Public input sought on planned state park, water trail on Black River

CLARENDON COUNTY - Black River is a 151-mile-long blackwater river that forms in Lee County, just south of Bishopville, and meanders its way through Sumter, Clarendon and Williamsburg counties before merging with the Great Pee Dee River in Georgetown County.

On April 26, an initiative was launched to enhance recreational access for communities along the Black River. The objective of the initiative is to explore the creation of a water trail and linear park system that would connect a network of riverside properties owned by public and private partners along a 70-mile stretch of the river in Williamsburg and Georgetown counties. A special feature of the network would be a new state park along the river, the first constructed in the Palmetto State in almost 20 years.

"This initiative presents an important opportunity for people who love and respect the Black River to create a shared vision and plan for how to provide outdoor recreational opportunities for the communities along this waterway, as well as visitors, for generations to come," said Bill Marshall, who leads the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources' Scenic Rivers program.

SCDNR is asking the public for input into the proposed "Black River Water Trail and Park Network," Marshall added.

Several state and local government agencies, as well as nonprofit organizations and community volunteers, have been involved in creating the concept and initial planning for the park-trail network. Now, input from the public is needed. Citizens, potential visitors and river enthusiasts are encouraged to participate in the surveys and attend upcoming public meetings to provide their input on what they would like to see in the proposed park-trail network.

Interested individuals should read the "storymap" document that outlines the program and process, Connecting to South Carolina's Black River. The storymap includes an introductory video and two surveys so individuals can give their feedback on the program.

A series of community meetings for the discussion of the Black River initiative has been planned for May. On May 6, a community meeting will be held in Georgetown. On May 10, a meeting will be held in Andrews, and on May 11, a meeting will be held in Kingstree. More details on the time and location of the meetings will be posted on the storymap link.

Black River is a favorite recreational boating and fishing spot for many residents throughout the five-county region as well as all of South Carolina. In late 2019, more than 100,000 redbreast sunfish were released into the river. The blackwaters of the river are teeming with a variety of fish. Along with the redbreast sunfish, anglers hope to lure in walleye, catfish, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and paddlefish.

In 2001, a 75-mile stretch of the river from Clarendon County through Georgetown County was named a State Scenic River by SCDNR, making Black River the seventh and longest State Scenic River at that time in South Carolina. Designation as a State Scenic River encouraged state, community and private landholders to work together to ensure the protection and conservation of Black River.