CHESTER WATERSHED DIRECTORS 

 

ROCKY CREEK WATERSHED DIRECTORS

 KEITH McDONALD, CHAIRMAN

CLAUDIA F. DEAN

OSCAR (BUDDY) PEAY

CALVIN CLARK

WILLIAM F. WISHERT

On February 19, 2013, Mr. Marc Cribb, Program Manager, Conservation Districts, SCDNR, administered the oath of office to the newly elected Watershed Board Directors.  Pictured above are Oscar L. "Buddy" Peay, Keith McDonald, Tommy Westbrook, and Calvin C. Clark.  Messers Peay, McDonald, and Clark serve on the Rocky Creek Watershed Board and Mr. Westbrook serves on the Tinker's Creek Watershed Board.

                         BUTLER LAKE DAM 

TINKER'S CREEK WATERSHED DIRECTORS

DAVID J. WILSON, CHAIRMAN

MICHAEL W. ALLEN

TRAVIS M. ALLEN

HENRY T. WESTBROOK

CHARLIE O. BARBER, JR.

 

 

 

Watershed Directors, Seated, left to right:   Mike Allen,  Tommy Westbrook, Charlie O. Barber, Jr., David Wilson.  Standing:  Keith McDonald, Claudia Dean, Calvin Clark, Buddy Peay, William Wishert, Travis Allen.

Pictured above are Travis Allen, new Tinker's Creek Watershed Board Director being sworn in by CSWCD Chairman Allen L. Beer.  Travis is the third generation to serve on the Tinker's Creek Board.  He will serve with his father, Mike Allen, and his grandfather, Henry Allen.

WHAT IS A WATERSHED?

A WATERSHED IS AN AREA OF LAND WHERE ALL OF THE WATER, ON THE SURFACE AND UNDERGROUND, DRAINS TO A COMMON PLACE SUCH AS A LAKE, RIVER, OR THE OCEAN.  WATERSHEDS COME IN ALL SIZES AND CROSS CITY, COUNTY STATE, AND NATIONAL POLITICAL BOUNDARIES.  ALL LIVING THINGS, INCLUDING HUMANS, ARE CONNECTED IN A WATERSHED; SO EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIVE NEAR A BODY OF WATER, YOUR EVERYDAY ACTIONS MAY AFFECT WATER QUALITY BECAUSE YOU ARE ALWAYS IN A WATERSHED.

 WATERSHEDS HELP WITH FLOODING

PICK UP A NEWSPAPER, TURN ON THE TELEVISION OR RADIO, CHECK IN ON ANY SOCIAL MEDIA DEVICE AND SOMEONE IS INVOLVED IN DIALOG ANY TIME WE HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF RAIN IN THIS AREA.  EVERYONE IS AWARE OF THE AMOUNT OF RAIN AT ANY GIVEN TIME, ESPECIALLY DURING THE SUMMER.  EVERY CITIZEN WONDERS WHEN THE RAIN WILL END AND WHERE ALL THE RAIN IS GOING.

ONE PLACE THE RAIN IS GOING IS INTO THE CHESTER COUNTY WATERSHEDS.  CHESTER COUNTY HAS FIVE WATERSHED DAMS THAT HELP CONTROL THE TYPE OF FLOODING THAT IS HEARD ABOUT IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.  THESE WATERSHED DAMS ARE LOCATED IN THE ROCKY CREEK AND TINKER'S CREEK WATERSHEDS.

OVER 50 YEARS AGO, CHESTER COUNTY WAS EXPERIENCING FLOODING ALONG ROCKY CREEK AND TINKER'S CREEK.  FLOOD DAMAGE TO HOMES, BARNS, FENCING, CROPS, PASTURE LAND, ROADS AND BRIDGES WERE THE NORM AFTER A HEAVY RAIN.

THANKS TO THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CHESTER SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT, THE CHESTER COUNTY GOVERNMENT, THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, A PLAN FOR WORKS OF IMPROVEMENT FOR THESE WATERSHEDS WAS PREPARED AND INSTALATION WAS BEGUN IN MARCH OF 1969 TO ALLEVIATE THIS FLOODING IN CHESTER COUNTY.

SINCE THAT TIME, THESE WATERSHEDS HAVE FUNCTIONED (SOMETIMES AT FULL CAPACITY) SUCCESSFULLY IN CONTROLLING DOWNSTREAM FLOODING OF FARM AND FOREST LAND AND IN PROTECTING THE DOWNSTREAM HOME OWNERS FROM FLOODING.  ALL CHESTER COUNTY CITIZENS CAN BE THANKFUL FOR THE VISION OF THESE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES FOR DEVISING AND IMPLEMENTING A PLAN TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS OF CHESTER COUNTY.