Man’s action helped revive neglected, polluted lake

Dave Hargett has worked for years to restore and stabilize the area around Lake Conestee, a long-neglected reservoir with a legacy of industrial pollution.

On Wednesday, he was honored for what many consider an extraordinary effort to revive a forlorn, once-lifeless patch of the Upstate. The Conservation Voters of South Carolina gave Hargett a Green Tie award, recognizing him for a lifetime of conservation achievements.

Hargett, a 65-year-old western North Carolina native, helped launch the Conestee Foundation in 2000, obtained federal funds from an oil-spill settlement, and acquired Lake Conestee and its aging dam. Since then, the nonprofit foundation has repaired the dam and fixed up the area around Lake Conestee, just south of Greenville.

The lake bed was so contaminated when the Conestee Foundation sought to improve the area that the organization struck a deal with state regulators so it could work there. Sediments in the lake remain polluted, but the water quality today is good and those who know Hargett say the foundation’s work has created a pleasant spot for viewing nature, hiking and relaxing.

“This guy, he was the guy to do it,’’ Conservation Voters director John Tynan said of Hargett.

Conestee Nature Park is 400 acres of woodlands and wetlands surrounding the shallow lake and along the Reedy River. Visitors can see deer, raccoons, beavers, otters, foxes and other small mammals near Lake Conestee. The park boasts of more than 200 species of birds — more than are found at some widely acclaimed natural areas. The Lake Conestee area has been recognized by the National Audubon Society, according to the Conservation Voters. The park receives 100,000 visitors a year.

“We pulled it off, and the work is not done,’’ Hargett said in accepting the award Wednesday during a luncheon at 701 Whaley in Columbia. “It’s a complicated story.’’

The condition of the lake’s dam is a concern because it is more than a century old. Hargett’s group continues to work to keep the dam from springing leaks because toxins still rest on the bottom of Lake Conestee. Studies are underway to determine if it can be repaired or whether a new dam must be built.

The fear is that, if the dam broke, industrial pollutants in the lake sediment would wash into the lower Reedy River above Lake Greenwood. For decades dating to the late 1800s, a flow of pollution from textile mills and other industries sent contaminants into the upper Reedy, which emptied into Lake Conestee.

Hargett, a scientist active in environmental protection and dam safety issues for years, said he got the idea to restore the area after first visiting the property several decades ago with a fellow conservationist. Though the lake was considered too contaminated for life by some state agencies, Hargett saw signs that Lake Conestee was rebounding naturally from Greenville’s industrial pollution. All it needed was a little help, he said.

The lifetime award he received Wednesday is more than just for Hargett’s work at Conestee. He’s spent much of his adult life working to restore the Reedy River, preserve land in the mountains, protect wildlife and prevent rivers from being depleted by massive withdrawals.

Also honored Wednesday were Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling, state Sen. Thomas McElveen, D-Sumter; Rep. Gary Clary, R-Pickens, and the late Rep. Joe Neal, D-Richland. Keyserling was to receive an award named for his mother, the late Harriett Keyserling. The elder Keyserling was one of South Carolina’s foremost conservationists and a state legislator. Neal championed efforts to protect water quality for low-income people.

Wednesday’s luncheon is the ninth since the Conservation Voters started and is one of the organization’s major fundraising events. The group represents other environmental organizations on issues at the State House. It also endorses candidates considered friendly to environmental causes.

The awards luncheon typically attracts a full house of politicians, environmentalists and business leaders. An array of businesses and conservation organizations helped sponsor the awards dinner. The luncheon raised about $90,000 and attracted 500 people.

This story was originally published September 20, 2017 at 5:44 PM with the headline "Man’s action helped revive neglected, polluted lake."