FRED President Tim Rogers responds to Edisto "Most Endangered" listing

The Edisto needs her friends now, more than ever!!

Tim Rogers, President, Friends of the Edisto

American Rivers, leader in the fight for river conservation nation-wide, just released its list of Most Endangered Rivers.

Last year, AR listed the South Fork Edisto as the first impact of unlimited surface water withdrawal for agricultural irrigation hit the political scene like a bombshell.  How could it be that this pristine waterway could be exposed with virtually no legal protection from super-thirsty large-scale farming operations unlike farms seen before in South Carolina?  The Legislature required permitting from all other withdrawers, but completely exempted “big-agriculture.”  An oversight?  Could the law be repaired?

Now, a year later, with no measurable  progress toward reform, American Rivers for the second consecutive year listed the Edisto on its list of Most Endangered Rivers.  As political battle-lines have sharpened, AR expanded the scope of its listing to include the entire Edisto, which is the longest undammed blackwater river in North America.

The debate has become more contentious in recent weeks as some political leaders have acknowledged recruiting big out-of-state farming operations with offers of unlimited water supplies and among the loosest regulatory schemes of any state.  They seem determined to squander our most precious natural resource, ignoring the needs of existing farmers, not to speak of other interests – industrial, municipal, tourism, and the recreational values that make South Carolina such a special place.

American Rivers is obviously committed to standing strong by the Edisto and her friends.  Thanks so much for being there for all of us.  Let’s all work hard to support reform legislation by Rep. James Smith and others to conserve our precious water resources for generations to come.

The precious, iconic Edisto River now needs her friends more than ever.  Join us!  This is a battle we cannot afford to lose.   

(Click for more information on the Edisto's MER 2015 listing.)