I became an environmental stalwart after getting involved in the Gills Creek Watershed Association seven years ago. I have never considered myself an environmentalist, but the Gills Creek Watershed Association taught me the error of my ways! Even though I rolled off the Board in November 2021, I am still a volunteer with Gills Creek Watershed Association, and always will be.

The Watershed consists of sections of Richland County, the City of Columbia, the City of Cayce, the City of Forest Acres, the Town of Arcadia Lakes, as well as Fort Jackson. I, along with approximately 120,000 other Midlands’s residents, call the Gills Creek Watershed home. We can all use Gills Creek for recreational purposes and sustenance fishing. Unfortunately, Gills Creek Watershed itself is among the largest impaired urban watersheds in South Carolina, with numerous water quality problems, including high bacteria, low dissolved oxygen, litter, and sedimentation, along with high flood risks.

The quality of life in the Watershed is in enhanced by the work of GCWA. I encourage you to consider supporting Gills Creek by participating in our major fundraiser, Wine for Water, that will take place on Thursday, March 24, 2022, at my friend Dupre Percival’s event venue, The Hall at Senate’s End, which is by another watershed, the Congaree River. We will have auction items, food from a variety of restaurants, wine tasting, and a whole lot of fun.

Below is information about the event. I hope you will consider sponsoring, attending, and/or contributing to Gills Creek.