South Carolina’s rivers and streams are under increasing strain due to a torrent of new residents, industries and megafarms that threaten their long-term sustainability.
Environmental advocates tell Statehouse Report that’s the key takeaway from a new draft water plan, released Nov. 17 by the S.C. Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) that state officials say will guide water management over the next several decades.
Weighing in at nearly 200 pages, the data-heavy report was developed by WaterSC, an executive working group established by S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster in 2024 and tasked with updating the state’s now-outdated 2004 water plan. It includes input from S.C.’s eight major river councils and various state agencies…