For twenty years, the Waccamaw Watershed Academy has served as a local resource for watershed science and management. Part of the Burroughs & Chapin Center for Marine & Wetland Studies, the WWA engages in education, outreach, and research to better understand our local water resources.
Faculty and staff associated with the WWA are working on projects to characterize the sources, transport pathways, and biological impacts of pollutants in the Waccamaw Watershed, including pathogenic bacteria, oxygen-demanding substances, and nutrients. Much of our research work is done within our state-certified Environmental Quality Laboratory (EQL), which provides opportunities for CCU students to conduct regulatory-level analyses that serve our local municipalities.
Our outreach programs seek to engage with and educate residents about stormwater management and water quality issues. Our Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program utilizes community scientists to help monitor for pollution and environmental changes along the Waccamaw River and in the coastal communities of Murrells Inlet, Surfside Beach, and Briarcliffe Acres.
We partner with municipalities, our local stormwater education consortium, CCU faculty and staff, and community groups to tackle water quality concerns in our watershed. Contact us to learn more.
