Program Reports
SC Adopt-a-Stream Program Reports
Each year, we dive into the SC Adopt-a-Stream Database to compile an annual report. View our most recent reports below to learn more about how the program has grown and evolved over the years!

Reports Archive
Annual Reports
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2022
SC Adopt-a-Stream celebrated its 5th anniversary as a statewide volunteer water quality monitoring program in 2022!
A few 2022 Highlights:
- 267 Active Volunteers
- 681 Volunteers Certified
- 813 Sampling Events
- 241 Sites Sampled
- 2517 Volunteer Hours
- 40 Alerts Generated
Most Active Counties
Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson: Most sites per county
Charleston, Beaufort, Oconee: Most new sites adopted in 2023
Most Active Groups
South Fork Edisto Paddlers, WEC, ARJWS, North Pacolet Area, Oak Grove Lakers, Lake Conestee NP, Denise & Andy Chesson, Lake Cunningham
Highlights
124 NEW Sites were adopted in 2022!
We held our 1st annual “Reflections” Volunteer Appreciation Event in September. Thanks to all who joined!
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2021
2021 marked South Carolina Adopt-a-Stream’s fourth full year as a statewide volunteer water quality monitoring program!
Here are a few 2021 Highlights:
- 220 Active Volunteers
- 516 Volunteers Certified
- 824 Sampling Events
- 164 Sites Sampled
- 1891 Volunteer Hours
- 45 Alerts Generated
Most Active Counties
Greenville, Anderson, Richland, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg, and Charleston
Most Active Groups
South Fork Edisto Paddlers, Team Sybel for FOLR, Pam Torlina, North Pacolet Area, Greer City, CME Holston, Clemson Spider Lily, Sustaining Way, Gills Creek Watershed, and Crain K&G
New Tidal Saltwater Monitoring
A total of 62 volunteers became certified to monitor tidal saltwater, and 26 saltwater sites were adopted between June and December 2021.
2017-2021 Summary
- 2833 Sampling Events
- 368 Sites Sampled
- 1907 Volunteer Certifications
- 5,230 Volunteer Hours
- 162 Water Quality Alerts
- $174,093 Volunteer Contributions
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2020
2020 marked South Carolina Adopt-a-Stream’s third full year as a statewide volunteer water quality monitoring program. Despite the year’s unique challenges, we found ways to adapt, and volunteers continued to get certified and monitor local waterways.
Here are a few 20 highlights:
- 546 Sampling Events
- 296 Volunteers Trained
- 101 Sites Sampled
- 31 Workshops
- 1,069 Volunteer Hours
- 42 Alerts Generated
Most Active Trainers
Jack Turner & Beth Button have been Trainers with SC AAS prior to 2017 and are a big reason for the number of volunteers in the upstate. They hosted eight workshops in 2020.
Most Active Groups
Powdersville Water, Everything Flows Downstream, Keep Aiken County Beautiful, South Fork Edisto Paddlers, Friends of the Reedy River, North Pacolet Area
2017-2020 Summary
- 2,013 Sampling events
- 859 Volunteers trained
- 240 Sites sampled
- 107 Workshops
- 3,344 Volunteer hours
- 117 Water quality alerts
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2017-2019
2017-2019
South Carolina Adopt-a-Stream 2017-2019*
Summary* denotes from 1/1/19 to 10/3/191,271* Certifications & Recertifications
Bacteria
- 2017 -71
- 2018 -207
- 2019* -264
Chem/Phys
- 2017 –71
- 2018 –209
- 2019* -269
Macroinvert
- 2017 –32
- 2018 –63
- 2019* -85
55 Alerts
Automated emails related to observations of pollution or high bacteria in waterway
- 2017 –15
- 2018 –25
- 2019* –15
Participates in the SC AAS Program
- 7 Colleges & Universities
- 5 K-12 Schools
- 5 Utilities
- 5 Cities & Counties
- 11 Non-Government Organizations
SC AAS Training Partners
- Anderson Soil & Water Conservation District
- Anderson University
- Clemson Cooperative Extension
- Clemson University
- Greenville Technical College
- Richland County, South Carolina
- University of South Carolina Upstate
SC AAS across watersheds
- 80% are from Anderson, Greenville, Pickens, Richland, & Spartanburg Counties
- In total for this report term, most sampling events have been in the following watersheds (in descending order): Savannah, Broad, Saluda, Catawba, PeeDee, Edisto, and Santee.
Co-lead by
- SC DHEC
- Clemson University Center for Watershed Excellence