Conserving remaining green space provides the ecological benefits of reduced flooding and healthier water, and it's far cheaper than restoration work. We also provide opportunities for volunteers picking up trash and removing invasive plant species.

Our watershed covers 75 square miles within 6 entities:  Richland County, City of Columbia, Forest Acres, Arcadia Lakes, City of Cayce, Fort Jackson. We act as a liaison between our community members and government entities, and we have a network of volunteers monitoring water quality throughout the watershed. The relationships we’re building and the data we collect help us more effectively advocate for responsible development and improved stormwater treatment. 

GCWA has led large restoration projects - retention areas near Owens Field and creekbank restoration at Crowson Road near Ft. Jackson Blvd - but we're also installing volunteer-built rain gardens in public spaces. Engaging the community in this work has an educational benefit that can reach much further than our individual installations.

Perhaps the most important thing we do - if we haven't convinced the community of the importance of the work we're doing, it will not be sustainable. We host info booths at community events, give presentations, lead workshops, nature walks, and watershed field days. And we're not just sharing interesting facts; we're leading folks to care about the watershed, the other individuals they share it with, and the impacts we all have on it and each other.

Upcoming Events

View Current Gills Creek Water Level

Click here to Listen to our conversation about Gills Creek with Columbia's Mayor Daniel Rickenmann on the Around Town Podcast