On Saturday the Waccamaw Riverkeepers Association hosted its 10th annual Waccamaw River Conference.

Conservationists and outdoorsmen alike packed into the Coastal Carolina University Extension in Litchfield to sit in on a series of seminar sessions on several topics including effective green building, smart energy home programs, low impact gardening and getting to know your neighborhood storm system. 

“All the seminar sessions were designed to give river-friendly solutions for homeowners and the community” said Waccamaw Riverkeepers Director Christine Ellis.

“Our mission is to protect, preserve, monitor, and revitalize the health of the lands and waters of the greater Winyah Bay watershed.”

The Waccamaw Riverkeepers service and protect a great deal more than the Waccamaw River. They monitor the Sampit, Black, Little Pee Dee, Great Pee Dee, Lynches and the Lumber river basins — all of which feed into Winyah Bay.

“We are a grassroots organization whose members support the mission of protecting the rivers in the great watershed that empties into our great bay in Georgetown” Ellis stated.

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.

“If we can get the public more aware of just simple everyday changes they can make, we can make a big difference” said Tracy Jones, Georgetown County Stormwater Manager.

“One small thing that people can change is not follow in line with the myth that it is good to fertilize with nitrogen-rich fertilizer right before a big rain. The nitrogen is designed to break down over time so when it rains, it washes the nitrogen out and into nearby ditches and retention ponds. Once it reaches these ditches and ponds it serves as fuel for aggressive algae growth,” Jones explained to the crowd.

“We seek to ensure that the land and water uses in the watershed support a high quality of life for all human and natural uses. Clean water is a vital essential for a healthy human and wildlife habitat. The Foundation will engage in researching, teaching and promoting the use of preventive and restorative measures. It makes no sense to foul our waters and then have to clean them up. Future generations depend on our wise use of land and water,” Ellis stated.

For those who are interested in volunteering or joining the Waccamaw Riverkeepers, contact Christine Ellis at (843) 349-4007 or go to www.winyahrivers.org.

Monthly volunteer meetings are held on the last Thursday of the month from 6 to 7 p.m. Meetings are held at Coastal Carolina University's Center for Marine and Wetland Studies building in the Atlantic Center, across U.S. Highway 501 from the Main Campus, in Room 100.

By Asher Robinson

For The Times