Who We Are
Protecting and restoring forests in the Savannah River watershed today will help provide safe, reliable, and affordable drinking water for generations to come.
The Savannah River Clean Water Fund is a visionary bi-state effort to invest in forests today to help ensure clean, affordable water for future generations. Approximately 78% of the Basin is currently forested but….there are challenges.
What We Do
Improved Forest Management
We promote improved forest management practices through landowner outreach.
Land Protection
We facilitate permanent land protection with our partners through land acquisition and conservation easements.
Science and Research
We support science and research related to water quality in the basin.
Why Conserve Forests in the Basin?
Rural Jobs
Healthy, well-managed forests provide family-supporting jobs in rural areas and are a source of revenue for private landowners—almost 80% of the forests in the Basin are privately-owned.
Clean Water
Forests protect our river by minimizing erosion and sedimentation, regulating temperature, controlling floods, filtering pollutants, and providing safe, affordable drinking water.
Cost Savings
Clean source water is easier and more cost effective to treat for drinking water. Fewer chemicals are needed in the treatment process.
Everyone Benefits
Clean water benefits local residents and water customers, supports local economies, promotes tourism, and enhances outdoor recreation opportunities.
Wildlife Habitat
Savannah River Basin forests support a rich diversity of game and nongame wildlife.
Our Partners
We work with a diverse set of partners from the drinking water, forestry and conservation sectors. We leverage public and private dollars to facilitate land protection and better forest management practices to benefit water quality.
The Savannah River Clean Water Fund was formed in 2014 to help facilitate a wholistic approach to land protection in the 2.8 million acre Savannah River Watershed. In addition to the two downstream water utilities mentioned above, the Fund includes the Augusta Utilities and Columbia County, Georgia, and the City of North Augusta, South Carolina.