Lake Conestee Nature Park

Lake Conestee Nature Park

Great Blue Heron in Lake Conestee Nature Park
Map showing the location of Lake Conestee Nature Park
Location Greenville County, South Carolina
Nearest city Greenville, South Carolina
Coordinates 34°46′39″N 82°21′26″W / 34.7775°N 82.3573°W / 34.7775; -82.3573Coordinates: 34°46′39″N 82°21′26″W / 34.7775°N 82.3573°W / 34.7775; -82.3573
Area 400 acres (160 ha)
Governing body Conestee Foundation
Greenville County Recreation District
http://lakeconesteenaturepark.com/

Lake Conestee Nature Park, opened in 2006, is a 400-acre (160 ha) park along three miles of the Reedy River in Conestee, South Carolina, with 12 miles (19.3 km) of trails, more than 6 miles (9.7 km) of them paved and 1 mile (1.6 km) of boardwalk. The park contains both hardwood and evergreen forest, extensive wetlands, and a rich diversity of reptiles, mammals, and birds. Over 190 bird species have been reported by the Greenville County Bird Club, and the National Audubon Society has designated the park as an Important Bird Area of Global Significance.[1] In 2016 the state of South Carolina made the privately owned facility a wildlife sanctuary.[2]

Lake Conestee was created when the Reedy River was dammed at the Conestee Mill in about 1892. At its largest extent, the lake covered about 130 acres (53 ha), but years of upstream industrial waste and discharge filled about 90 percent of the lake with sediment. The Conestee Foundation, a 501(c)(3) conservation organization, was formed in 2000 to lead the revitalization of the lake as a wetlands through the development of the nature park.[3]


References

  1. ↑ Charles Sowell, "New boardwalk at Lake Conestee Nature Park will improve visitors' walking experience," Greenville News, February 15, 2015, 6D.
  2. ↑ Scott Keeler, "Lake Conestee Park Becomes Sanctuary," Greenville News, May 26, 2016, 3A.
  3. ↑ "Lake Conestee Nature Park". Retrieved 2010-09-24.

External links

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