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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.
We are a grassroots organization whose members support the mission of protecting the rivers in the great watershed that empties into Winyah Bay at Georgetown, South Carolina, including the Waccamaw River, the Pee Dee and Little Pee Dee Rivers, the Black River, the Lynches River and the Sampit River.
The Waccamaw RIVERKEEPER® Program was established in 2002 to educate and advocate for the protection of the Waccamaw River watershed in North and South Carolina. The Waccamaw Riverkeeper, Christine Ellis, is a paid advocate. She works to mobilize citizens to protect the river and its traditional beneficial uses.
Please support our education and advocacy programs to protect our local rivers by volunteering, donating and becoming a member today. Together we can make a difference to keep our local rivers
Fishable, Swimmable, Drinkable
What's New in the Winyah Bay Watershed
Waccamaw Riverkeepers on the go...
Check our calendar for all of our activities this spring! Lots going on. Come join us!
Clean Water Act 40: Drinkable Waters Action Day - World Water Day, March 22, 2012
Waterkeepers around the world are united in our determination to protect our water from pollution. This World Water Day, the Waccamaw Riverkeeper joins forces with Waterkeepers around the US to bring awareness to our communities and to local and national decision makers regarding the importance of clean drinking water to the health and well-being of our communities. Our goal is to raise awareness of the importance of clean drinking water and to celebrate the 40 years of safeguards that the Clean Water Act has provided to our communities and our nation.
From our oceans and beautiful beaches to our rivers and wetlands, we realize the many benefits of living in an area rich in water resources. In the US, the Clean Water Act is the foundation for our work and the need for its protections continues. A recent Supreme Court ruling affirming protections for all of our state’s waters and the right of citizens to sue again harm from pollution is being challenged with House Bill 4654 which, if not amended, will threaten these important protections.
What can you do? Contact your elected representative(s) to let them know how important clean water is to our families and our future. Then raise a glass of tap water and pledge your commitment to protecting clean water in our communities and keeping our local rivers fishable, swimmable and drinkable.
Water Conservationist Award
Winyah Rivers Foundation is the recipient of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation's Water Conservationist Award, presented at the February 24th Awards Banquet in Columbia.
The Winyah Rivers Foundation’s Waccamaw RIVERKEEPER® program, led by Christine Ellis, manages the Waccamaw River Volunteer Monitoring project in partnership with Coastal Carolina University’s Waccamaw Watershed Academy, led by Dr. Susan Libes and Mr. Ken Hayes. This long-term project, begun five years ago, engages community volunteers in water quality monitoring on the Waccamaw River, advancing protection of water quality and important habitat in the Waccamaw Watershed. The project has expanded into an inter-state water monitoring project involving community volunteers in both South and North Carolina, and has been recognized by the local Stormwater Managers for its contributions to meeting state and federal requirements. Through its innovative approach, “this project has advanced the state of knowledge and raised community awareness of water quality in the Waccamaw River,” said nominator Reggie Daves.
We are honored to receive this award on behalf of the members and supporters who made it possible.
For more information on our award and other awardees, visit the SCWF website.
SC River Rangers Launch Website
The SC River Rangers are a student based group created to help protect the river and waterways of South Carolina. The group's goal is to educate the community about potential environmental problems regarding abandoned boats and also provide a warning system to alert boaters of possible navigation hazards. You can now report abandoned boats on the group's new website. Thanks to the SC River Rangers for their efforts in keeping our river and waterways clean and healthy!
Waccamaw RIVERKEEPER®, Christine Ellis | Center for Marine and Wetland Studies | Coastal Carolina University
P.O. Box 261954 | Conway, SC 29528-6054 | (843) 349-4007 | Riverkeeper@winyahrivers.org
Winyah Rivers Foundation is a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Riverkeeper is a registered trademark
and service mark of Riverkeeper, Inc.
and is licensed for use herein.
The Foundation would like to thank Courtney Burge for the design of our website. We're delighted with her work and recommend her to you.