Rocky River Nature Park in the Rocky River Watershed

The Water Log: Fall 2024

Greetings from Upstate Forever's Clean Water Team! 

We hope you all have had a fantastic summer full of the best of what the season has to offer. Speaking from experience, nothing beats the heat like an afternoon on the lake!

Since we last checked in with you, the Clean Water Team has been plugging away at projects ranging from local and state advocacy to applying for grant funding to expand our core watershed work. Whether it's working with partners to strengthen local ordinances such as Greenville County's Unified Development Ordinance, or applying for grant funding to bring cost-share opportunities to more residents for water quality improvement projects, we strive to protect and improve this region's precious water resources.

Read on to learn more about what we have been up to, ways to get involved, and upcoming events to mark on your calendar this fall.

Best wishes, 

Erika J. Hollis

Clean Water Director

Upstate Forever

Updates on the Greenville Co. Unified Development Ordinance

Upstate Forever (UF) and other environmental partners are continuing to participate in advocacy surrounding Greenville County's Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). As you may recall from previous Water Logs, the UDO is a planning effort that will combine the County's Zoning Ordinance and Land Development Regulations, as well as other Greenville County ordinances and documents, into a single document. The UDO is intended to modernize regulations, implement best practices, and help achieve the vision of Plan Greenville County.

UF's Clean Water Team is specifically focused on three categories in the UDO:

1. Riparian buffers
2. Tree protection, and
3. Stormwater management.

Several years in the making, the final chapters of the UDO have been drafted and are being discussed by County Council this fall. Over the next few months, we will be engaging with County staff and community partners to strengthen these and other elements of the UDO and advocate for its adoption by the end of the year.

How to get involved

• You can advocate on behalf of clean water and responsible growth in Greenville County by contacting your council representatives! Click here to find your councilmember
• If you have not signed up and are interested in receiving updates on the UDO or getting involved, please subscribe to the Greenville Land Planning & Policy Updates list at upstateforever.org/email.

In the meantime, keep an eye on the Greenville County Council calendar for upcoming community meetings and, as always, feel free to reach out to Upstate Forever staff with any questions.

Mountain View Baptist Church, located In the heart of the Southernside Community

and adjacent to the CSXT Bramlett Road Site

CSXT Bramlett Road Site Cleanup Updates

On June 6, the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES, formerly SCDHEC) hosted a public meeting that introduced the preferred cleanup alternative for the CSXT Bramlett Road Site located in the Southernside Community of Greenville in the Reedy River Watershed. This site is home to a former manufactured gas plant that has been plagued by coal tar contamination for decades. Read more

This public meeting jumpstarted a two-month comment period allowing stakeholders to submit feedback to SCDES for incorporation into their final Record of Decision, the department's final decision on the project. Upstate Forever — in coordination with environmental and community partners Mountain View Baptist Church, South Carolina Environmental Law Project, and Friends of the Reedy River — submitted suggestions related to strengthened monitoring and restoration.

SCDES is expected to release their Record of Decision by end of 2024. We'll report back to you when the decision is released.

Twelvemile Creek Watershed

Watershed Based Plan (WBP) Updates

Twelvemile Creek WBP Completed!

We have successfully completed a Watershed-Based Plan for the Twelvemile Creek Watershed, which encompasses the eastern portion of Pickens County extending southwest to Lake Hartwell. View the WBP

This effort, led by Upstate Forever and the Clemson University Center for Watershed Excellence, includes a comprehensive assessment of water quality that identifies and prioritizes water quality problems, along with the development of management strategies to address such issues. The adoption of an approved WBP opens up funding to residents in the watershed to implement prescribed Best Management Practices (BMPs) to improve water quality such as septic repairs, agricultural practices, and land conservation.

We are excited to share that Upstate Forever has submitted a funding proposal to SCDES to implement this watershed-based plan starting as early as next year. Stay tuned, as we hope to have good news related to this in the next edition(s) of the Water Log!

Rocky River WBP

We have kicked off another WBP effort for the Rocky River Watershed, which contains sections of both Anderson and Abbeville Counties, and contains a drinking water intake for the City of Abbeville. We are thrilled to get started on this WBP and expand cost-share funding opportunities to more areas across the Upstate.

If you, or someone you know, is interested in participating in this planning effort and would like to share your thoughts, please reach out to Clean Water Specialist Rebecca Wade at rwade@upstateforever.org. We will be working on this plan through the spring of 2026.

Three & Twenty Creek WBP Implementation – Phase 2

Our team is plugging along with Phase 2 in the Three & Twenty Creek Watershed (Anderson & Pickens Counties)! We have continued with project installations across this region by providing cost-share assistance to the public for septic repairs and replacements, agricultural BMPs, and land protection. Funding is available first come, first served through 2027!

Tyger River WBP Implementation – Phase 2

This grant wraps up in July 2025, and similarly to Three & Twenty Phase 2, we have limited funding available for similar BMPs.

To learn more or see if you qualify for cost-share assistance for projects such as septic tank repairs, agricultural projects, and/or conservation easements, please visit upstateforever.org/319grants or contact Rebecca Wade at rwade@upstateforever.org.

Pearl Bottoms, a 60-acre conservation easement in the South Tyger River Watershed funded in part from the Tyger River Implementation Grant

Grant Funding Opportunity

The Anderson County Watershed Protection Council — also referred to as the Anderson Water Council (AWC) — is seeking grant applications! The AWC is a volunteer advisory committee working to assist nonprofit organizations including Upstate Forever and Savannah Riverkeeper in identifying, prioritizing, and funding projects to restore water quality in areas of the Savannah River watershed impacted by the Kinder Morgan 2014 petroleum pipeline spill.

Eligible organizations are able to apply for awards ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 for education and outreach, and up to $100,000 for site remediation and land protection grants in the impacted area.

Applications for this grant are being accepted now up until 5:00 pm on October 25, 2024. For more information about this funding opportunity, click here.

Upcoming Event: Lake Robinson Day October 19

Come out to Greer's Lake Robinson on Saturday, October 19 from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm to learn more about this drinking water source, enjoy free kayaking and entertainment, speak with exhibitors, and more.

This event is free, and includes complimentary lunch for those who pre-register. You may reserve a rain barrel for an additional fee while supplies last to pick up between 10:30 am and 1:00 pm.

View more event details

Until next time!

Thank you for signing up to receive The Water Log, Upstate Forever’s email newsletter dedicated to Clean Water news, issues, and information. We appreciate your interest and dedication to safeguarding the Upstate’s water resources.  

If you have any questions about this topic or would like to learn about another Clean Water issue in a future edition, please contact me at ehollis@upstateforever.org. 

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Upstate Forever is a nonprofit conservation organization that protects critical lands, waters, and the unique character of Upstate South Carolina.  Over the past two decades, we have worked to protect the natural assets that make the Upstate so special — our farmlands, forests, natural areas, rivers, and clean air. We are committed to ensuring that our communities are vibrant and retain their green spaces, outdoor heritage, and unique identities in the face of rapid development and significant sprawl. Our vision is an environmentally healthy, economically prosperous Upstate that offers a high quality of life now and for future generations.

Funding for watershed improvement projects provided wholly or in part by the US EPA under Section 319 Grants through the SC Department of Environmental Services (SCDES).

Funding for WBPs provided wholly or in part by the US EPA under a Capitalization Grants for Drinking Water State Revolving Funds Grant through the SC Department of Environmental Services (SCDES).

For more information, visit our website at upstateforever.org or send us an email.