Waccamaw Riverkeeper

serving the rivers in the Winyah Bay Watershed

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.

Christine EllisWe 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 in the Winyah Bay Watershed

Successful River Cleanup!

Thanks to the folks at Gray Oaks Estates Property Owners' Association and the volunteers of the Waccamaw RIVERKEEPERÒ Program, we held a successful and fun river cleanup upstream and downstream of the public landing on Old Reaves Ferry Road.  Despite the ominous forecast, the weather held off and the overcast skies kept the temperature bearable.  The only ones who got wet were those of us who took a dip in the river, whether intentional or not!  We cleaned the river of about 500 pounds of trash, including the usual suspects...bottles, cans, styrofoam, etc. as well as a plastic lawn chair and a rotting 55 gallon steel drum.  Following our cleanup, the Cahills hosted a wonderful lunch of chicken bog, green beans, biscuits and banana pudding for all the volunteers!  A great big thank you to the Cahills and the Hannas for suggesting and organizing the cleanup and to all the participants who work so hard to keep the Waccamaw River and our communities beautiful!

Photo Contest - Awards Ceremony

Friday, July 25th, 6 pm at the Conway Library - The votes are in and thanks to our fabulous judges, Steve Berkowitz, Ron Dalto and Dixie Dugan, the winners have been selected!  Join us on Friday the 25th at 6 pm to view all the photos and especially those judged to be the best!  Thanks to all who submitted photos and a special thanks to Reggie Daves, Board member of Winyah Rivers Foundation, who organized the contest, and co-sponsors Steve Robertson, publisher of The Horry Independent, and Keth Jacobs from 803 Labs.

WATERKEEPER® Carolinas Oppose New and Expanded Coal Fired Power Plants

Duke Energy Carolinas has proposed to build a new 800-megawatt coal fired power plant unit at its Cliffside power plant near Shelby, NC.  Working with the Southern Environmental Law Center and WATERKEEPER® ALLIANCE, WATERKEEPER® Carolinas has been advocating against this expansion.  We are opposed to the construction of any new coal‐fired power plants within the state of North Carolina or South Carolina without Best Available Technology (BACT). The Carolinas are already suffering from the impacts of elevated, harmful levels of mercury in our states' waterways. We specifically oppose the Cliffside plant expansion proposed by Duke Energy because it:  1) does not have BACT; 2) will add more mercury; and 3) will add significant amounts of other harmful pollutants to the environment of North Carolina. We need your help to protect our waters from the pollution that this expansion will add to our already mercury impaired waters. » Read More

CWSEC - Helping Local Governments Meet Requirements for Stormwater Education and Public Involvement

The Coastal Waccamaw Stormwater Education Consortium works with local municipalities in Horry and Georgetown Counties in South Carolina to help them satisfy education and public engagement requirements mandated under federal stormwater regulations.  To learn more about the CWSEC, go to www.cwsec-sc.org. » Read More

Sharkee for President

Sharkee, from Ripley's Aquarium, has kicked off his campaign for President with an environmental platform.  Sharkee's message of water conservation promotes finding ways to conserve water every day in every way.  Sharkee also wants us to make sure that "Only Rain Goes Down the Drain".  Help Sharkee in his quest to "Save the Wave"!  For more information, go to www.ripleysaquarium.com/sharkeeforprez.php.

Winyah Master Naturalist Course

Registration for the Fall 2008 Winyah Master Naturalist Course will soon be open. The Winyah Master Naturalist Course is being offered through a partnership between the North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Huntington Beach State Park, Clemson’s Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology & Forest Science, and the Belle W. Baruch Foundation.  For more information, please contact Jen Spicer ( jen@belle.baruch.sc.edu, 843-546-3623 ext. 251) or Mike Walker (mwalker@scprt.com, 843-235-8755).

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!

» Other River Events

Waccamaw Riverkeeper®, Christine Ellis | Center for Marine and Wetland Studies | Coastal Carolina University
1270 Atlantic Avenue | Conway, SC 29526 | (843) 349-4007 | WRK@coastal.edu
Winyah Rivers Foundation is a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.


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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.