Stormwater Management & Erosion Control Demonstration Projects

It's much easier to follow a leader than to make a leap in the dark.  That's why Upstate Forever and the Saluda-Reedy Watershed Consortium are actively supporting and promoting several high-visibility stormwater demonstration projects throughout the region.

Constructed Wetlands & Bioswales (Anderson County)

Since 2005, Upstate Forever began collaborating with officials in Anderson County's Recreation Department to incorporate wetlands-based stormwater management into the design for a major new recreation complex that the county is building on the banks of the Saluda River just north of highway 81.   Click on the image below for a high-resolution version of the conceptual design for a wetlands-based stormwater management system at the Anderson County park.

An independent economic consultant evaluated the costs of using a series of bioswales and constructed wetlands planted with attractive wetland wildflower species versus the standard “pipes-and-ponds” approach to stormwater management and determined that the bioswales and wetlands approach would cost approximately 25% less. The result will be a system that creates habitat for birds and other wildlife while it delivers cleaner water to the Saluda - all at a cost comparable to, or less than, that of a conventional system.

Reedy River Stormwater Demonstration Site

Upstate Forever is working with Friends of the Reedy River to develop a high-profile demonstration site on the Reedy between Cleveland Park and Reedy Falls Park. With help from a $25,000 Supplemental Environmental Project grant from Lennar Corporation, we will remediate two enormous gullies that have been carved down to the river on the bank opposite the Greenville Chamber of Commerce by uncontrolled stormwater from Church Street and from a nearby industrial site. The project will use a combination of concrete catch basins, stone riprap, and native vegetation to dissipate the energy of the stormwater and prevent further erosion as it flows to the river.

In a planned second phase of the project, we will work with Friends of the Reedy River to construct small wetland treatment cells along the riverbank to purify the water coming through the energy dissipation structures. By the time we’re done, the water coming off the street will be cleaner than the water in the river! And given the high-profile location of this site, it will be a great place to show community leaders and interested citizens how stormwater problems can be turned into water quality solutions. Stay tuned for field trips to the site in 2007!

Upstate Forever's Rain Garden

In October, Upstate Forever sponsored a Rain Garden field trip and workday to learn more about the benefits of rain gardening and to gain some hands-on experience constructing a demonstration rain garden in downtown Greenville. Fifteen people participated in the 1.5 hour walk around the Pettigru Historic Neighborhood looking at water-friendly landscaping or how different types of landscaping could be improved to benefit water quality. Speakers discussed the importance of native plants in landscaping plans and how those survive better under varying weather conditions (wet and dry). 

Half of the participants then stayed to help construct one of the Upstate's few rain gardens at the Upstate Forever office in the Pettigru Historic Neighborhood. Once the digging began, it took approximately five hours to complete the rain garden (seven volunteers worked for 2 hours and then 2 volunteers continued working for an additional 3 hours to complete it).  The material cost for completing the rain garden was just under $500 which including the supplies listed below. A smaller rain garden could be constructed at a reduced cost, or you may have some of the materials available for free, such composted soil and rocks.

Special thanks go to Earth Design and Richard Powers: both key resources in designing the rain garden and helping Upstate Forever acquire the plant materials at cost. Click here to view the design for the Upstate Forever Rain Garden.

Our website has numerous reports and resources on rain gardens available for download such as a plant list for native species in the southeast, a detailed manual for the homeowner and a simple brochure on constructing your own. Click here to access these many other reports on rain gardens and constructed wetlands.