Welcome to the Waccamaw Riverkeeper^® Program
of the Winyah Rivers Foundation

The mission of the Winyah Rivers Foundation is to protect, preserve, monitor, and revitalize the health of the lands and waters of the greater Winyah Bay watershed, focusing on local activism through the Waccamaw Riverkeeper® program.

We are a grassroots organization whose members support the mission of protecting the Waccamaw River and other rivers in the watershed. The Waccamaw Riverkeeper, Christine Ellis, is a paid advocate. She works to mobilize citizens to protect the river.

What’s New

Thursday, May 29, 6 to 7 pm, Keep the Dirt Out in Horry County!

Did you know that stormwater runoff is one of the major causes of water pollution in our area? Join the Waccamaw Riverkeeper and Thom Roth, Horry County Stormwater, for an informative meeting on stormwater pollution, what to look for and what we can do to prevent it and keep our waters safe and clean. Thom will give us the good, the bad and the ugly...what to watch for, what to do when you see pollution entering our waterways and what we can do at home to keep our stormwater clean. Thursday May 29th from 6 to 7 pm, Coastal Carolina University's Center for Marine and Wetland Studies in the Atlantic Center, Room 100. For more information, call 349-4007.

May is American Wetlands Month

American Wetlands Month was created in 1991 to celebrate wetlands and to educate Americans about the importance of wetlands to our counry's ecological, economic and social health. In South Carolina, particularly in the lowcountry, our wetlands are under pressure from development and lack of regulation to protect them. This month should inspire people to work through the year to protect, preserve and expand wetlands. Let's work together to protect this valuable natural resource!

Successful River Cleanup, Highway 9 at Anderson Landing in Longs

Volunteers worked tirelessly on the morning of Saturday May 3rd to pick up trash around Anderson Landing as well as upstream and downstream on the Waccamaw River. We set out on foot and by boat and found the usual suspects, beer cans, bottles, fast food containers, paper products, cigarette butts, metal, wood, etc. We collected over 400 pounds of trash! Afterwards we were rewarded with a delicious lunch of chicken bog, pickles and pickled okra, courtesy of our hosts, Dale and Recolla Stevens of Loris. A big thank you to all the volunteers and a special THANK YOU to the Stevens! Thanks to all for keeping the Waccamaw River beautiful! For more information, click here.

Winyah Rivers Foundation Photo Contest

Winyah Rivers Foundation and The Horry Independent are sponsoring a photography contest to promote the beauty of the Waccamaw and nearby rivers. For more information, click here.

EARTH DAY 2008 – the commitment continues...

Earth Day has come and gone but don't let that stop your commitment to protecting our Mother Earth. Take our pledge and choose to make a difference!

Successful benefit for Winyah Rivers Foundation at  IMAX® 3D Theatre – Saturday, April 19th

IMAX® 3D Theatre at Broadway at the Beach hosted a benefit for the Winyah Rivers Foundation on Saturday, April 19 from 9am – 11am. IMAX® donated all proceeds to our organization to assist in the preservation of the rivers in Winyah Bay Watershed, including Waccamaw, Lynches, Lumber-Pee Dee, Black, Great Pee Dee and Sampit. The event included a light, continental breakfast at 9am, an educational presentation and a screening of the new IMAX 3D® film Grand Canyon Adventure 3D, which focuses on water conservation. Many thanks to General Manager Gina Trimarco and IMAX® 3D Theatre for their support!

Spring River Cleanup in Conway - Saturday, March 29th

A successful Waccamaw River cleanup in Conway! On Saturday, March 29th, over 30 people gathered at the Conway Marina and spent the better part of three hours cleaning up trash in and on the banks of the Waccamaw River and the Kingston Lake area of Conway. Thank you to all the folks, young and old, that gathered to clean up the Waccamaw River that day. And a very special thanks to Fran and Rick Rickenbaker who organized a cookout with grilled hotdogs, baked beans, potato chips and sodas for all who participated in the clean-up. For more information, click here.

2008 Waccamaw Conference and River Roast South - Saturday, March 1st

The annual Waccamaw Conference, jointly sponsored by Winyah Rivers Foundation and the Sierra Club - Winyah Group, was a great success! Speakers from across the state came to the Waccamaw Higher Education Center in Litchfield Beach to discuss current conditions, threats, and how to protect this beautiful resource in our own backyard. For more information on the conference, click here.

After the conference, we hosted a traditional lowcountry oyster roast at Kimbel Lodge on the property known as Hobcaw Barony which brought together folks concerned about our local rivers for an evening of food, fun and fellowship. A great time was had by all! For more information on the River Roast South, click here.

» Other River Events