January 24, 2002

            Lake Marion is six feet below capacity.  Homeowners can walk to the end of their docks, on dry lakebed. Many fishermen are having great difficulty getting their boats in the water, and there are fewer fish to catch if they do.  Waterfowl in the Santee Wildlife Refuge is one-tenth of what it was in the late 1970s.  These are disturbing facts that significantly hinder recreation and tourism around Lake Marion. 

My primary reason for fighting to keep the 50-year promise of a bridge across Lake Marion near Lone Star and Rimini is to improve the quality of life of the people who live and recreate in the area.  I have made it perfectly clear that this must be done in a manner that protects the environment and wildlife in the region.  The draft of the recent Environmental Impact Study (EIS) makes it clear that this can be accomplished. 

During the debate, however, some legitimate questions have been raised, and in my search for answers I found some comparisons.  One of them is the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama.  A bridge connecting Interstate 65 bisects this 34,500-acre Refuge.  An estimated 32,000 vehicles use the bridge each day compared to 5,200 expected to use the Clyburn Connector by the year 2025.   When asked about runoff pollution from those 32,000 vehicles the Refuge Director informed me that no discernable adverse impacts from runoff pollutants have been found in the wetlands.  In addition, this bridge cuts through one of the Refuge's four waterfowl impoundments.  That particular impoundment has become the most popular and populated one in the Refuge. 

Our swamp is one half the size of Wheeler.  Our bridge will connect two, 2-lane state highways, and will not encroach upon any wildlife impoundments.  Its proposed route is adjacent to a railroad trestle.   The channel, which was dug to construct the railroad, is still there and can be used to construct the Connector.

So rather than engaging in scare tactics, lets discuss some facts.  And one fact is the Connector will not adversely impact the lake.  But this project is about much more than a bridge.  It's about tourism, South Carolina's number one industry.  It's about improving access, renourishing vegetation and restoring the Lake Marion to its 1970s status.  It's about spawning enterprises like motels and lodges, restaurants and campgrounds, golf courses and conference retreats.  But none of this can be accomplished with lake conditions, as they currently are, and I have undertaken several efforts to improve those conditions.

          My most immediate undertaking is to help the S.C. Department of Natural Resources and Santee Cooper create the Hickory Top Greentree Reservoir.  This Reservoir would provide a wintering habitat for waterfowl and hopefully reverse the decline of the last 25 years.   If the feasibility study currently underway is favorable, I will help Santee Cooper and the Department of Natural Resources find the funds to construct the Reservoir. 

I am also working with various experts to find ways and means to restore wildlife habitats that will strike a proper balance between hunting and fishing, to clear debris left from Hurricane Hugo, which still impedes water flow and access in the swamp, and increase water levels in the lake.  Much of this can and should be addressed during the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) relicensing process.  The current license expires in four years, and Santee Cooper filed their intent to seek relicensing a year ago.  I will work with FERC officials to incorporate public input in the relicensing process. 

            I am pleased the Draft EIS found that the Connector would have no significant environmental impact.  But my vision for the region cannot be realized with lake conditions as they currently are.  Hopefully, we can all join hands to restore and renourish the lake so it can continue to be a place we can all enjoy.

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