As quickly as it was conceived , the actual making of the book — Edisto River : Black Water Crown Jewel ( Joggling Board Press , $ 49.98 ) — turned into an eightyear odyssey . It would engender the involvement of many , including Westrock ( formerly MeadWestvaco ), which brought funding and subject-matter expertise to the endeavor .
Larry went into the field almost daily for most of those years to capture the photographs contained in the book . He covered the full length of the river at all times of the day and night , in drought and abundance , all seasons , all weather . He would spend nine hours in one place in hip boots to capture a photo of one of the creatures of the river . The creatures became so used to Larry they regarded him as one among them .
On many of those field trips , Rosie was at his side helping to carry his camera equipment , always with a notebook and pen at the ready to record what they witnessed .
Rosie and Larry love this river like they love their children and grandchildren . I have watched them work together , a language not so much of words as small gestures , the kind of duality that can only come from years and years of being together . I have seen Larry with a long-lensed camera move to lean over a ledge to capture a picture in the same instant that Rosie will grab hold of the waistband of his pants to keep him safe .
Their love of the Edisto is infectious , but it ’ s also bracing . When human activity threatens the river , the passion they evoke gives pause . As well as it should . Changes in state laws have permitted mega-sized agribusinesses to clear-cut large sections of land near the river where they live in Barnwell County , allowing billions of gallons of water to be siphoned . River levels have been adversely affected , disrupting the ecosystem and smaller farmers . Runoff from roads and bridges as well as fertilizers wash contaminants into the river making it unsafe to eat some fish . For the second year in a row , American Rivers Forever has included the Edisto on its 10 most endangered rivers list . Rosie and Larry have spoken out at public hearings and met in person with state lawmakers to share their concerns and suggest better ways of caring for the river .
Entirely contained within South Carolina , the Edisto River is the longest free-flowing black water river in North America . The character of the Edisto depends on where along the way you are . The river begins so quietly that it can easily go unnoticed . The North and South forks originate from underground springs in the Midlands of South Carolina in Aiken and Edgefield counties . They move slowly , ribbons of black rimmed by woodland trees .
The forks pick up speed as they move down the sloping plain of the Columbia fall line toward Orangeburg , the only city through which it flows . Not far from there , the forks converge at Embree to form the main Edisto River where the river is at its widest and fastest .
At Four Holes Swamp in Orangeburg and Dorchester counties it becomes a braided riverine swampland containing the largest old-growth stand of tupelocypress in the United States , supporting a staggering number of birds , mammals , and reptiles .
Nearer the coast , it is a tidal river that weaves itself into the vast Intra-Coastal Waterway , becoming an abundant life-giving estuary . Here the river flows into the confluence that embraces Kiawah Island , mixing with the Ashepoo and Combahee rivers to form the ACE Basin . The nutrient-rich waters are a fertile nursey , the lifeblood of this unusual region , a wetland wilderness that has been identified as one of the highest priority regions for protection . The Nature Conservancy has called it one of the “ last great places .” It is beloved by boaters , anglers , hunters , and recreationists alike . And it is beautiful .
The moving liquid pathway of the Edisto River provides a perfect mirror . Color reflections of the sky , trees , flowers , and birds in flight are part of black water vistas , even on foggy or cloudy days . Broken light shimmering on tree trunks and the undersides of overhanging branches filled with broad green leaves allow one to see the movement of water without looking directly at the river itself . The shaping of the Edisto Basin was affected by changing sea levels due to glaciation , forming the landscape that we know today . The river is a journal of sorts , marking the effects of changing sea levels over time .
Every bird , mammal , plant , and reptile existing within the influence of this river must adjust to a rhythm of flood and drought , changing tides , and seasons of growth and dormancy .
Unlike fast-moving brown water rivers that are fed by mountain rains and carry large quantities of sediment , slow-moving black water rivers are fed by underground
47