Riverkeeper News
- Tar Balls in the Congaree
- Congaree Riverkeeper Change in Leadership
- Our Position on Alpine Utilities NPDES Permit
- Alpine Utilities Public Hearing
- Help Keep Our Sewer System Fat Free
- Saluda River Stocked with Trout
- Proposed Interbasin Transfer
- SCE&G Hydropower Relicensing Proceeding
- The State Newspaper - Congaree Riverkeeper
- Meet Our Board of Directors
Tar Balls in the Congaree
DHEC has issued an advisory against swimming and wading in the Congaree River downstream of Gervais Street, on the east side of the river:
Public urged to avoid swimming in Congaree River at Gist and Senate
Streets
COLUMBIA - People using the Congaree River in the area of Gist and
Senate streets in Columbia are advised not to swim or wade in that part
of the river due to a tarry substance recently reported, the state
Department of Health and Environmental Control reported today.
“Wading or swimming at this location which is just east of the Gervais
Street bridge on the Columbia side of the river can disturb the material
and cause a sheen to form on the surface of the water,” said Harry
Mathis, director of DHEC’s Region 3 environmental quality control
office. “While we try to determine what the material is and its source,
people should avoid that immediate area. Other recreational uses of the
river such as kayaking and canoeing are acceptable as they should not
disturb the sediment.”
Mathis said DHEC staff has posted signs and staked out an area in the
river where the material is present but is still working to define all
areas where the substance may be located.
The Congaree Riverkeeper is cooperating with DHEC in an attempt to find the source of this pollution.
Congaree Riverkeeper Change in Leadership
The Board of Directors of the Congaree Riverkeeper announces the departure in May of Alan Mehrzad, the founder of the Congaree Riverkeeper.
Our Position on Alpine Utilities NPDES Permit
Alpine Utilities Public Hearing
Public Hearing Notification
Alpine Utilities is a small private utility that operates a wastewater treatment plant that discharges into Stoop Creek, a tributary to the lower Saluda River. Alpine Utilities has been responsible for a number of discharge violations, including a well publicized sewage discharge in the summer of 2008.
Help Keep Our Sewer System Fat Free
After meeting with officials from DHEC and the City of Columbia, I have learned how significant of a threat cooking grease can be for our sewer systems and ultimately our waterways.
Saluda River Stocked with Trout
More than 18,000 trout are being released today (December 1, 2009) into the lower Saluda River by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.
Proposed Interbasin Transfer
The town of Batesburg-Leesville has been struggling with water supply and quality issues for the past few years. The town's dwindling water supply is a major issue in their upcoming mayoral election. The current mayor of Batesburg-Leesville is proposing to quench their water shortage by pumping water from Lake Murray and piping it approximately 15 miles back to the town.
SCE&G Hydropower Relicensing Proceeding
Congaree Riverkeeper Engages in SCE&G Hydropower Relicensing Proceeding
The streamflow of the Lower Saluda River is controlled by releases from the SCE&G Saluda Hydroelectric Project, otherwise known as Lake Murray. The operation of the Saluda Project affects water temperature, dissolved oxygen levels, instream flows, fish and wildlife habitat, and public safety on the Lower Saluda River. To advocate for protection of these interests, the Congaree Riverkeeper moved to intervene in the relicensing proceeding before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) so that we become a party with rights to dispute FERC's relicensing decision if we so choose.
The State Newspaper - Congaree Riverkeeper
Read The State Newspaper's coverage of the Congaree Riverkeeper...
Meet Our Board of Directors
The Congaree Riverkeeper is a non-profit organization incorporated under South Carolina law, and since August 2009, governed by a Board of Directors. The Board is made up of enthusiastic, hardworking individuals dedicated to the success of the Congaree Riverkeeper.
