Status Report on the Saluda Reedy Watershed Project

     From the rivers’ headwaters near the North Carolina — South Carolina state line to the dam at Lake Greenwood, the Saluda-Reedy Watershed encompasses 1,165 square miles of streams, lakes, farm land, urban development and, in ever-increasing numbers, people. When severe algal blooms occurred in Lake Greenwood in 1999, residents, community leaders and researchers recognized that a science-based effort was needed to understand the factors influencing water quality in order to reduce the impacts of land-use change throughout the watershed.

To that end, the Saluda-Reedy Watershed Consortium was launched in 2003 with generous financial support from the V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation and Fuji Photo Film. The Consortium set out to accomplish three ambitious goals: (1) to promote increased knowledge and changed perceptions about the watershed and its value, (2) to improve water quality policies and land development regulations in the watershed, and (3) to build local capacity for engaging in watershed conservation and management. These goals ultimately work toward fulfilling the Consortium’s vision: clean, healthy, and abundant water for a sustainable economy and environment and a high quality of life in the Saluda-Reedy watershed.

State Of The Watershed Report

Partners and affiliates of the Consortium began work on research projects that ranged from a study of sedimentation in the upper reaches of Lake Greenwood to a narrative of watershed history to an analysis of changing land-use patterns in the Upstate. Collectively, these newly finished reports have made the Saluda-Reedy Watershed the best-studied watershed in the state.

A summary of these reports and findings was drawn together in a comprehensive State of the Watershed Report. The following issues are included in the report:

1. What is the Saluda-Reedy Watershed?

2. What kind of shape is the Saluda-Reedy Watershed in?

3. What are the impacts of growth and development on the rivers and lakes of the Saluda-Reedy Watershed?

4. What do current trends in water quality mean for Lake Greenwood?

5. What can we do to protect the rivers and streams of the Saluda-Reedy Watershed?

6. How can we work together to improve water quality in the Saluda-Reedy Watershed?

The report, which is available to all interested persons through the project web site, www.saludareedy.org, serves two purposes. First, the report helps communicate in clear, concise language more than two years worth of research findings on a wide variety of projects. Secondly, the report, particularly the final chapter, serves as a road map for where efforts and funding should be focused in the coming years.

New Outreach and Education Initiatives

In addition to ongoing research projects that the Consortium coordinates, new outreach and education initiatives are underway with the goal of educating citizens, community leaders, developers and policy makers in water quality issues. The earliest of these initiatives took the form of day-long watershed workshops. Developers and local officials were taken to locations in the watershed to see first-hand how actions can impact water quality. These successful workshops have led to the development of the Watershed Leaders Forum. These half-day forums will concentrate on a single issue in a user-friendly format. The first forum, Weathering the Storm: Are We Prepared for the Next Big Flood?, was held on November 2 of this year and examined our region’s vulnerability to floods, assessed the impacts of large-scale flooding, and offered strategies for reducing such impacts. Future forums will address topics such as stream restoration, the benefits of stream mitigation banking, and developing a river-based tourism industry. In addition to information, these forums will provide opportunities for community leaders and public officials to meet and network.

New Display and Materials

The new table display about the watershed.

Workshops and forums are not the only new initiatives for the Consortium. During the summer of 2005, a colorful, table-top display debuted at Furman University’s Music by the Lake series. Consortium partner and Reedy River Education Coordinator, Rebekah Guss, said that attendees were interested in the display and enthusiastic about the newly-printed, color brochure and map she distributed. A series of 12 specially-designed watershed stickers and magnets have joined the brochures at regional festivals and events as a further means of getting the word out about this watershed and the work of the Consortium. Each piece prominently displays the project's web site, www.saludareedy.org, which continues to serve as an informational portal for the watershed. The web site has recently been revised with an extensive links and resources section, a detailed map of the entire watershed and a series of newly published Watershed Insight Reports featuring the latest research findings.

The Saluda-Reedy Watershed Brochure Click here for a pdf version of this side of the brochure (this opens a 1.3M PDF file, please be patient while it downloads).

Upstate Forever continues to serve as coordinator for the project, so for more information or to volunteer to help, contact our office at 864-250-0500 or visit the project web site at www.saludareedy.org. The State of the Watershed Report is available online at www.saludareedy.org/research/sotw_report.html. You can also obtain a copy by calling Jennifer Rennicks at 864.250.0500 or emailing her at jrennicks@upstateforever.org.