From clear mountain streams to cherished local lakes, Upstate Forever's Clean Water team works to preserve watershed lands critical to clean drinking water, monitor and take action on projects that threaten water quality, and expand access to waterways for recreation.
Dive in to their stories.
The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services announced a cleanup protocol is planned for the heavily contaminated Bramlett Road site that sits on 35 acres in Greenville's Southernside community. Learn about how this site became contaminated with coal tar and plans for the site's remediation.
Famous for its role as the backdrop of the 1972 film "Deliverance," the spectacular Chattooga River remains the only National Wild and Scenic River in South Carolina.
In a 4-1 final decision on the Inn at Altamont, the Travelers Rest (TR) Planning & Development Committee voted against advancing the developer's request to annex and rezone approximately 40-acres on Paris Mountain to accommodate the proposed 150-room hotel and event venue.
Despite a massive outpouring of community opposition, developers have submitted an official request to the City of Travelers Rest to annex two parcels (approximately 40 acres) on Paris Mountain to build the Inn at Altamont — a 150-room hotel and event venue.
As 2024 comes to a close, we're pausing to celebrate the many conservation and advocacy successes this year has brought. Here's a look at just a few highlights of our work this year — made possible by your generous support...
Upstate Forever and local partners that comprise the Reedy River Water Quality Group (RRWQG) and other clean water advocates have aggressively championed adoption of stronger riparian buffer requirements in Greenville County for well-over a decade. We are thrilled to see 50' wide riparian buffers now required for new development along all Waters-of-the-State in unincorporated parts of the county.
Clean Water Specialist Rebecca Wade explains how stormwater from development and human activity can cause problems for urban waters — and ways you can help protect local waterways.
UF's Clean Water Director Erika Hollis discusses the manmade chemicals called PFAS (Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances) and why they exist at unsafe levels in our waterways. Learn about how these forever chemicals get into our waterways and what the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) is doing for residents with private wells.
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