History of Friends of the Reedy River

Friends of the Reedy River (FoRR) is a local, grassroots, volunteer-based, nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and restoring the Reedy River. The Reedy, Greenville's "hometown river", has been an important natural resource for hundreds of years, utilized and valued by people who have admired its scenic beauty and relied on its water for power, sustenance and inspiration.

In 1993, a handful of concerned citizens established Friends of the Reedy River. Recognizing the historic importance of our "hometown river", the organization has sought to preserve the rich history and cultural heritage that revolved around the river, and to restore the natural environment along the Reedy. FoRR has been involved in projects aimed at protecting the unblemished reaches of the river, restoring areas already impacted, curbing the impacts of sprawl and development, and establishment of trails and park space. FoRR is especially proud of its land trust initiatives to establish conservation easements on flood plain lands along the Reedy and its tributaries to protect lands critical to a future "Reedy River Greenway" that might extend from the headwaters in travelers Rest to Lake Greenwood.

FoRR is recognized as a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. FoRR is completely dependent on the contributions of its citizen and corporate friends, and project specific grants.