The Value of Water

In this part of the world, in an era of modern convenience, it’s all too easy to take clean water for granted. It's easy to forget the value of water and the immense role it plays in our daily lives. As our region grows, it’s more important than ever to recognize the tremendous value of water — and to fight to protect it. 

Upstate Forever works with landowners, utilities, developers, and other local leaders to protect critical land for water quality, such as headwater streams and watershed lands. We also advocate at the local, state, and federal levels to advance policies that protect our drinking water, as well as the places we love to fish, hunt, swim, and explore.

How you can help

• Monitor your local waterways by becoming a citizen scientist through SC’s Adopt-a-Stream program or by keeping a log of what’s happening in your local creek, river, wetland, or lake.
   
• Tell your state and local representatives that water and land protection matters to your community: Consider writing them a letter, sending an email, or picking up the phone to make your voice heard. 
   
• Pay attention to other local city and county council issues and participate when you can. Remember, many policies governing how we manage land, construction, and transportation can impact our local waterways. Sign up for our e-newsletters with updates and alerts related to Greenville and Spartanburg growth issues here.
   
• Be on the lookout for alerts from UF and our partner organizations. Follow us on social media and click here to sign up for our water issues e-newsletter, The Water Log. View past editions of The Water Log here
   
• Support increased funding for land protection. Land protection is the most cost-effective way to protect water quality. According to a study by the Trust for Public Land, every $1 spent on land protection saves $27 on water treatment costs, because it keeps our waters clean, naturally, without the need for costly infrastructure upgrades. That's a great return — on any investment.

Learn more

• Learn how our team works to protect the Upstate's water resources
   
• Find out how development impacts water quality from UF's Clean Water Director Erika Hollis
   
• Continued population and economic growth are increasing demand for water across the state. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is working to update our State Water Plan to ensure SC has enough water in 20 years.
   
• How do the EPA Clean Water Act Rollbacks affect the Upstate? Clean Water Advocate Megan Chase breaks down what recent attacks to the Clean Water Act mean
   
• Recent flooding around the Upstate has sparked a conversation about how land use and rapid growth have led to increased runoff from storm events. Find out what is being done to plan for future floods
   
• Learn why wetlands are the Upstate’s unsung heroes
   
• While we first look to collaborative solutions to protect our drinking water, as well as the places we love to fish, hunt, swim, and explore, we must sometimes take legal action to ensure that bad actors are held accountable for causing damage to our waterways. Learn more about Upstate Forever's water advocacy work 

Photo by Tom Blagden