In 2020, the City of Aiken purchased a 2,500-acre tract of forested land that surrounds the City’s Mason Branch Reservoir, located in the Shaws Creek Watershed. This forest is a natural part of the City of Aiken’s water supply infrastructure. The forests naturally filter miles of streams that flow into the City’s water treatment plant. Trees help clean and store water in underground aquifers.
“The addition of this forest was a unique opportunity and common sense solution for ensuring water security for current and future residents while providing significant cost-savings and countless public benefits,” said City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh.
The benefits of preserving the Mason Branch Forests by the numbers:
- Can sequester 3,700 tons of carbon -> equivalent to removing the emissions from 825 cars per year from our environment.
- Can absorb over 100 tons of air pollution -> providing cleaner air for a healthier community.
- Can reduce runoff into the Shaws Creek Watershed by 1,850,000 gallons -> reduces the impacts of flooding and pollution on our local watershed.
