Congaree Riverkeeper Site - Keeping the Midlands Rivers Clean
Welcome
We are a citizen based non-profit organization committed to protecting the Congaree, Saluda, and Broad Rivers for the enjoyment of the growing community of river enthusiasts in the Midlands. We plan to improve water quality, habitat, recreation, and ultimately public health throughout the Congaree Basin through the use of education, environmental monitoring, and advocacy.
Congaree Riverkeeper, a proud member of the WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE, acts as a watchdog for our area’s rivers and creeks. We identify both real and potential threats to our waterways and work to clean them up. We also call upon the community to actively recognize threats to our waterways and ask that you contact us with your concerns so that the potential environmental hazards can be thoroughly documented and investigated.
Stuart Greeter - the Congaree Riverkeeper
Please contact us to report pollution and to inquire about volunteer opportunities, donations, or events
New Passage Available
Construction to replace the bridge over the Broad River, at Broad River Road, will take place over a two year period. This stretch of river is utilized a lot by local outfitters, especially since the spider lilies are in bloom. The Army Corps permit says the contractor can block up to half the river at any one time and half must remain open to navigation. However, at normal low flows, the only passage available is on river left. Since river left is currently blocked, no navigable passage is available. Congaree Riverkeeper met with the Dept. of Transportaion project engineers to discuss the issue. The Corps agreed to amend the permit and the contractor agreed move rocks to open an additional channel on river right. As a matter of fact, the problem was solved in one day. Thanks go out to engineers David Rogers and Christopher Kelly for addressing the problem in a timely manner. When you are floating this section in the future, as I enjoy doing, there will be a passage on one side or the other. Workers will be instaling the new bridge first and removing the old bridge last. The contractor also agreed to remove old rebar, from previous construction activities. That should go a long way toward making the river safer. Large timbers that got away in unexpected high water are also being removed. Enjoy your river..jpg)
Volunteering
Hi Stuart-
I would love to join a volunteer group to help make the rivers in Columbia healthier and cleaner. My son is a huge kayaker and I hate to hear news about sewage/trash in the river. Please let me know what you need.
Thanks-
Cyndi St.John
Origin of Bush River
At a recent talk about our Riverkeeper someone asked where the Bush River originated and whether it still existed.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bush River is a tributary of the Saluda River, 30 mi (48 km) long, in the Piedmont region of western South Carolina in the United States. Via the Saluda and Congaree Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Santee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean.
According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also been known as "Bush Creek." The United States Board on Geographic Names settled on "Bush River" as the stream's name in 1973.
Course
The Bush River rises in Laurens County, just south of the town of Clinton, and flows generally southeastwardly into Newberry County, past Joanna. It joins into the Saluda River about 11 mi (17 km) south of Newberry as part of Lake Murray, which is formed on the Saluda by Saluda Dam.