The governors of South Carolina and Georgia have taken a big first step in the effort to hold off water wars between the two states, appointing committees that will meet to discuss the issues.

S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford and Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue announced the appointments last week. The committees will meet as soon as August to begin efforts to equitably divide the water resources shared by the states.

Georgia, Alabama and Florida have been involved in costly court battles over the use of water. Sanford and Perdue want to avoid that on the Savannah River basin.

The S.C. committee includes Mike McShane, chairman of the Department of Natural Resources Board, Elizabeth Hagood, chairwoman of the Department of Health and Environmental Control Board, former state legislator Robert Waldrep, Tim Dangerfield, chief of staff for the Department of Commerce, Dean Moss, director of the Beaufort-Jasper Water Authority, and Austin Smith of the governor’s office.

• Riverkeeper named to international board

Catawba Riverkeeper Donna Lisenby has been named to the board of directors for the Waterkeeper Alliance, an international environmental advocacy organization.

Lisenby for seven years has been head of the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation, a group that works to protect water in the Catawba River and its reservoirs, including Lake Wateree, which straddles Kershaw and Fairfield counties.

The Charlotte-based group trains residents at lakes along the river to keep watch over water quality, has helped in the establishment of riverfront buffer zones and has worked to help protect public land around the lakes. The Waterkeeper Alliance connects and supports 137 similar organizations

CLEMSON

• Wisconsin team wins concrete canoe competition

Students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have won the National Concrete Canoe Competition for the third-straight year.

The competition put on by the American Society of Civil Engineers isn't just a sprint and endurance race, but also involves academics.

The competition's host, Clemson University, finished second and Michigan Tech University finished third. A total of 20 schools competed in the three-day event.

UPSTATE

• Revolutionary battlefield to be preserved

The South Carolina Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration have purchased the site of a Revolutionary War battlefield, officials said Monday.

The Fish Dam Ford Battlefield was discovered during a bridge replacement project over the Broad River in Chester and Union Counties, according to a release from DOT.

The two agencies paid $1.5 million for the 143-acre site, which will be deeded over to the Department of Natural Resources for preservation. The bridge alignment will be shifted to avoid any damage to the site during construction.

The Battle of Fish Dam Ford was fought on the morning of Nov. 9, 1780, with Gen. Thomas Sumter leading the American forces. It was one of several battles in the Upstate in 1780 that led to the British being driven out of the area.

Contributing: Staff writers Joey Holleman, Kristy Eppley Rupon and The Associated Press