CHESTER COUNTY, S.C. — There's a new way for people to enjoy the water and the weather in Chester County.
The Great Falls Enhancement Project sits on the Catawba River and provides recreational activities at the Great Falls Reservoir.
It's been a project almost two decades in the making. Sandy Skardon is one of the first people to experience the project.
“It was going good, some of the waves were in," Skardon said. Yeah, it was pretty awesome."
Tim Huffman is the project manager and said it took a lot of time and effort to figure out the design. The water in the area was held back by a dam for decades. The company worked to move water back into the original channels, creating over two miles of white water access.
“If you don’t paddle a lick, you can go out there, walk around, walk the trails, it’ll be well worth the time," Huffman said.
Huffman also said it'll become a tourist spot for the area. On Sunday, people already made their way out to the spot from all over the Carolinas. People told WCNC Charlotte they are excited about the new destination and can't wait to dive in once the temps heat up.
Others said the new spot could add congestion to the area. Martin Kennington lives in the area and can see how this area could get too busy.
“It concerns me with all the extra traffic that people will come down and take advantage of it," Kennington said.
But others think this will impact the area in a different way.
“It will be something good for Lancaster County because it’s not as big as Rock Hill and it’s in the middle of nowhere, traffic will be good for the area," Gregory Chisolm said.
Tenitia Brown is the owner of Red Rose Patrys in Lancaster County. She said she mainly caters to those in the area, but with the new attraction, she's excited to be in the impact zone.
“It means we are going to be okay as a small business, we get a chance to expand so any type of new traffic is going to be great," Brown said.