Sandhills | Web of Water - Episode 3

In this webisode, Ian Sanchez explores how the waterways of the Sandhills and Fall Line Zone connect landscapes, communities, and generations. As the Saluda widens below Lake Greenwood and joins other tributaries near Lake Murray, the journey highlights the relationships among natural habitats, local history, cultural voices, and environmental learning along South Carolina’s web of water. Read more of his summary below:

Ian's Journal

This thread of the web of water strings together friends and family as we pass through the Sandhills and Fall Line Zone. The heavy paddle through the undeveloped stretch of the Saluda below Lake Greenwood widened and joined with other tributaries at the mouth of Lake Murray. There I found a familiar sign on a spectacular peninsula saying: "Welcome! Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints" - Hodge Harmon. The ground crew met me there and we were treated to a fire side conversation with Mr. Harmon himself.

A paddle through Lake Murray brought us past tiny islands teeming with wildlife and finally to Dreher Island State Park. There we interviewed Chief Louie Chavis from the Beaver Creek tribe. The next day we learned a great deal from Karen Kustafik about the canals, fish ladder, power plants, and the exotic and native plants of Columbia's Riverfront Park. We were even treated to a geology lesson from a chance meeting with David Shelly, Education Coordinator from Congaree National Park.

We then traveled on to Saluda Shoals State Park where the entire 3rd grade class of Nursery Roads Middle School met us near the river's edge to learn about plants from the local rangers and the web of water.

Standards

• 7-LS2-4 Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
• 6-ESS2-2. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth’s surface at varying time and spatial scales.

Resources