About the Water Chats Training Program
Natural resource managers depend on data to inform decision making; however, keeping up with the latest research findings can be a challenge.
We created the Water Chats program to respond to the need to deliver timely water quality information to managers across South Carolina.
Water Chats was developed through a collaborative, stakeholder-driven process and offered free-of-charge to provide new and emerging water quality research directly to natural resource managers and decision-makers in South Carolina.
Program Contacts
Brooke Saari
Coastal Environmental Quality Program Specialist
brooke.saari@scseagrant.org
843-953-6406
Heather Nix
Upstate Regional Water Resource Agent
nix4@clemson.edu
864-365-0630
Special Projects
2024 Special Journal Issue
Water Quality and Applications to Natural Resources Management, a special Water Chats issue of the Journal of South Carolina Water Resources.
Beyond the Surface
A special art exhibition to raise awareness, inspire collaborative innovation, and foster dialogue around water resources in the Southeastern region.
2024 Water Chats Webinars
JULY 9, 2024
JULY 11, 2024
AUGUST 27, 2024
AUGUST 29, 2024
SEPTEMBER 24, 2024
SEPTEMBER 26, 2024
OCTOBER 10, 2024
Program Partners & Advisory Committee
S.C. Sea Grant Consortium
Coastal Environmental Quality Program Specialist
brooke.saari@scseagrant.org | (843) 953-6406
Clemson University
S.C. Water Resources Center Coordinator
mdriver@clemson.edu | (864) 646-2149
Clemson University
Upstate Regional Water Resource Agent
nix4@clemson.edu | (864) 365-0630
S.C. Sea Grant Consortium
Assistant Director for Development and Extension
matthew.gorstein@scseagrant.org | (843) 953-2084
2024 Advisory Committee
- Alex Alekseyeko – Medical University of South Carolina
- Ben Dyar – South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Office of Fisheries Management
- Bryan Rabon – South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control
- Cara Schildtknecht – Waccamaw Riverkeeper
- David Baize – South Carolina AWWA
- Deb Sahoo, Ph.D. – Clemson University
- Dwayne Porter, Ph.D. – University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health and Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine & Coastal Sciences
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Elliot Wickham – South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
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Erika Hollis – Upstate Forever
- Guinn Wallover – Mount Pleasant Water Works
- Holly Welch – South Carolina Forestry Commission
- James Kilgo – South Carolina Rural Water Association
- James Riddle – Woolpert
- Jason Thompson – Charleston Water System
- Kaleigh Simms – ReWa
- Kim Jones – Town of Bluffton
- Lisa Wells – WK Dickson & Co
- Maeve Snyder – North Inlet – Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
- Pam Marcum – South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
- Tim Callahan – College of Charleston
- Tye Pettay – University of South Carolina, Beaufort
- Webinar 1 (6/28) – Annabelle Tierney, College of Charleston: “Distribution and Characterization of Microplastics in Sediments and Commercial Shrimp Species in South Carolina Estuaries”
- Webinar 1 (6/28) – Caroline Conner, Coastal Carolina University: “Microplastic Concentration Analysis of the Atlantic Sand Fiddler Crab (Leptuca pugilator)”
- Webinar 2 (6/30) – Jonathan Stewart, College of Charleston: “Toxicity and Persistence of PFAS-alternative Aqueous Fire Fighting Foams (AFFF)” with advisor Dr. Ed Wirth
- Webinar 1 (7/26) – Ibrahim Busari, Clemson University: “Detecting Harmful Algal Blooms: Applications of Machine Learning Approaches”
- Webinar 2 (7/28) – Nia Rene, City University of New York (CUNY): “Mitigation of Septic Effluent Nitrogen and Phosphate Using ecoWEIR tech: Management of Microcystis Growth and Toxin Production”
- Webinar 1 (8/23) – Hannah Quast, College of Charleston: “Assessing Coastal Stream Flow and Compound Flooding Risk”
- Webinar 2 (8/25) – Levi McKercher, University of South Carolina, and Clare Escamilla, Clemson University: “Exploring Potential Ecosystem Services Provided by Floating Treatment Wetlands Applied in Brackish Stormwater Ponds”
- Webinar 1 (9/20) – Duncan Williamson, College of Charleston: “The South Carolina Water Monitoring Portal – Visualize, Download, or Upload Water Quality Data”
- Webinar 2 (9/22) – Daniel O’Hara, Coastal Carolina University: “The Importance of Wetlands and Creating Policy to Protect Them”
