Four farms—two in Dillon County and two in Rowland—have applied to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control for groundwater withdrawal permits.
The following is from the DHEC public notices:
—#17IR023: Daniel Baxley Farms, (Daniel Baxley, Minturn), 1524 Minturn Road, Minturn, SC 29573 has applied to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control for a Groundwater Withdrawal Permit, under the Groundwater Use and Reporting Act from two irrigation wells located approximately (Home) N 34.502064° W 79.476425° and (School) N 34.510634° W 79.473391 ° off Minturn Road in Dillon County, S.C. The wells are completed in the McQueen Branch Aquifer with top of screens set at an average depth of 157 feet below ground. A proposed maximum groundwater withdrawal of 86,000,000 gallons per year has been developed from calculated water use requirement and seasonal crop irrigation demand on approximately 175 acres. The deadline to comment on this application is October 3rd.
—#17IR022: P&S Farms, (Mr. Bo Stone), 903 Ashpole Church Road, Rowland, NC 28383 has applied to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control for a Groundwater Withdrawal Permit, under the Groundwater Use and Reporting Act from one irrigation well located approximately N 34.44930l° W 79.428036° off Prospect Drive near Dillon in Dillon County, S.C. The well is completed in the McQueen Branch Aquifer with top of screens set at an approximate depth of 124 feet below ground. A proposed maximum groundwater withdrawal of 50,000,000 gallons per year has been developed from calculated water use requirement and seasonal crop irrigation demand on approximately 103 acres. The deadline to comment on this application is October 3rd.
—#17IR024: Glasdrum Farms, (Mr. Jim McColl), 4229 Glasdrum Road, Little Rock, SC 29567 has applied to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control for a Groundwater Withdrawal Permit, under the Groundwater Use and Reporting Act from one irrigation well located approximately N 34.595513° W 79.463773° off County Line Road outside Clio in Dillon County, S.C. The well is completed in the McQueen Branch Aquifer with top of screen set at an approximate depth of 96 feet below ground. A proposed maximum groundwater withdrawal of 34,000,000 gallons per year has been developed from calculated water use requirement and seasonal crop irrigation demand on approximately 70 acres. Comments on this application are being accepted until October 8th.
—#17IR025: Jack Leggette Farms, (Stateline Farm, Dillon), 4261 Kitchen Street, Rowland, NC 28383 has applied to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control for a Groundwater Withdrawal Permit, under the Groundwater Use and Reporting Act from two irrigation wells located approximately (#1) N 34.537399° W 79.349091° and (#2) N 34.533519° W 79.344593° off Stateline Road outside Dillon in Dillon County, S.C. The wells are completed in the McQueen Branch Aquifer with top of screens set at an average depth of 148 feet below ground. A proposed maximum groundwater withdrawal of 100,000,000 gallons per year has been developed from calculated water use requirement and seasonal crop irrigation demand on approximately 220 acres. The deadline to comment on this application is October 10th.
According to the public notices, anyone who wants additional information about these applications may obtain it from Paul L. Bristol by calling 803-898-3559 or e-mail at paul.bristol@dhec.sc.gov. Those who wish to comment may sent comments to: SCDHEC/Bureau of Water, 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201, attention: Paul L. Bristol. Interested parties wishing to be notified of the final permit decision must make comment on the application and/or make request to receive notice of the final decision and must provide the SCDHEC with a correct name and mailing address.
Justin Ballew of Clemson Extension Service said that these wells will be used for center pivot irrigation systems. He said these are “tremendous investments for the growers, but will help increase yield. Yield increases can be quite significant, especially during hot and dry seasons like we just experienced.”
Jim Beasley, Public Information Officer for DHEC, said these permits are still under review at this time. “In general, our permit reviews consider potential impacts to the aquifer being used, nearby groundwater users, and water use efficiency for the type of crop being grown. Our staff have not yet had a chance to do a technical review of these proposals. Until such a review is conducted, it would be inappropriate for us to speculate on the impact to the aquifer,” Beasley said.
The Herald is told that those who have concerns and questions can also contact Rob Devlin at (803) 898-3798 and that DHEC may be willing to hold a meeting about the permits if enough citizens request one.
