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Midlands Rivers Coalition Kicks Off 5th Sampling Season
May 07, 2021
The Midlands Rivers Coalition kicked off its 5th season of recreational water quality monitoring this week. From May through September, bacteria samples are collected from 11 sites on the Broad, Lower Saluda and Congaree Rivers every Wednesday, and the results are posted to HowsMySCRiver.org
(and shared on Congaree Riverkeeper's social media platforms) on Thursdays. If a sample does not meet the state standard for contact recreation, a swimming advisory is issued and a follow-up sample is collected.
The Midlands Rivers Coalition is made up of stakeholders from environmental organizations, academia, local and state government, recreation providers and businesses, working to educate river users on water quality issues.
The Lower Saluda, Broad, and Congaree Rivers are recreational destinations for public fishing, canoeing, kayaking, tubing, swimming and wading; and these activities involve contact with natural waters. As with most natural bodies of water, these rivers can be negatively impacted periodically by short-term events such as runoff from heavy rains, sewer overflows and other events. The coalition aims to enhance public awareness of these issues and provide river users with water quality data so they can make informed decisions.
