The Saluda River is formed about 10 mi northwest of the city ofGreenville, on the common boundary of Greenville and Pickens Counties, by the confluence of its north and south forks, each of which rises in the Blue Ridge Mountains very near the border of North Carolina at Saluda, North Carolina:
The North Saluda River flows generally south-southwestwardly through northern Greenville County, past Marietta.
The South Saluda River flows generally southeastwardly on the Greenville-Pickens County border, receiving the Oolenoy River and the Middle Saluda River, which rises in Jones Gap State Park and flows generally southward through northwestern Greenville County.
The Little River flows into the Saluda from the north in Newberry County.
The Bush River flows into Lake Murray from the north in Newberry County.
The Little Saluda River flows into Lake Murray from the south in Saluda County; it is formed at the town of Saluda by the confluence of Mine Creek and Red Bank Creek.
Crossings
As it travels downstream, the Saluda river is crossed several times.
The river is named after an Indian tribe that once lived along its banks near the community of Chappells, South Carolina.
Save Our Saluda
In 2008, a collective of local citizens based in Marietta, Greenville County, South Carolina initiated a campaign to "Save Our Saluda" following what they perceived to be aggressive property development. Their mission is to " and the headwaters of the Saluda watershed through concerned citizens action".
Endangered Status
In April 2009, the Saluda River was named by American Rivers, a leading river conservation group to a list of rivers in the United States that are under imminent threat by dams, industry or development. The article, posted on CNN on April 7, 2009 stated "Excess levels of sewage waste threaten the drinking water of more than 500,000 South Carolina residents, conservationists say. Sewage in the river increases phosphorus and algae levels, depletes oxygen, and kills fish and other aquatic life. American Rivers is asking the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to improve sewage-treatment standards and ensure the river reduces its phosphorus levels by 25 to 50 percent."
