Airport high school students unable to use Old State boat landing
In October last year South Carolina had a historical flood damaging hundreds of homes, buildings, and boat landings. Old State Boat Landing that was damaged was probably the most important and most used landing in Cayce. Its closure continues to prevent Airport High School boaters from accessing the Congaree River from that location, making all watercraft activities more of a hassle. The landing is off of old state road.
Old State landing was damaged due to the fast rising water levels damaging the dock. Cayce and DNR officials are working on a plan to fix the landing and trying to determine where the money will be coming from. According to one local resident who spoke with DNR, old state will be reopened next spring with new docks.
Old State being closed has caused many boaters who used to attend the landing to move to Rosewood Landing. Rosewood Landing is about 10 more minutes further away than Old State. Rosewood landing is the only other public landing around Cayce that can be used. Rosewood landing is about a mile or less from Williams Brice stadium, right across from the fairgrounds. Rosewood is one of the worst landing around do to not being maintained or cleaned by the state. Something needs to be done.
Bryant L., a senior at Airport High School and former user of the landing says, “I've attended Old State Landing every weekend before it was closed down.” This Aiport High student along with many others have been using Old State landing since they were kids and is really the only landing they know best.
Although the landing has been taking a long time to be fixed, many of boaters that frequently use the landing have volunteered to help. In response to one question that was asked to Bryant L. about what should be done to fix the landing, he stated that “people could volunteer to help.”
If the boaters are willing to help to fix the landing then that would most likely speed up the fixing of the landing. Donations from boaters that use the landing would help,” says Bryant L. The donations would take a big part in fixing the landing more sooner. Perhaps a GoFundMe page could be beneficial, although none seems to exist yet.
Cayce officials and DNR are working on a plan to fix the landing and also where the funding will be coming from. Although the landing is in Cayce it is still a public landing and the state could have some funding and help with the recovery of the Old State boat landing.
The main reason why the landing is being monitored by Cayce Police department and DNR is because the dock being broken is a safety hazard. If the dock was just removed the landing could be reopened and used for a while until a plan to fix the dock comes in effect.
Since Old State landing is closed it has left many boaters forced to use other landings. While the landing is on its way to being fixed you can put in at Rosewood to access Congaree or if there is any other public landings you could use if you can get permission to use them. There are also other places to go such as Lake Murray or Santee. If you have any further question about the landing or things dealing with the landing, feel free to call Cayce P.D at (803) 794-0456