<strong>From staff reports</strong>

The Mossy Oaks project is in its final stages, with paving taking place earlier this week.

All improved drainage systems are in place. All tidal flap gates are installed and fully operational. The Spanish Moss Trail is completely opened.

Over the next two weeks, the contractor will work on about 30-40 punch list items. These items include some ditch restorative work, concrete repair work, and fine tuning of selected drainage areas.

Neal Pugliese, Col USMC (Ret.), Chairman of the Mossy Oaks Multijurisdictional Drainage Task Force, prepared a checklist for Mossy Oaks residents.

Now that the system has been installed and significantly improved, residents may expect the following:

1. While the Mossy Oaks project is coming to a close, work in the Mossy Oaks area will continue. The City of Beaufort, the Town of Port Royal, and Beaufort County will continue to work with SCDOT and our regulatory agencies to improve the drainage systems and road network wherever and whenever possible. In short, this does not represent the end of our efforts; rather, this is just the beginning.

2. The newly improved system is designed to move water out of Mossy Oaks in the most efficient and effective way possible. The system will not prevent spot flooding, but the system will prevent homes from being flooded during heavy rain events with the exception of major hurricanes.

3. City of Beaufort staff, as part of their hurricane preparation efforts, will visit areas prone to spot flooding to examine and clean ditches and drainpipes.

4. Given that we all live in the Lowcountry, water in ditches is normal, but water in homes is not normal. If you have water in your home, we want to know about immediately. This means that there is a blockage somewhere that needs to be addressed.

5. The tidal flap gates will keep tidal surges out of the Mossy Oaks area, but they are not designed to keep the tides out. Our federal and state regulatory agencies, rightly so, have dictated the elevation when our tidal flap gates activate. This is done to keep the marsh area alive while providing the necessary protection to homes.

6. Beaufort County will pay particular attention to mosquito control, particularly in those areas where standing water may exist. If you have a mosquito problem, please contact Beaufort County mosquito control.

7. We must all do our part in helping to maintain the system by keeping trash and debris out of the storm drain system. If you can, please remove trash and other debris from the storm drain system when you see it. If you are unable to do this, please contact the City of Beaufort Public Works Department at 843-525-7054 and request removal of trash and debris from the system.

Be sure to include a specific location and a description of the items to be removed.