Our Country’s Newest “Blue Trail” – The Congaree River In South Carolina
by Rebecca Wodder, American Rivers 
on 07. 3.08
As President of American Rivers, the nation’s leading river conservation organization, I get to enjoy our nation’s rivers more than most people. After all, it’s my job! But, I don’t come to work everyday just because I love rivers and want to protect them so our communities can continue to thrive. I come to work everyday because I want everyone to love and appreciate rivers. I want all Americans to have a stake in the future of our rivers and the best way to do that is to connect people with their local rivers and streams. To engage individuals with rivers and allow people to truly see what they have to offer. To many people, a river is just something to look at as they cross a bridge – if they even notice it at all. In order to change this, we need to give people the opportunity to personally experience a river - to witness its beauty, behold its grace and respect its power.
Most people believe they have to go long and far out of their way to enjoy a river, but many of these jewels are right in their own backyards. So, at American Rivers, we make it a priority to not only connect people with their local rivers, but to cultivate the recreational and cultural opportunities rivers provide. That’s why American Rivers is working to establish blue trails through our Blue Trails Initiative TM — a great way to connect people to their hometown rivers while boosting tourism, civic pride and a conservation ethic.
Blue trails, also known as water trails, are the river equivalent of hiking trails. They are corridors developed to facilitate recreation in and along rivers and other water bodies. Blue trails are found in urban settings as well as in remote environments. They come in all shapes and sizes and are used by paddlers, anglers, hikers, runners, picnickers, and those just seeking a bit of solitude.
One of our country’s newest blue trails is South Carolina’s Congaree River Blue Trail.
This past Friday, American Rivers and its local partners hosted a celebration of the Congaree River Blue Trail and its recent designation as a National Recreation Trail. The celebration included a ceremonial paddle from West Columbia across the river to Columbia, South Carolina. West Columbia Mayor Horton and City Council Member Elect Belinda Gergel and Tracy Swartout, Congaree National Park Superintendent joined us and spoke about the importance of the Congaree River to South Carolina and the region. American Rivers also released a new waterproof map and interpretative guide of the Congaree River Blue Trail.
The Congaree River Blue Trail is a real asset for local communities, and the trail map and online interpretive guide will make it even easier for people to get out and enjoy the river with their family and friends. As demonstrated by the many partners and civic leaders attending the paddle and celebration, The Congaree River brings all the surrounding communities together and fosters a sense of civic pride.
American Rivers is working hard to enhance communities’ access to and opportunity for recreation and the enjoyment of these valuable assets. We are rekindling the public’s appreciation for America’s rich river heritage. As more people learn to appreciate the gift of rivers, they will want to protect them. That’s what blue trails are all about.
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Great post! I've been wanting to paddle through Congaree NP for awhile now. I'm excited to hear we're getting a bumped up designation. Thanks!
While I appreciate the designation, the Congaree is currently anything BUT "blue". Due to the drought here in SC AND no water being released upstream from Lake Murray, the Congaree and its two main tributaries are nearly dry. Additionally this week a warning was issued that the river below the Blossom St. bridge was high in bacterial levels and we're being warned to avoid contact with the river.
Hi Dennis,
The recent bacterial warning on the Congaree River was certainly a dissapointment. I understand the main culprit like on so many other rivers is non-point source pollution. A primary goal of American Rivers Blue Trial program is to address problems like this by creating a constituancy for rivers and their protection. One of the most effective ways to protect rivers from non-point source pollutants is to protect the adjacent riverside buffers. We hope the recent National Recreation Trail designation will help promote this incredible resource and enourage local leaders and landowners to adopt policies that protect land in the river corridor.
We are currently working with state and federal agencies and SCE&G within the FERC relicensing process of Lake Murray Dam to reccomend flows that meet the biological and recreational needs of the Lower Saluda River, the Congaree River and the Congaree National Park. We have made great progress so far and expect among other things, a tremendous improvement in minimum flows. We expect SCE&G will be required in their new operating license to release between 250% to 350% greater continuous minimum flows than is currently required. This will have obvious benefits for not only the Saluda River but also the Congaree River. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to conatact me.
Matt Rice
mrice@americanrivers.org
803-771-7206