What is the status of the erosion issue?
In October 2008, the City of Aiken and the Foundation, with the participation of the Center for Watershed Excellence at Clemson University, concluded an intensive ten month process of discussing alternatives for addressing erosion in the Hitchcock Woods caused by municipal stormwater runoff. Aiken County staff and council members participated in these meetings, as did representatives from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the Department of Natural Resources. The process even attracted the attention of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which also sent representatives to attend. In March 2009, the City of Aiken and the Foundation agreed to a “Preferred Alternative” that involves stormwater mitigation in the downtown watershed and a more long term plan to address the Sand River corridor. Progress on phase one will be evident in 2010 as the City embarks on an ambitious plan to achieve greater infiltration of rainwater in various downtown parkways
