By Tim Flach, The State, Columbia, S.C. Aug. 7--State health officials' handling of a sewage spill into the lower Saluda River came under fire Wednesday as contamination continues to jeopardize recreation.

Mayor Bob Coble is concerned high levels of bacteria could harm the Congaree River's role as a centerpiece of downtown Columbia's revival. "All our efforts in redevelopment with the river at its center could be in jeopardy," he said.

By Megan Sexton, The State, Columbia, S.C. May 24--The spider lily is at home in the river. Truly. Hymenocallis coronaria, commonly known as the spider lily, grows in the rocky shoals and rises through the water.

When researchers flock to Congaree National Park, they don't come solely for the huge trees, the variety of wildlife and the wetlands wonderland. They're also drawn, in part, by the Old-Growth Bottomland Forest Research and Education Center.

By Joey Holleman, The State, Columbia, S.C. Feb. 3--From a mile of frontage on Little River in northern Richland County to an oxbow lake along the Congaree River in Calhoun County, the Congaree Land Trust snared conservation easements on a record 10,777 acres in 2007.