New Florence County Park on the Lynches River
On Friday, May 26th, Winyah Rivers Alliance’s Executive Director, Debra Buffkin, and Deputy Director, Christine Ellis, participated in a ribbon cutting at Florence County’s soon-to-be new park on the Lynches River.
We were part of a large group who enjoyed a 3 mile paddle on the Lynches River hosted by River Rats.
Following the paddle, we were treated to a luncheon on the property, and heard from several officials and conservation organizations which then culminated in the official ribbon cutting.
Winyah Rivers Alliance is a member of the Board of the Lynches River Conservation Fund (LRCB), held by Central Carolina Community Foundation. The LRCB played an important role in securing the land where this new park will be developed, providing financial support for acquisition.
The property is located downstream of Lake City in Florence County, South Carolina and adjacent to Bennie Landing, an existing public access point to the Lynches River. This segment of the Lynches River is designated “State Scenic” since 2008. This segment of the Lynches River is also a “Revolutionary River” National Recreation Trail.
The property consists of 498 surveyed acres, with approximately 148 acres of mixed open and forested upland and 350 acres of freshwater forested wetlands (bottomland hardwood) and 1.3 miles of meandering frontage on the Scenic Lynches River.
The primary conservation values of the property are in its wetland habitats, scenic river frontage, and public access opportunities for the region, with secondary values of water quality, community engagement, climate resilience, and flood control. Bottomland hardwood wetlands provide co-benefits of scenic views from the Lynches, flood storage, habitat for forest birds, and potential for flat, easily accessible trails to the river.
This new park will serve the diverse residents of the region looking for green space, picnicking, family gathering, fishing, paddling, and wildlife observation.
Many partners contributed to securing the property, including the Open Space Institute, Pee Dee Land Trust, South Carolina Conservation Bank, the Darla Moore Foundation, and the Lynches River Conservation Board which includes Winyah Rivers Alliance.
We are proud of the part we played in the acquisition of this property and in land conservation and the protection of the natural resources of the Lynches River watershed.