Mar

The Stono River Project Launches This Month

The Stono River, a vital Lowcountry waterway, is both ecologically rich and culturally significant. Once the site of the 1739 Stono Rebellion, it remains a living symbol of resilience. Today, however, the river faces mounting threats from erosion, overdevelopment, declining water quality, and climate change.

Through a multi-year partnership between Charleston Waterkeeper, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ South Carolina Oyster Recycling and Enhancement (SCORE) program, and Cummins Inc., the Stono River Project aims to restore the river’s health and resilience by building living shorelines. This approach combines manufactured wire reefs with oyster shell and Spartina marsh grass plantings to stabilize eroding banks, improve water quality, and create habitat for fish, crabs, shrimp, and birds.

“This project is a significant investment in the health and resilience of the Stono River and everyone that depends on it. We’re proud to work with Cummins and the Department of Natural Resources to ensure the long term health of the river for future generations,” said Andrew Wunderley, Executive Director & Waterkeeper.

“SCDNR is excited to partner with Charleston Waterkeeper on our first official funded grant together. To have the support of Cummins is a great opportunity to have a private, non-profit and state partnership,” said Michael Hodges of SCDNR SCORE.

Year one of the project focuses on Restoration Project Site 1 (259 meters of shoreline) on the Stono River, where volunteers and partners will build and install 354 manufactured wire reefs and plant 5,000 Spartina plugs. This effort will create 7,000 square feet of living shoreline, filtering millions of gallons of water daily while buffering surrounding communities from flooding and erosion. More than 200 volunteers, including employees from Cummins, will be engaged through hands-on fabrication and installation events.

This project builds a strong foundation for future partnership in the years ahead. Restoration sites 2 and 3 are planned for 2027 and 2028, creating nearly a mile of restored shoreline in total. Together, we will leave the Stono River and the Charleston community that depends on it stronger, healthier, and more resilient.

Let’s get to work! Sign up to join in on the action and volunteer with us soon. To learn more about the Stono River Project and the partnership, contact emmi@charlestonwaterkeeper.org.