Little Pee Dee River makes nonprofit’s ‘Most Endangered Rivers’ list
MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - The Little Pee Dee River, which primarily sits in the upper coastal plain of the Palmetto State, is endangered, according to one nonprofit.
The river ranked fifth on American Rivers’ list of Most Endangered Rivers in the U.S.
The river advocacy group cites the potential construction of I-73, claiming the interstate would “destroy wetlands and critical wildlife habitat, impact the health of the river, and exacerbate flooding for disadvantaged communities already challenged with property damage and displacement.”
Up until this point, the group said the river has remained mostly untouched.
“I-73 would impact hundreds of acres of pristine wetlands in the watershed,” the group’s report states. “Based on the submitted permit application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 313 acres of wetlands would be impacted by just a segment of the proposed I-73.”
I-73 would expand the major interstate from I-95 to the Grand Strand and create an easier route for people headed to the beach.
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South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster had asked state lawmakers to set aside $300 million to help fund the completion of Interstate 73 for the past two years.
But in the governor’s 2024 executive budget, the project was not included, with the governor’s office saying, “support has died down from local and county leaders.”
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Mixed reactions from Grand Strand, Pee Dee leaders over lack of I-73 funding
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At the local level, Horry County Council Chairman Johnny Gardner previously told WMBF News the council supports I-73 but doesn’t “have the funding to make it happen.”
Gardner added that Horry County still plans to chip in its share for the road from its ongoing Ride IV project.
However, some for the project have feared it will never come to fruition without help from the state and federal governments.
Click here to read American Rivers’ full report on the Little Pee Dee River.
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