Commercial Electrician in Great Falls, SC

GREAT FALLS, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – The date is finally here, as part of an 80 million dollar project, a portion of the Great Falls Whitewater attraction by Duke Energy will open to the public this Saturday, March 18th.

This is project that’s been years in the making, is set to bring new life to the town according to town leaders.

“Duke Energy which brought Great Falls to life one hundred years ago, they are now bringing Great Falls back to life”, says Mike Vaughn, Chester County councilman for District 2.

For a town that has seen better times, new life is on the horizon.

“The whitewater will bring economic development, we really can’t even fathom the scale of it yet”, says Vaughn.

A portion of Duke Energy’s Great Falls Enhancement Project, is set to open to the public, giving white water enthusiasts a wild ride through class two and three rapids.

“Its right in the middle of Charlotte and Columbia so you’ve got a large audience to pull from, easy day trip”, says Tami Styer with Duke Energy.

In 2015 leaders with Duke Energy say it received a new license for the Catawba-Wateree Project which includes upgrades to the Great Falls Reservoir. Duke Energy has now put water back into two channels to not only provide recreational opportunities but to also improve aquatic habitat downstream for years to come.

“It will make this whole area a recreation destination. For all types of recreators. Not just whitewater paddling, but camping and hiking and flatwater paddling. Its more than just whitewater. At the end of the day, its just going to be a great destination for people to come and experience”, says Christy Churchill with Duke Energy.

Another important part of this project is safety.

Chester County Emergency Management says its crews have been training for this project. They are also teaming up with Lancaster first responders to keep everyone safe while on the water.

The Long Bypass Channel there at the Nitrolee Access Park will open this Saturday to the public.

The Short Bypass Channel is set to open at another date.

In addition to parking, restrooms and boat access, the site Nitrolee Access Park features an interpretive center about the history of the area.

There are a lot of projects in the works including a state park, and pedestrian bridge to Dearborn Island will be constructed.

To learn more about the project, visit: https://news.duke-energy.com/releases/public-access-to-duke-energys-great-falls-enhancement-project-set-to-open

South Carolina Sen. Mike Fanning rolled the legs of his suit pants above his knees and stepped barefoot into the cold Catawba River.

Waving a handkerchief, he shouted to a dozen kayakers: “Ladies and gentlemen, the first launch in the history of the brand new whitewater here in Great Falls, S.C., make some noise!”

The kayakers and attendees at Wednesday’s ribbon cutting ceremony cheered. He counted down from five.

There were swoosh sounds as colorful kayaks launched in the dark waterway lined with trees. After a short paddle, the kayakers — barely visible from a bridge — moved into a vast lake.

In the distance, the rapids formed.

More than a hundred people gathered in this small Chester County, S.C., town to celebrate the opening of a new access area on the river for whitewater rafting, paddling and other recreation. The opening is just one part of a large-scale project that has a unique history.

The channel on the river had not seen water in 117 years. Dams were built to divert water to power multiple mills and the community.

Duke Energy will officially open one of two bypass channels on Saturday for public use. The bypass is designed for leisurely kayaking and canoeing and is appropriate for families and individuals.

A short bypass, which is described as challenging, will open in May. The short bypass is for professional kayakers and experienced enthusiasts.

The river access areas and bypass channels are part of the Great Falls-Dearborn project — a large-scale design that has many components, including hiking trails, a state park, an historic visitor’s center, a pedestrian bridge, canoe and kayak launch sites, parking and restrooms. This all spans across nearly three miles along the scenic river.

The state park will be on Dearborn Island.

Duke Energy finalized a lease with the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism in early February to help the state develop a park on the 600-acre island. There will be trails and a campground. Duke is providing $1.5 million for the park, which may take several years to build, said Christy Churchill, the project’s recreation planner.

But Wednesday’s focus was the water.

Kevin Colburn is national stewardship director for American Whitewater, a river conservation organization. He described the bypasses as “otherworldly.”

“It’s sort of prehistoric,” he said. “You see these reptiles, these giant birds, fish the size of your leg — it’s not normal. It’s a very cool, unique, beautiful place.”

Colburn said the river is going to “roar back to life.”

“I mean, it’s really hard to build good whitewater, like shockingly hard,” he said. “It’s a whole lot of science and a whole lot of art. And they nailed it.”

The long bypass is a 2.25 mile stretch for leisure kayaking and canoeing and has Class II and III rapids.

The short bypass will have faster water flowing over three-quarters of a mile that will have Class III and IV rapids. Duke Energy controls how much water it releases into the channels. The flows are 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Water enters the long bypass through two flows. The larger flow provides water for paddlers downstream and for aquatic habitat enhancement, according to Ben Williamson, a spokesperson for Duke Energy. Paddlers should enter the long bypass through the safe-boater bypass, he said.

Signs at the Nitrolee Access Area, where paddlers will enter the long bypass, show paddlers how to access the channel and gives details about appropriate watercraft and equipment, said Ellen Morton, Duke Energy spokesperson.

Churchill said opening the short bypass and trails has been delayed due to supply chain and construction hurdles.

“You can only get to the island to build those trails by barge,” she said. “And so sometimes, we’ve had days where we just couldn’t get there with all of our equipment.”

Tim Huffman, senior project manager for the project, said in 2014, his boss asked his opinion about the project.

“I told him that aside from the fact that the project was in two places, a crows flight, mile apart — one at the bottom of a river cliff, the other merely totally inaccessible, that there was no access to power, that the entire effort would be in the middle of a choke point in a river prone to flooding, and that we had zero idea of what we were actually supposed to do, that I saw no problems,” Huffman said jokingly.

Huffman described the short bypass as a “high tech piece,” and said they used marine fleet tugboats and a tower crane to “reach the unreachable.”

Huffman named nearly 85 people who worked on the project.

Fanning described the project as a “game changer.”

“We’re anticipating larger numbers of people coming down here regularly to get an experience that they can get nowhere else,” he said.

Great Falls Mayor Joshua Brantley said the access areas are going to bring opportunity to the town.

“There’s a ton on our plate, with what we’re going to have to do to try to manage and maintain the abundance of the tourists that will be here,” Brantley said.

Potential investors in the town have contacted him about bringing in jobs, retail, housing and mixed-use development, he said.

“It’s a matter of us really digging deep down into a master plan and really determining what is the best fit for Great Falls,” Brantley said.

Glinda Coleman, executive director of the Great Falls Home Town Association — a community and economic development non-profit— said developers have approached the town with ideas about using some of the abandoned mills, bringing in coffee shops, restaurants and places to stay.

Coleman did not elaborate on specific details, but said they are in negotiations.

The town association’s mission has been to bring nature-based tourism to the area, she said.

The association has plans for other trails, kayaking opportunities aside from whitewater, bird-watching, camping, cycling and plans for a “vibrant” Main Street in the “very near future.”

“Because of where Great Falls is, the river being here, it’s going to really be a great opportunity for growth in our area,” Coleman said. “And the whitewater is just the beginning.”

The access area and bypass channels don’t have have official names.

Duke Energy started construction on the project in 2020. As part of a new license for the Catawba-Wateree Project in 2015, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requires Duke to provide recreation, enhancement to water quality and quantity, wildlife and land conservation along the river.

The main focus of this project is to bring water back to the two channels, which once made up the 50-foot Great Falls of the Catawba, the town’s namesake.

Great Falls is between Charlotte and Columbia, and both cities are connected by Interstate 77. Charlotte is roughly an hour north of Great Falls (about 55 miles from Uptown). Columbia is 45 minutes from Great Falls (46 miles away). The drive from Rock Hill, S.C. is about 35 minutes.

Traveling south from Charlotte, a driver would take Exit 55. Traveling north from Columbia, take Exit 48.

This story was originally published March 17, 2023, 11:02 AM.

Undefeated in its region, undefeated in its classification and only losing to one South Carolina school — Wilson boys basketball, a Class AAAA school — it's safe to say Christ Church's resume is one of the most impressive in the state.

Now add to that an appearance in the Class A state championship game, after a 55-27 win Saturday over Great Falls (24-6) in the Upper State championship, the Cavaliers (20-3) can add the ultimate recoginition.

"It feels good to be here. We should have been in this position last year but things didn't work out as planned, but now we're even better and we're going harder than ever," said Christ Church center Jordan Butler, a Missouri signee.

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Christ Church was dominant from the start, taking a 6-0 lead. According to coach John Butler, father of senior big man Jordan Butler, the Cavaliers' dominance started on the defensive end.

"We came into the game knowing that their No. 11 was a really good, solid player. So the emphasis was to make him make tough shots," John Butler said. "We knew he was going to make shots, but we're going to make it as tough as possible for him on the defensive end, and we did that by everyone working together, communicating and moving as a unit."

The Cavaliers did more than slow down top scorer Tydriez Coleman, they allowed 27 total points and only allowing eight points in the second half.

Christ Church senior Woods Windham led all scorers with 15 points, while guard D.J. Harvey added 11 points.

Now, with one game left to play, only Scott's Branch (20-3), after a 64-56 win over Estill (19-9), is left in the way of Christ Church's quest to bring home a state championship.

The two will face off on March 4 at the USC Aiken Convocation Center at 2 p.m.

GREAT FALLS, S.C. — One mother and her 17-year-old son are grateful and lucky to be alive after spending an entire night clinging for dear life in the Catawba River.

It happened near the new whitewater attraction in Great Falls, South Carolina. Emergency workers told Channel 9′s Tina Terry that this could have easily been a recovery mission rather than a rescue.

Crystal Richardson and her 17-year-old son Justin told Terry that they went to the new attraction Wednesday with a family friend, hoping to cool off.

SEE MORE >> 9 Investigates: Safety concerns surrounding crowds, traffic at U.S. National Whitewater Center

“My son is on summer break, and we were trying to spend family time together because we work so much,” Richardson said.

They tied three tubes together and put them in the river, but the force of the water eventually pulled the tubes apart.

“As soon as I fell off the inner tube, I hit a rock. I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t see nothing, I didn’t know nothing,” Richardson said.

The three of them were forced in different directions. The force of the water was strong, and they ended up finding logs to hold onto.

They were stuck in the river all night long, hoping for a rescue.

Thursday morning, Justin decided to try and swim to the dam for help. A driver saw him and called 911.

“He was pretty much just standing there, and he was waving and hollering for help,” said Britt Blackmon, a training officer with Lancaster County Fire and Rescue. “They got on the scene, they got to the young man, he said he wasn’t alone.”

Blackmon says they used a drone to find Justin’s mom and their friend. Then they got in the water to rescue them.

After their harrowing night in the water, Richardson is full of gratitude.

“God forbid, I don’t know what would have happened if nobody would have come,” Richardson said. “God helped us.”

Crews said the family entered an area that is built for experienced kayakers, and not for tubing. Safety signs warn that people should enter the water at their own risk.

Officials are warning visitors to always wear appropriate life jackets before getting in the water.

(WATCH: Whitewater attraction in Chester County getting close to completion)

CHESTER COUNTY, S.C. — There's a new way for people to enjoy the water and the weather in Chester County.

The Great Falls Enhancement Project sits on the Catawba River and provides recreational activities at the Great Falls Reservoir.

It's been a project almost two decades in the making. Sandy Skardon is one of the first people to experience the project.

“It was going good, some of the waves were in," Skardon said. Yeah, it was pretty awesome."

Tim Huffman is the project manager and said it took a lot of time and effort to figure out the design. The water in the area was held back by a dam for decades. The company worked to move water back into the original channels, creating over two miles of white water access.

“If you don’t paddle a lick, you can go out there, walk around, walk the trails, it’ll be well worth the time," Huffman said.

Huffman also said it'll become a tourist spot for the area. On Sunday, people already made their way out to the spot from all over the Carolinas. People told WCNC Charlotte they are excited about the new destination and can't wait to dive in once the temps heat up.

Others said the new spot could add congestion to the area. Martin Kennington lives in the area and can see how this area could get too busy.

“It concerns me with all the extra traffic that people will come down and take advantage of it," Kennington said.

But others think this will impact the area in a different way.

“It will be something good for Lancaster County because it’s not as big as Rock Hill and it’s in the middle of nowhere, traffic will be good for the area," Gregory Chisolm said.

Tenitia Brown is the owner of Red Rose Patrys in Lancaster County. She said she mainly caters to those in the area, but with the new attraction, she's excited to be in the impact zone.

“It means we are going to be okay as a small business, we get a chance to expand so any type of new traffic is going to be great," Brown said.