Environmentalists in South Carolina are raising alarm over the state's management of water resources amidst worsening drought conditions and allegations of insufficient regulation of agricultural water withdrawals. The Southern Environmental Law Center, representing conservation groups, has filed a lawsuit against the newly reorganized Department of Environmental Services (DES), formerly known as DHEC. They argue that DES misinterpreted a crucial 2010 river protection law, allowing "megafarms" to extract water without adequate oversight. This, they claim, threatens to deplete low-flow rivers crucial for various users, including fishermen, utilities, and drinking water systems.

The lawsuit targets DES's alleged failure to enforce stricter controls on agricultural water use during droughts, exemplified by the current water scarcity affecting South Carolina. Concerns are heightened as large farms, exempt from rigorous permitting required of industrial users, continue unchecked withdrawals under minimal oversight. Critics argue that these practices jeopardize the sustainability of river ecosystems and pose risks to broader water availability for communities and industries.

Despite DES's stated commitment to water resource protection, the controversy underscores broader dissatisfaction with regulatory frameworks perceived as lenient towards agricultural interests. Conservationists advocate for reforms aligning regulations more closely with the original intent of the 2010 law, emphasizing sustainable management practices and stricter safeguards to ensure rivers' long-term health and availability for all stakeholders.

The legal challenge reflects urgent calls for enhanced regulatory measures amid reports of critically low river levels across South Carolina. With rivers like the Little Pee Dee and Waccamaw already at alarming lows due to reduced rainfall, the lawsuit seeks to compel DES to adopt more robust protections to mitigate the escalating impacts of drought on the state's waterways and communities.