Recently, due to budget cuts by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, many of South Carolina’s USGS river gauges were discontinued apparently without notice. After review, it has been determined that four of these gauges were used on the American Whitewater site to determine runnability of at least thirteen river reaches.
These river gauges and reaches are listed below:
USGS Gauge 02185200: Little River near Walhalla, SC
Flat Shoal River 1 (Oconee County, House District 001, Senate District 01)
Flat Shoal River 2 (Oconee County, House District 001, Senate District 01)
*Little Eastatoe (Pickens County, House District 004, Senate District 02)
*Little, North Fork (Oconee County House District 001, Senate District 01)
*Oconee Creek (Oconee County, House District 001, Senate District 01)
*Snow Creek (Oconee County, House District 002, Senate District 01)
*Twelve Mile Creek (Pickens County, House Districts 003 and 004, Senate District 02)
USGS Gauge 02162350: Middle Saluda River near Cleveland, SC
Middle Saluda 1 (Greenville County, House District 017, Senate District 05)
Middle Saluda 2 (Greenville County, House District 017, Senate District 05)
*Oil Camp Creek (Greenville County, House District 017, Senate District 05)
*North Saluda 2 (Greenville County, House District 017, Senate District 05)
USGS Gauge 02186645: Coneross Ck nr Seneca, SC
Coneross Creek (Oconee County, House District 002, Senate District 01)
USGS Gauge 02196484: Savannah River near North Augusta, SC
Savannah 1 (Edgefield/Aiken Counties, House Districts 012 and 083, Senate Districts 24 and 25)
*asterisks indicate gauge is not on river listed, but on a nearby river
Please write the following sources to express your interest in continued funding for these guages. Examples of sample letters can be found at:
The cost of operating a gauge for both stage and flow is approximately twice that as operating a gauge for stage only. You might state if you find flow information beneficial or if stage only data would suffice for your needs.
Governor Mark Sanford
Office of the Governor
P. O. Box 12267
Columbia, SC 29211
FAX: (803)734-5167
Mike McGowan
State Tourism Director
South Carolina Dept of Parks, Recreation & Tourism
1205 Pendleton Street
Suite 248
Columbia, SC 29201
Dr. Masaaki Kiuchi or Andrew Wachob (pick one or write to both)
Hydrology Section
Water Resources Division
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
1201 Main St., Suite 1100
Columbia, SC 29201
(803)737-0800
FAX: (803)765-9080
In addition, it would be beneficial to contact the appropriate South Carolina state senate and house legislature representatives for any particular reach you are interested in. Senate members contact information is available at:
House members contact information is available at:
Many of these reaches have been documented for the first time on the American Whitewater page in the past year. People who have never run these rivers before are encouraged to write letters to the appropriate contacts. It is suggested that you include something to the effect of:In the past year, I became aware this river through the American Whitewater internet site. Although I have never run this river (or these rivers) in the past, I am considering a trip to it. Unfortunately, due to the nature of fluctuating water levels on this river, I am unlikely to do so unless funding for the appropriate river gauge is reinstated.
South Carolina residents are also encouraged to write their local senate and house representative. District numbers are available from your voter registration card or your local voter registration office. Be sure to mention how far it is from your home to the river. Remember that it costs an average of $0.36 per mile to operate a vehicle. Use this to estimate how much a round trip river costs. Remember that money not spent for gas or emergency service near the river is being spent by you in your local community for vehicle purchases and maintenance.
Eric Paysen running Razorback on Middle Saluda