2013 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 1 - Administration of the Government
CHAPTER 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS
SECTION 1-1-10. Jurisdiction and boundaries of the State.

The sovereignty and jurisdiction of this State extends to all places within its bounds, which are declared to be as follows:

The northern line beginning at a point at the low-water mark of the Atlantic Ocean on the eastern shore of Bird Island, runs in a northwest direction through monuments established at latitude 33 51' 07.8792" N. , longitude 78 32' 32.6210" W., at latitude 33 51' 36.4626" N., longitude 78 33' 06.1937" W., and at latitude 33 51' 50.7214" N., longitude 78 33' 22.9448" W., (coordinates based on North American Datum 1927), following existing monuments to a stake in a meadow; thence, in a direction due west, a distance of sixty-two miles, to a point where it intersects the Charleston Road (at sixty-one miles) near the Waxhaw Creek; thence N. 2 12 1/2 ' E. eight miles to a gum tree on the southeastern corner of the Catawba Indian Reservation as laid out in 1764; thence following the eastern and northern boundary lines of said Catawba Indian Reservation to where such northern boundary line crosses the thread of the Catawba River; thence up the thread of said river to the confluence of the north and south forks thereof; thence west to a point at latitude 35 11' 46.41502" N. and longitude 082 12' 57.37020" W. , North American Datum 1983-86 (NAD 83-86) marked by a brass screw in a stone inscribed "S.C. 1815" on one side and "N.C., Sept 15" on the other; thence westward as recorded by a set of 34 plats signed by Gary W. Thompson and Sidney C. Miller, co-chairmen of the North Carolina-South Carolina Joint Boundary Commission, dated 12/20/2005 (sets available at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, the South Carolina Geodetic Survey, the Greenville County Register of Deeds and the Pickens County Register of Deeds) to a point at latitude 35 12' 00.31689" N. and longitude 082 17' 27.89089" W., North American Datum 1983-86 (NAD 83-86), marked by a brass disk stamped with "POINT 1, 2004, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, STATE BOUNDARY LINE" and set in a concrete monument; thence southwestward (according to the previously referenced plats) to a point at latitude 35 11' 43.48762" N. and longitude 082 17' 38.97840" W., North American Datum 1983-86 (NAD 83-86), marked by an aluminum disk on an iron pin, stamped with "2, 2001, NC, SC, STATE LINE" on the ridge line dividing the waters of the north fork of the Pacolet River from the north fork of the Saluda River; thence westward along the various courses of said ridge (according to the previously referenced plats) to a point at latitude 35 05' 07.96924" N. and longitude 082 47' 01.49862" W., North American Datum 1983-86 (NAD 83-86), where the Cherokee boundary of 1897 intersected the ridge, now marked by a brass disk stamped with "BLACKBURN, 1996, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, STATE BOUNDARY LINE" and set in a concrete monument; thence from said point (as recorded on a plat, North Carolina/South Carolina State Boundary from Indian Camp Mountain to the Chattooga River, dated May 2005, copies available at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and the South Carolina Geodetic Survey) following a geodetic line to latitude 35 00' 04.88130" N. and longitude 083 06' 30.84455" W., NAD 83-86, marked by the "+" in the inscription "LAT 35, AD 1813, NC + SC" chiseled on Commissioners' Rock on the east bank of the Chattooga River; thence following a geodetic line with a geodetic azimuth of 270 degrees to the centerline of the Chattooga River.

The lateral seaward boundary between North Carolina and South Carolina from the low-water mark of the Atlantic Ocean shall be and is hereby designated as a continuation of the North Carolina-South Carolina boundary line as described by monuments located at latitude 33 51' 50.7214" N., longitude 78 33' 22.9448" W., at latitude 33 51' 36.4626" N., longitude 78 33' 06.1937" W., and at latitude 33 51' 07.8792" N., longitude 78 32' 32.6210" W., (coordinates based on North American Datum 1927), in a straight line projection of said line to the seaward limits of the states' territorial jurisdiction, such line to be extended on the same bearing insofar as a need for further delimitation may arise.

From the state of Georgia, this State is divided by the Savannah River, at the point where the northern edge of the navigable channel of the Savannah River intersects the seaward limit of the state's territorial jurisdiction; thence generally along the northern edge of the navigable channel up the Savannah River; thence along the northern edge of the sediment basin to the Tidegate; thence to the confluence of the Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers; thence up the Tugaloo River to the confluence of the Tallulah and the Chattooga Rivers; thence up the Chattooga River to the 35th parallel of north latitude, which is the boundary of North Carolina, the line being midway between the banks of said respective rivers when the water is at ordinary stage, except in the lower reaches of the Savannah River, as hereinafter described. And when the rivers are broken by islands of natural formation which, under the Treaty of Beaufort, are reserved to the state of Georgia, the line is midway between the island banks and the South Carolina banks when the water is at ordinary stage, except in the lower reaches of the Savannah River, as hereinafter described.

The boundary between Georgia and South Carolina along the lower reaches of the Savannah River, and the lateral seaward boundary, is more particularly described as follows and depicted in "Georgia--South Carolina Boundary Project, Lower Savannah River Segment, Portfolio of Maps" prepared by the United States Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, National Geodetic Survey, Remote Sensing Division--2001 (copies available at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and the South Carolina Geodetic Survey):

Beginning at a point where the thread of the northernmost branch of the Savannah River equidistant between its banks intersects latitude 32 07' 00" N., (North American Datum 1983-86), located in the Savannah River, and proceeding in a southeasterly direction down the thread of the Savannah River equidistant between the banks of the Savannah River on Hutchinson Island and on the mainland of South Carolina including the small downstream island southeast of the aforesaid point, at ordinary stage, until reaching the vicinity of Pennyworth Island;

Proceeding thence easterly down the thread of the northernmost channel of the Savannah River known as the Back River as it flows north of Pennyworth Island, making the transition to the said northernmost channel using the equidistant method between Pennyworth Island, the Georgia bank on Hutchinson Island, and the South Carolina mainland bank, thence to the thread of the said northernmost channel equidistant from the South Carolina mainland bank and Pennyworth Island at ordinary stage, around Pennyworth Island;

Proceeding thence southeasterly to the thread of the northern channel of the Savannah River equidistant from the Georgia bank on Hutchinson Island and the South Carolina mainland bank, making the transition utilizing the equidistant method between Pennyworth Island, the Georgia bank on Hutchinson Island, and the South Carolina mainland bank;

Proceeding thence southeasterly down the thread of the Savannah River equidistant from the Hutchinson Island and South Carolina mainland banks of the river at ordinary stage, through the tide gates, until reaching the northwestern (farthest upstream) boundary of the "Back River Sediment Basin", as defined in the "Annual Survey-1992, Savannah Harbor, Georgia, U. S. Coastal Highway, No. 17 to the Sea", U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District as amended by the Examination Survey-1992 charts for the Savannah Harbor Deepening Project, Drawings No. DSH 1 12/107 , (hereinafter the "Channel Chart");

Proceeding thence along the said northwestern boundary to its intersection with the northern boundary of the Back River Sediment Basin; thence southeasterly until said northern boundary intersects the northern boundary of the main navigational channel as depicted on the Channel Chart at the point designated as SR-34 (latitude 32 05' 01.440" N., longitude 081 02' 17.252" W., North American Datum (NAD 1983-86);

Proceeding thence toward the mouth of the Savannah River along the northern boundary of the main navigational channel at the new channel limit as depicted on the Channel Chart, via Oglethorpe Range through point SR-33 (latitude 32 05' 17.168" N., longitude 081 01' 34.665" W., NAD 1983-86), Fort Jackson Range through point SR-32 (latitude 32 05' 30.133" N., longitude 081 01' 17.750" W., NAD 1983-86), the Bight Channel through points SR-31 (latitude 32 05' 55.631" N., longitude 081 01' 02.480" W., NAD 1983-86), SR-30 (latitude 32 06' 06.272" N., longitude 081 00' 44.802" W., NAD 1983-86), SR-29 (latitude 32 06' 09.053" N., longitude 081 00' 31.887" W., NAD 1983-86), SR-28 (latitude 32 06' 08.521" N., longitude 081 00' 15.498" W., NAD 1983-86), and SR-27 (latitude 32 06' 01.565" N., longitude 080 59' 58.406" W., NAD 1983-86), Upper Flats Range through points SR-26 (latitude 32 05' 41.698" N., longitude 080 59' 31.968" W., NAD 1983-86) and SR-25 (latitude 32 05' 02.819" N., longitude 080 59' 12.644" W., NAD 1983-86), Lower Flats Range through points SR-24 (latitude 32 04' 46.375" N., longitude 080 59' 00.631" W., NAD 1983-86), SR-23 (latitude 32 04' 40.209" N., longitude 080 58' 49.947" W., NAD 1983-86), SR-22 (latitude 32 04' 28.679" N., longitude 080 58' 18.895" W., NAD 1983-86), and SR-21 (latitude 32 04' 22.274" N., longitude 080 57' 34.449" W. , NAD 1983-86), Long Island Crossing Range through points SR-20 (latitude 32 04' 13.042" N., longitude 080 57' 14.511" W., NAD 1983-86), and SR-19 (latitude 32 02' 30.984" N., longitude 080 55' 30.308' W., NAD 1983-86) and New Channel Range following the northern boundary of the Rehandling Basin and the northern boundary of the Oyster Bed Island Turning Basin back to the northern edge of the main navigational channel, thence through points SR-17 (latitude 32 02' 07.661" N., longitude 080 53' 39.379" W., NAD 1983-86) and SR-16 (latitude 32 02' 07.533" N., longitude 080 53' 31.663" W., NAD 1983-86), to a point at latitude 32 02' 08" N., longitude 080 53' 25" W., NAD 1983-86 (now marked by Navigational Buoy "24") near the eastern end of Oyster Bed Island;

Proceeding thence from a point at latitude 32 02' 08" N., longitude 080 53' 25" W., NAD 1983-86 (now marked by Navigational Buoy R "24") on a true azimuth of 0 0' 0" (true north) to the mean low low-water line of Oyster Bed Island; thence easterly along the said mean low low-water line of Oyster Bed Island to the point at which the said mean low low-water line of Oyster Bed Island intersects the Oyster Bed Island Training Wall;

Proceeding thence easterly along the mean low low-water line of the southern edge of the Oyster Bed Island Training Wall to its eastern end; thence continuing the same straight line to its intersection with the Jones Island Range line;

Proceeding thence southeasterly along the Jones Island Range line until reaching the northern boundary of the main navigational channel as depicted on the Channel Chart;

Proceeding thence southeasterly along the northern boundary of the main navigational channel as depicted on the Channel Chart, via Jones Island Range and Bloody Point Range, to a point at latitude 31 59' 16.700" N. , longitude 080 46' 02.500" W., NAD 1983-86 (now marked by Navigational Buoy "6"); and finally,

Proceeding from a point at latitude 31 59' 16.700" N., longitude 080 46' 02.500" W., NAD 1983-86 (now marked by Navigational Buoy "6") extending southeasterly to the federal-state boundary on a true azimuth of 104 degrees (bearing of S76 E), which describes the line being at right angles to the baseline from the southernmost point of Hilton Head Island and the northernmost point of Tybee Island, drawn by the Baseline Committee in 1970.

Should the need for further delimitation arise, the boundary shall further extend southeasterly on above-described true azimuth of 104 degrees (bearing of S76 E).

Provided, further, that nothing in this section shall in any way be considered to govern or affect in any way the division between the states of the remaining assimilative capacity that is, the capacity to receive wastewater and other discharges without violating water quality standards, of the portion of the Savannah River described in this section.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 39-1; 1952 Code Section 39-1; 1942 Code Section 2038; 1932 Code Section 2038; Civ. C. '22 Section 1; Civ. C. '12 Section 1; Civ. C. '02 Section 1; G. S. 1; R. S. 1; 1923 (33) 114; 1970 (56) 2051; 1978 Act No. 413, Section 1; 1978 Act No. 414, Section 1; 1978 Act No. 416, Section 1; 1996 Act No. 375, Section 1; 1998 Act No. 341, Section 1; 2008 Act No. 264, Section 1, eff June 4, 2008.