Water conference in Columbia connects ecology, economics

Published: October 9, 2012

COLUMBIA — Ecology and economics are a vital fit for South Carolina’s prosperity, according to a keynote presentation at a Clemson University-coordinated conference on water resources.

More than 300 political leaders, environmental officials, scientists and engineers from academia and industry are registered to attend the 2012 South Carolina Water Resources Conference Wednesday and Thursday at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

The first-day program will begin at 8:45 a.m. with introductory remarks. At 9:30 a.m. State Commerce Department Secretary Bobby Hitt presents a “wake-up call” on the economic impact of water. At noon, DHEC Director Catherine Templeton is the featured luncheon plenary speaker.

“We are very pleased to have Mr. Hitt and Ms. Templeton speaking on the first day, then on Day 2, a legislative panel led by state Sen. Paul Campbell in the morning and Col. Alvin Taylor, the director of Department of Natural Resources, speaking at lunch,” said Gene Eidson, conference co-chairman and director of the Clemson University Institute of Applied Ecology.

"Each will have his or her own take on the issue, but over all, the message will be that we need to work together — to collaborate — to ensure that South Carolina has the quantity and quality of water we need for a healthy and prosperous future,” he said.

The 2012 conference theme is “Exploring Opportunities for Collaborative Water Research, Policy and Management” and is focused on meeting environmental and economic needs for this vital limited resource.

There are 30 breakout sessions in five tracks with 90 presenters from the state’s universities, federal and state agencies, environmental engineering consultants and municipalities. Tracks include water policy and planning, river basin and stream systems, stormwater management, water-use management and permitting, and water quality and monitoring.

The complete conference schedule is available online at www.scwaterconference.org. The plenary sessions will be streamed on the website.

The conference is coordinated by Clemson University’s Center for Watershed Excellence in conjunction with a statewide planning committee. Its purpose is to provide an integrated forum for discussion of water policies, research projects and water management to prepare for and meet the growing challenge of providing water resources to sustain and grow South Carolina’s economy, while preserving its natural resources.

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Financial contributors
Major contributors include the Clemson University Restoration Institute, Duke Energy, Santee Cooper, Charleston Water System, Greenville Water, the S.C. Energy Office and YSI Inc. Supporting contributors include Clemson University's Strom Thurmond Institute, Coastal Carolina University Waccamaw Watershed Academy, the College of Charleston Environmental Studies Graduate Program, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control Bureau of Water, the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium, SCANA and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).