The Tyger River Watershed

The Water Log: August 2023

Happy August!

In this issue of the Water Log, we will share exciting updates about the Tyger River Confluence Blueway and Park Project: a transformative conservation and outdoor recreation project in Spartanburg County. Read on to learn more about our recent site visits and ways for you to provide input on this project. We also have news about upcoming events in September where you can come meet members of our team to learn more about our work.

We hope you are having an excellent summer, enhanced by the refreshing and abundant waters of our Upstate region.

Keep hydrated!

Erika J. Hollis

Clean Water Director

Upstate Forever

The Tyger River Confluence

The Tyger River Confluence Park and Blueway Project builds upon previous work by The Tyger River Foundation, including restoring the historic Anderson Mill and providing multiple river access points, which were developed in partnership with the Tyger River Blueways Coalition and Spartanburg County Parks and Recreation.

The proposed project would cover 20 river miles and provide 10 hours of class I – IV paddling, 10 public park spaces, and the Tyger River Nature Center, located on the Foundation's property at the confluence of the North and South Tyger rivers. The Nature Center will serve as a regional destination for education, recreation, and event-based eco-tourism.

Upstate Forever — in Partnership with The Tyger River Foundation and consultant, Bolton and Menk, Inc. — are working to develop a master plan for this community-driven initiative. To learn more about this project, see the project overview.

The South Tyger River

On August 14th (one of the hottest days of the summer!), members of Bolton & Menk, Inc., Upstate Forever, The Tyger River Foundation, the Spartanburg Community Foundation, and the Spartanburg Historical Association conducted site visits to several locations along the Tyger River corridor. Site visits allowed the team to assess the recreational and historical amenities available in the region. We also began to determine ideal locations and opportunities for various recreational facilities and activities to include in the master plan.

Keep an eye out for an upcoming survey where you can tell us what you want to see included in the Upstate's newest recreational corridor along the Tyger River!

Members from Bolton and Menk, Inc., Upstate Forever, and

The Tyger River Foundation at Anderson Mill.

Upcoming Events

Join Sally Sierer Bethea and UF at M. Judson Booksellers on September 7th (5:30-7:00pm) and then again at Hub City Bookshop on September 19th (6:00-7:30pm) for an engaging discussion about her book, Keeping the Chattahoochee: Reviving and Defending a Great Southern River. Sally Sierer Bethea was one of the first women in America to become a “riverkeeper”—a vocal defender of a specific waterway who holds polluters accountable. In Keeping the Chattahoochee, she tells stories that range from joyous and funny to frustrating—even alarming—to illustrate what it takes to save an endangered river. Her tales are triggered by the regular walks she takes through a forest to the Chattahoochee over the course of a year, finding solace and kinship in nature.

For two decades, Bethea worked to restore the neglected Chattahoochee, which provides drinking water and recreation to millions of people, habitat for wildlife, and water for industries and farms as it cuts through the heart of the Deep South. Pairing natural and political history with reflective writing, she draws readers into her watershed and her memories. Bethea’s passion for the natural world—and for defending it with a strong, informed voice—animates this instructive memoir. Offering lessons on how to fight for our fundamental right to clean water, Bethea and her colleagues take on powerful corporate and government polluters. They strengthen environmental policies and educate children, reviving the great river from a century of misuse. Books will be available for purchase at a special rate for this event.

UF team members will be in attendance at these events to facilitate discussion related to water advocacy in the Upstate and share examples of our local water related work. We look forward to seeing you there! In the meantime, to learn more about this book, click here.

Sally Bethea on the Chattahoochee River (Photo Credit: Saporta Report)

Until next time 

Thank you for signing up to receive The Water Log, Upstate Forever’s email newsletter dedicated to Clean Water news, issues, and information. We appreciate your interest and dedication to safeguarding the Upstate’s water resources.  

If you have any questions about this topic or would like to learn about another Clean Water issue in a future edition, please contact me at ehollis@upstateforever.org. 

Upstate Forever is a nonprofit conservation organization that protects critical lands, waters, and the unique character of Upstate South Carolina.  Over the past two decades, we have worked to protect the natural assets that make the Upstate so special — our farmlands, forests, natural areas, rivers, and clean air. We are committed to ensuring that our communities are vibrant and retain their green spaces, outdoor heritage, and unique identities in the face of rapid development and significant sprawl. Our vision is an environmentally healthy, economically prosperous Upstate that offers a high quality of life now and for future generations.

Funding for the Tyger River Confluence Blueway and Park Project provided in part by the Mary Black Foundation through their Healthy Eating|Active Living grant program.

For more information, visit our website at upstateforever.org or send us an email.