Sediment Pollution Assessment of Abandoned Residential Developments Using Remote Sensing and GIS

The current economic crisis has left numerous residential developments in the southeastern United States in various stages of construction. Many of them are currently graded and essentially abandoned, creating a major source of sediment runoff to waterways. Residential development locations with significant bare soil areas were identified through classification of Landsat 5 TM satellite imagery and subsequently verified from high-resolution county aerial photographs. The revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) was used in a geographic information system (GIS) as a tool for prioritizing identified locations on the basis of potential soil loss assuming the worst case scenario of a completely unmaintained site. Initial GIS identification indicated 301 sites with a total bare soil area of 2 378 ha over three counties in Upstate South Carolina. A random sample of 153 sites was visited over 17 days and assessed using a mobile GIS, global positioning system (GPS), and digital camera for field validation. Results indicated that 78% (119) of the sites were classified correctly (residential construction sites in varying stages of completion); 88% of identified areas were less than 25% built compared to the previous year; 48% were categorized as moderate to severe problems. Abandoned and unfinished developments in Upstate South Carolina may represent a major source of sediment pollution to streams. Well-maintained erosion control devices may be useful in preventing offsite sedimentation.