WTF… Coming Soon

Wine Tasting at QSG a Success

Charleston Waterkeeper intern, Alessandra Castillo, manning the table at Queen Street Grocery's wine tasting

This week our good friends at Queen Street Grocery (133 Queen Street) helped us kick off the first of many events scheduled for our fall lineup.  On Wednesday, 09/09/09, Queen Street Grocery, Cask Fine Beer & Wine, Charleston Waterkeeper and the good people of Harleston Village all came together for some refreshing wine and world-famous crepes.

A big thanks to everyone who came out to show their support and to Queen Street and Cask for organizing the event.  We hope everyone had fun!

The below clip is of Cyrus Buffum, Charleston Waterkeeper, making a brief introduction of Charleston Waterkeeper to the crowd.  Thanks to Mackenzie Kay of McKay Freelance for filming the shot (note: she’s our PR guru… not so much our video guru).

Like Swimming? Join Us for an Open-Water Swim

Photo by flickr user radville

Open-water swimming, or swimming in the open water (i.e. rivers, creeks, inlets, oceans, etc.), does not sound like a profound or rare concept; however, to some degree it is.  Once access to swimming pools became readily available to the public, the need to use our natural waterways as a place to swim became a bit unnecessary.

Luckily there have been a core group of loyal, open-water swimmers in every community that have helped to maintain the tradition of using our waterways as they should: as a playground.  Not only is it a great way to enjoy the natural resources that we have at our fingertips, but it’s a great opportunity to get out there in the natural environment, away from the florescent lights and smell of chlorine.

Brett Carlson, founder and organizer of ECOthon, and Sarah Mooney, a local open-water swim enthusiast, have recently approached Charleston Waterkeeper with an idea of creating a weekly open-water swim clinic.  The idea: to get more people out in our waterways for exercise, and to provide a platform to shed light on the issues degrading the quality of our waterways – our natural swimming pools.

So, regardless of your age or ability, come on out every Friday for an open-water swim.  Click here for more details.

When: Fridays at 6pm
Where: Sullivans Island Station 29
Cost: $10 (proceeds to benefit ECOthon and Charleston Waterkeeper)

I’m sure you’re asking, “how do I sign up?”  Well, wait no further.  We have the answer… Contact Brett at ECOthon@gmail.com.

Hurricane Bill Excites Surfers Near and Far..

 

Hurricane Bill sends some nice waves onto the shores of Folly Beach. Photo by: Cyrus Buffum

Fall means a lot of things to many folks; for some it’s back to school, some it means football season, and for surfers on the East coast it means waves.  Once the gears start turning towards fall, the Atlantic really starts to see some activity.  Tropical storm systems bring long period ground swells towards Atlantic coastal towns, and every surfer is frothing after waiting all summer to surf something better than knee high wind chop.

Hurricane Bill did exactly what surfers and homeowners alike dream of all summer, stayed far enough offshore to not bring poor weather with it.  The media could not of hyped this swell any more than they did.  By telling people to stay out of the water, they did nothing more than send novices and people who quite honestly shouldn’t have been out in the conditions straight towards the shore.

Despite the crowd, Bill delivered a nice long period swell with 4-6 foot (Hawaiian scale) A-frame bombs to the South Carolina coast.  The winds were favorable early Saturday and Sunday morning, but by noon the southwesterlies tore apart the conditions and those who had gotten out of bed a little late were left with nothing but giant pieces of junk, and those who had cracked it at first light reaped the benefits of their knowledge.

One thing that was almost as noticeable as the giant steamrolling sets that graced Folly Beach, were the number of “surfers.”  Perhaps due to the lack of swell all summer or even the incessant media hype, but the number of folks who were equipped and experienced for conditions like this were far outweighed by those who weren’t.

If Bill is any sign of what the Atlantic has in store for the East coast this Fall, then we can be sure that we are going to get tubed.  However, beachgoers should know their limits and leave the beach a little cleaner than they found it.

-Austin Dandridge

Austin Dandridge is a James Island resident who works for TheDigitel.com.  He is an avid surfer and rides whatever he feels like; from a piece of wood, to a five foot nothing twin fin, to a modern thruster, to a ten foot longboard.

ECOthon is 2 Months Away

The 5th Annual Barrier Island ECOthon is just over 2 months away.  Scheduled for October 25th, this 35 mile sprint style adventure race includes paddling, swimming, running and biking.

Not only is this a great opportunity to test your endurance and enjoy the Lowcountry’s beauty, but it’s for a great cause as well:

The ECOthon is designed to offer you the opportunity to be fully immersed in nature while challenging your abilities, with the additional benefit of providing meaningful support to compassionate charitable organizations; the Lance Armstrong Foundation & the Charleston Tibetan Society.

In preparation for ECOthon, Charleston Waterkeeper has teamed up with some of Charleston’s most devoted open-water swim fanatics.  Brett Carlson, organizer and founder of ECOthon, will be holding a weekly open-water swim clinic for interested individuals.  Space will be limited, so if you’re interested in coming out make sure to email Brett at ecothon@gmail.com.  Each clinic will have a fee of roughly $10, of which part will be donated to Charleston Waterkeeper.

SC Rivers Contaminated with Mercury

Photo by: flickr user mrjoro

In a recent federal study published by the US Geological Survey, Lowcountry rivers were found to have some of the highest levels of mercury contamination in the entire country.  Specifically, largemouth bass swimming in the North Fork of the Edisto River were found to be the most contaminated, next to fish found in polluted rivers near Western gold mines.

Mercury is a strong neurotoxin linked to brain damage and other medical and health problems.  It is one of the most threatening contaminants degrading the quality of our waterways.

The US Department of the Interior released a press release this week announcing the study’s findings.  Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said in a statement, “This science sends a clear message that our country must continue to confront pollution, restore our nation’s waterways, and protect the public from potential health dangers.”

Listen to a podcast about the study here:  Mercury Contamination in Fish Nationwide

For a full article visit the Post and Courier.

A High, High Tide Tonight

This evening, at 8:01pm, Charleston will experience a 6.7 foot tide.  What does this mean?  Basically, the water is going to get very, very high.

More specifically though, the water from this high tide will find its way into the streets and onto the parking lots of low-lying areas.  We all know the captivating characteristics of water and are fully aware of its powerful properties.  In this case though, this tide will act as a huge broom, sweeping every possible thing it can back into the marshes and creeks as the tide ebbs.

As a result, we can expect a flood of trash to end up in our marshes and waterways tonight due to the amount of litter strewn across our creek-side roads, streets and parking lots.  Additionally, every drop of oil, gas, forgotten ice cream and cigarette butt will flush right into our waterways.

To do something about this, Kristin Zeaser-Sydow has organized a Facebook group, “Shem Creek Trash Attack,” to encourage kayakers and boaters to collect the inevitable amounts of trash that will float into our waterways tonight:

High tide around 8pm in Shem Creek tonight and it is a big one! The trash will float out of the bowels of the marsh and is free for the taking–more styrofoam than you can imagine! If you are out boating or paddling, bring a net, a trash bag and maybe a light! BE SAFE

Join the task force heading out tonight by clicking here.

Save Water

While in New York recently, I snapped this picture inside an apartment complex. Notice their citizen hotline, established for citizens to report leaks and such. Sounds familiar, right?… Oh yeah, we have a hotline too!

In case you missed it, we launched our hotline 2 weeks ago: (843) 608-WATR or 608-9287.

Don’t let polluters take away our right to clean water. In the words of the MTA, “if you see something, say something.”

Charleston’s Waterways Recognized by Outside Magazine

Charleston Battery (South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism)

Outside Magazine recently featured an issue highlighting 20 of America’s Best Cities and Idyllic Small Towns.  And, guess what…  To no great surprise, Charleston was on the list of our nation’s top 10 small towns!  Using parameters such as “cost of living, unemployment, nightlife, commute time, and access to green spaces,” Outside Magazine established a winning list.

Undoubtedly, our waterways dominated the description justifying Charleston’s placement on the list:

And since it sits at the confluence of the Cooper and Ashley rivers and the Atlantic Ocean, it’s also prime watersport territory: There’s sailing in the harbor, sea-kayaking through the marshes of the Intracoastal Waterway, and surfing at Folly Beach.

As Charleston’s natural beauty becomes more and more recognized by the rest of the world, it is important for those of us who call this place home to maintain and even elevate our reputation by protecting what we have.  There is no argument against the fact that our waterways play an integral role in defining our charm, greatness and appeal as a city and as a region.  For this reason alone, we must continue to invest a considerable and substantial amount of our time, energy and resources into protecting and preserving our waterways.

Charleston Waterkeeper is committed to maintaining the integrity of our waterways, defending them against pollution and protecting the public’s right to clean water.  Join us in our efforts: donate and become a member today!

Our Water Treatment Plant

Water Flows through Charleston Water System's Water Treatment Plant on its way to be treated for all of us to enjoy.

This week, the folks at Charleston Water Systems were kind enough to invite me on a tour of the Hanahan Water Treatment Plant.  The process of turning river water into drinkable water was absolutely amazing!  Needless to say, the individuals that keep that place running are, and should be, all of our best friends.  After all, we the public are quite dependent on this incredible process.

A few interesting facts I learned along the way:

• 400,000 people are dependent on clean water processed through the Hanahan Water Treatment Plant
• The plant produces roughly 55 million gallons of clean water per day
• Water conservation goes up when the economy goes down!

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to make a cold glass of Charleston’s finest, click here for a visual description of the entire process (pretty amazing!).

Check Charleston Water Systems out on twitter: @ChasWaterSystem