North Myrtle Beach Times Serving our Community and the Grand Strand for over 50 years
By Ruben Lowman
Boaters on the Waccamaw River can expect to see crews out removing debris from the water over the next few months in an effort to improve boater safety in the local area.
The Waccamaw River debris clean-up efforts began last week after the county received a grant from South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). County officials secured a $375,000 in funding from SCDNR, then matching the contribution with the same amount from county coffers in order to carry out the project. The project is to improve the navigability of the river, with much of the task being to remove large, fallen trees from the waterway that can create significant risk for boaters.
“I am grateful for the Horry County Government for taking this on,” Rep. William Bailey (R-104th District) said in thanking county officials for their work in funding the project.
As a result of the increased boater traffic that the waterway and the Waccamaw have seen in recent years, there has been a noticeable uptick in accidents and conflict on the water. Like the roads in the area, the local waterways have become congested in recent years due to growth and development. Increased boater traffic in recent years has seen a noticeable uptick in tragic accidents and conflict on the water. As a result, there has been a renewed effort amongst some area leaders to make the waterways more safe for boaters.
Bailey has made boater safety a key issue during his time representing our local area. Last year, he began a discussion about the safety of the Intracoastal Waterway, particularly through the Little River section. Bailey held community meetings with residents, local officials and DNR officials, and the safety of boaters on the Waccamaw is an extension of that effort. The state’s legislative department brought the issue to county officials and provided half of the funding. Bailey was instrumental in appropriating the allocated recreational funds that were used to provide the grant to Horry.
The clean-up efforts will zero in on removing the largest debris from the river, much of which is the result of storms in the area. The debris includes logs, tree stumps and fallen limbs. These can cause blockages in the navigable channels of the Waccamaw, endangering the local population and wildlife. The contractor carrying out the project, Zulu Marine Services, is stationed out of Wilmington, N.C., and will be out on the river along with personnel from the county’s engineering department. They will be using large machinery such as cranes and heavy boats. Officials have said the project will take several months, and could continue through the month of October.
The river stretches from Lake Waccamaw in North Carolina all the way down to Winyah Bay in Georgetown. The Waccamaw meets the Buck Creek on Highway 57 in Longs before flowing behind Aberdeen Country Club and emptying out at Chris Anderson Memorial Boat Landing on Highway 9. The 5,347-acre Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve lies just past the boat landing.
County officials have advised that anyone who sees debris removal crews while out boating on the Waccamaw should be careful, give them a wide berth and go slowly around them. Don’t create a wake and allow them to safely carry out the project.
