Does My Dam Need an Emergency Action Plan in South Carolina?
The obligation, who it falls on, and the recurring duty that follows it — from S.C. Code Ann. §§ 49-11-110 et seq. and S.C. Code Regs. 72-1 through 72-9.
High and significant hazard dams require a fully developed emergency action plan, in the format the Department requires by regulation (§ 49-11-210). For a new dam or an enlargement, the plan goes in with the application — it is not a later filing.
The owner must update and evaluate the plan annually and affirm that it is both current and effective.
The annual affirmation is the part people miss
South Carolina does not simply ask that a plan exist. The owner of a high or significant hazard dam is responsible for updating and evaluating the plan each year and providing affirmation that it remains current and effective. A plan filed once and left alone does not satisfy that, and the affirmation is a positive act by the owner rather than something the agency infers from silence.
How this compares
| South Carolina | North Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Who must file | High and significant hazard | High and intermediate (Class C and B) |
| Authority | § 49-11-210 | G.S. 143-215.31(a1) |
| When first due | With the permit application for new/enlarged dams | Within 90 days of classification |
| Recurring duty | Annual update, evaluation and affirmation | Update within one year of prior approval |
Both states cover the middle tier, which is worth noting because a good deal of secondary writing treats emergency action planning as a high-hazard-only obligation. In the Carolinas it is not.
South Carolina in the national picture
South Carolina has 679 high-hazard dams, of which 168 (24.7%) have no emergency action plan recorded in the National Inventory of Dams. Rankings, method and the downloadable dataset are on the national EAP gap page.
Scope. General information about South Carolina dam safety regulation, read from primary sources and current as of 2026-08-28. Not an engineering opinion about any specific structure and not legal advice. Requirements change when the legislature amends the Dams and Reservoirs Safety Act or the rules are revised — confirm against the current text of S.C. Code Ann. §§ 49-11-110 et seq. and S.C. Code Regs. 72-1 through 72-9, and contact the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) for a determination that binds.