Saluda Gorge Phase II

  • Location: Greenville County, SC

  • Size: 180 acres

  • Habitat: Rolling hills, river, rapids, mature hardwoods

  • Public Use: TBD

  • Partners: Easley Combined Utilities (ECU), SC Conservation Bank (SCCB), & Greenville County Historic Natural Resources Trust (GCHNRT)

  • Year Protected: 2025

Less than 3 miles from the city limits of Travelers Rest, the North Saluda River carves a sinuous path through a mature hardwood forest forming a series of dramatic plunge pools and whitewater rapids over granite bedrock. It is a world apart and yet only minutes from a bustling downtown. The first phase of this project was completed in 2020, establishing a 255-acre preserve on the west side of the North Saluda River. This second phase will protect the adjacent 180 acres and the eastern side of the river for nearly a mile and 3 additional miles of blueline stream.

The North Saluda River has been degraded over the years because of poor land management practices in the northern reaches of the county. Our work, in conjunction with Save Our Saluda, has aimed to reforest parts of the floodplain and restore riparian areas along the river for water quality. We have made tremendous strides with help of the Conservation Bank and our local partners, but we have never had the chance to acquire both sides of the river. This acquisition will secure both sides of the river for nearly a mile.

The 180 acres is a stunning example of the transition zone from Blue Ridge to piedmont ecosystems. Black bears, turkey, bobcat and deer find bountiful refuge on the property as well as impressive assemblages of native plants like towering wild azaleas that line the river. The current owner, Mary (Muff) Harner, has been a tremendous steward of the land and has a deep connection with the forest and river. She wants to remain on the homesite and wishes to the see the surrounding land around her property protected forever. Over the last two years we have worked with Ms. Harner to customize an acquisition strategy that suits her and her family. During this time, she has received many unsolicited offers from investors and developers for her property’s proximity to Greenville and Travelers Rest and its frontage on the river. Fortunately, Ms. Harner is conservation minded.

One of our partners in this effort is Easley Combined Utilities who has helped fund many of these restoration and land protection activities. They took on a more active conservation role because unmitigated sediment was choking their drinking water intake at Saluda Lake. They correctly calculated that by preserving existing forests along the river and funding projects to keep soil on agricultural lands through cover crops they would reduce the sediment load on the lake. ECU has been a vital partner, funding 6 different acquisitions with Naturaland Trust totaling $1,105,000 in contributions that have helped match SC Conservation Bank funding with local dollars. We anticipate they will help fund Phase II as well. This project builds on the initial acquisition that ECU and Save Our Saluda helped establish and furthers the conservation goals for the river and greater watershed.