Lake Conestee Nature Park
The Lake Conestee Nature Park is located six miles south of Greenville, S.C. It is a beautiful area composed of 300 acres of woodlands, wetlands, and 1.5 miles of the Reedy River. Hosting a rich diversity of wildlife, the Park is a natural treasure offering programs that focus on outdoor recreation, environmental education, research and children’s activities.
Despite its potential as a nature preserve, the area has been degraded by contaminants and needs restoration. It was utilized extensively in the early 20th Century for discharging waste from textile mills. Later, industrial discharges from Greenville’s growing industries, combined with sewage and other pollutants, poured into the Reedy River and its tributaries. Since that time, the Lake, dam and surrounding area has been identified as a brownfield site for restoration. This project is a continuation of the restorative plan.
Project Purpose
The Center for Community Growth and Change of the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities was retained by the Conestee Foundation whose mission is “to develop Lake Conestee and contiguous community lands into a nature park and wildlife sanctuary for public recreation.” Under this agreement students in architecture would provide concepts for an environmental education center, and students in the landscape architecture department would explore potential land use in the area and a master plan for the Park.Design Studios
Three separate design studios were created with the following foci:
1. Environmental education center: Graduate students in architecture under the leadership of Professor Jori Erdman focused on creating an environmental education center.
2. Smart growth: Undergraduate and graduate students under the direction of Professor Robert Hewitt and Hala Nassar participated in a studio on how the Park could play a role in smart growth and best practices in land use.
3. Recreation: A studio led by Professor Mary Beth McCubbin and Grant Cunningham addressed planning for recreational services and activities.
Opportunities:
- Along the Reedy River incorporate nature trails, board walks, and key observation stations
- By the Lake create an interpretive center/museum to observe and chronicle the restorative process; offer paddling activities and a floating stage
- At the former landfill provide opportunities to learn about waste cycles and stewardship of land; design experimental gardens; create a dog park, skateboard park, a festival site or similar recreational site
- At the Henderson Farm consider options suitable for public events and large gatherings
- At the Forrester Farm redesign as a gateway with supportive services to the park, a farmer’s market or retail outlet for plants grown in the experimental gardens
- At Augusta Woods explore mixed use as a neighborhood connector to the site with trails and overlooks; a ropes course or environmental challenge site; a campsite; or a memorial park
Recommendations
The final student project designs for the Park offer a variety of active and passive recreational components. While each expresses a different story about Lake Conestee, they collectively form a set of common principles that can serve as guidelines for future development of the Park.
These recommendations emphasize that Lake Conestee can play an important role in planning for healthy, sustainable communities by contributing to:
- Physical health – through multiple recreational opportunities
- Ecological health – by protecting wildlife habitats and filtering systems for air and water
- Cultural health – through education and entertainment
- Economic health – by enhancing the communities in which we live
Page maintained by: The Clemson University Restoration Institute, CURI-L@clemson.edu