Clean Water

From bold streams rushing down mountains, to broad rivers that flow through towns and cities in the Piedmont, to marshlands and the coastal plain, the South's waters weave together this region's diverse ecological systems and communities. They provide high quality drinking water, offer premier recreational opportunities, and support world-renowned diversity of aquatic wildlife.

But the South is growing fast - and this growth is placing unsustainable levels of demand on our freshwater resources, at times reducing natural flows of streams and rivers to a level that does not meet human or natural needs. Growth and associated development are causing sediment and other pollutants to enter our rivers, harming aquatic wildlife. Loss of wetlands destroys capacity to absorb floodwaters and filter pollutants.

Protecting water quality in the South's freshwater ecosystems has always been a central focus of SELC's work. For nearly two decades, we have worked for the benefit of the South's aquatic resources by pursuing remedies available under the Clean Water Act and related state programs. Working in concert with numerous local partner groups, SELC is sharing our expertise in federal and state water quality laws, building on our credibility with state and federal regulators, and achieving lasting results for this region's unparalleled water resources.

SELC's Rick Parrish is helping plan a national conference in 2008 on the important issue of "instream flow."

• Ensuring Safe Drinking Water
• Protecting Southern Rivers
• Water Supply: Planning for the South's Future
• Curbing Pollution from Hog and Poultry Factories