Links to webpages and documents, and updates on other information related to issues affecting Windsor area such as water, roads, zoning and environment.
Related Pages with more details and links:
Quick Reference – Key Contacts and Resource links (Contacts, Laws. Regulations, etc.)
PAA – DHEC Meeting 2/9/17 Aiken Water – Talking points – DHEC 170209.2
Ground Water: Information about the Ground Water Study, Capacity Use designation and other ground water related information.
Surface Water: USGS water study of the Edisto River and other River basins, stats on withdrawals, etc
Roads: Funding streams, regulations re Through Traffic, Speed Limits, etc.
Zoning: a page will be added linking to zoning regulations related to noise (of huge pumps), burn pile sizes and setbacks, etc.- To follow – Under Development
Pastoral Advocates for Aiken on Facebook (recent news reports, photos of farms and clearing, discussion, about water and other issues in Windsor and Aiken, etc)
Recent News – – News archive will be here as will upcoming events
July
Aiken County Council agreed to request from SC DHEC a water Capacity Use Designation for Aiken County or parts thereof (see Groundwater page)
Closure of Old Bell and Oak Ridge Club Roads was approved; the decision is being appealed (see Roads page for more details)
The Pastoral Advocates for Aiken group had a presentation and Q&A session about the Aiken County ground water study with 2 representatives from SC DNR (Natural Resources). A copy of the presentation will be posted as soon as it becomes available.
Material presented expanded on that presented in June at the FRED Picnic – see the Ground Water page for a copy of that presentation
Attendees included Sherry Nestor of the Montmorenci Water District, Jeannie Cadden of the Aiken County Legislative Delegation, a reporter from the AIken Standard and more than 20 residents from Windsor area.
Highlights from the presentation and discussion are:
The study is on-gong and may complete in 2018
It seeks to develop a model which can predict water availability as far out at 2050
Monitoring wells are located throughout the county. One recently added is at the Oakwood/Windsor Elementary School; this summer it has shown water level drops 3 to 4 times more than is seen in other wells, in the past month it has dropped four feet to what is now 21 feet below its winter peak height.
Several wells along Fox Pond and West Road have recently gone dry, a situation remedied in some cases by deepening the wells by 50 feet
DNR would like to know of:
Any wells that have gone dry, where they are, and their depth
Anyone wishing to offer to have their well used as a water level monitoring site
This information can be reported to Joe Gellici at DNR, posted to the Pastoral Aiken Facebook page or passed on to Pete or Nilda
Contact DNR here: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/water/hydro/staff.html
The Montmorenci water district has offered to provide equipment and a demonstration on how to measure the depth of the water in your well. Information will be posted here and on the Pastoral Aiken site when the demonstration details have been finalized. Information on water levels will be accumulated by Nilda and passed to DNR
DNR does not provide water quality testing, that is done by DHEC and can be arranged through the DHEC office here in Aiken. http://www.scdhec.gov/Environment/WaterQuality/ResidentialWells/WellWaterTesting/
June:
Capacity Use Designation
Montmorenci/Couchton Water District is reported to have requested a Capacity Use Designation; this needs to be verified
Aiken County Council does not appear to have notified DHEC that the Windsor Pastoral group is seeking a designation
DHEC, in discussions with Rep Taylor and Sen Massey, has reportedly indicated the time is not right for an Aiken designation
Pee Dee request for a designation (since granted) has been obtained and will be posted here
Friends of the Edisto Picnic [presentations on linked pages)
Joe Gellici of DNR gave a presentation and noted
There has been a new registration for a large withdrawal on a tributary of the Edisto River
Water level in one of the monitoring wells has dropped an alarming 13 feed this year: and this is before the start of summer watering
Alex Pellet (of Clemson?) gave a brief presentation (cut very short by the start of the lunch hour)
Presentation discusses Edisto flow and safe withdrawal levels, etc.
Roads
County Attorney informs Pete that directional arrows and reflectors will be placed at the abandoned “Y” intersection of Pearl Bonnet and Spring Branch => If properly placed, this may stop cars and trucks from using the bumpy dirt path.
County Transportation Committee (CTC) liaison has provided CTC Charter, bylaws and minutes of recent meetings. Funding sources and uses has been requested.
County Engineer has been asked to provide a list of all roads for which rights of way are being sought. No answer back yet.