How We Go Columbia: River adventures

The rivers flowing through Columbia drew me in when I first moved to Columbia in 2000. When I asked where I could take my dog, a half-crazy but loving Dalmatian, to play in the water, I was told about the access at Riverfront Park. After taking her down the paved pathway and over the bridge at the park, I remember being a little less than impressed at such limited access to such an expansive water system.

But in time, the rivers surrounding Columbia, the Saluda and the Broad joining up to flow into the Congaree, became a haven for me.

By 2004, because of the efforts of the River Alliance and the cities of Columbia, Cayce and West Columbia, the rivers became much more accessible. On the Saluda, I rekindled my Montana-born passion for fly-fishing. By joining the local chapter of Trout Unlimited I was allowed access to the deep, cold waters stocked with brown trout. I was so overjoyed by the experience of the tug on the line that I would take short fishing excursions before work, often returning for a while after work. As that passion waned, mostly because I became a slave to the chores of homeownership, I found new reasons to visit the rivers, mostly through my job.

A few work assignments placed me on the front of a tandem kayak, with my wonderful colleague paddling, so I could be free to take photos. Soon I bought my own kayak and began enjoying the rivers around me once again.

Each May as I travel to Irmo, across the Broad River on I-126, I peer over the bridge railing to see if the Rocky Shoals spider lilies are blooming. When they are, a short journey down, or – current permitting – up the Broad River, is rewarded by an opportunity to photograph the flowers close up.

My job has taken me to other nearby rivers for other stories, including Cedar Creek in Congaree National Park.

In the 15 years I’ve lived in Columbia, the rivers and how I embrace them have changed. I’m looking forward to where the next opportunity will take me.

Tracy Glantz is a visual journalist at The State newspaper where, with a passion for community journalism, she began as a photographer for the Neighbors sections. Currently she covers daily news, sports and features in still photographs and videos.

This story was originally published July 23, 2015 at 4:47 PM with the headline "How We Go Columbia: River adventures."