Research & Publications

Research is the foundation of the Saluda-Reedy Watershed Consortium’s work.  From an in-depth assessment of historic water quality trends to a predictive model of land use change, our research informs all of our efforts to improve water quality-related policies and build local capacity to protect water resources. 

The Consortium is currently engaged in a wide variety of research projects ranging from peak flow sampling along the rivers to an analysis of impervious cover throughout the watershed. To see a list of of all active projects begun in July 2005 and scheduled to finish in June 2007, click here.

Over the last three years, we have initiated and brought close to completion a series of research efforts that, taken together, provide a remarkably comprehensive picture of the state of water resources in the Saluda-Reedy Watershed.  The results of this first round of analysis are available on this website in several different formats:

• For those who want the big picture, we have published a comprehensive State of the Watershed 2005 report that provides an overview of the status and trends of water resources in our region. 

• For those who like their information short and to the point, we have a series of one-page watershed insights reports on specific water quality-related topics.  Click here for a list of currently available one-page reports.

• For those who want to read it all, we have a set of in-depth reports from projects concluded during the summer 2005 that cover the same ground as the watershed insights reports, but in 5 to 20 pages rather than one page.  Click here for a list of currently available in-depth reports.

• A series of charts, graphs and tables that display water quality data gathered and analyzed for the Saluda and Reedy rivers from the recently concluded Saluda-Reedy Watershed Consortium-sponsored research projects. Click here to see this data.

• A series of detailed land use change maps that show year-by-year changes in a variety of land use parameters:  developed versus undeveloped land, change in tree cover, and changes in impervious cover. Click here to see the first version of these maps - land-use change from 1985 to 2000.