developers on Lake Murray to develop environmentally friendly designs. Ideally a criteria should be established for designing lake front property that will protect water quality and the beauty of the lake, such as setbacks, buffers, storm drains, and sediment ponds.”

Because of poor development practices in the past, the FERC recently placed tighter restrictions on development in areas with 75 foot buffer zones. A new 25 ft. “no cut” zone is required landward of the high water mark In the remaining buffer, only insignificant scrubs and trees smaller than 3 inches can be cleared. The FERC also ruled that public access to these buffers is required and access paths must be installed where appropriate. Privatization of the buffer is strictly prohibited.

The Cherokee Shores developers are taking the time and spending the money to construct a community that will blend in and help protect the lake’s natural resources and water quality. It is apparent that this project will be a successful business venture and proves that designing environmentally friendly communities is a “doable” thing. Many thanks to Mr. Bolo and his partners for thinking about our lake’s health when putting this project together.

Steve Bell is President of Lake Watch on Lake Murray

email Steve at

Photo ID’s lt to rt. Lee Barber- LMA, Joy Downs- Executive Director of LMA, Scott Bolo- Managing Partner- Beau Ideal Developmetn