What takes more hands than counting tires in a Fort Mill creek? Helping get them out.

She doesn’t work in a manufacturing plant, so by the time her tire count reached triple digits on a recent walk through her workplace, Brittnay Brown knew she had a problem.

“It's definitely a huge issue that we're facing,” said Brown, director of Nation Ford Land Trust.

Recently, Brown began to notice tires in Sugar Creek, along the Nation Ford Greenway in the Regent Park area. She called the county waste and recycling department. Brown was told it would he helpful if she had a good count of how many tires were in or near the water. So she began.

“There were more than 200 in half a mile, and the trail is two miles long,” she said. “So there's many more than that.”

Tires in the middle of the creek, on the banks, run around trees and stumps in the water. Some are solo. Some are in piles and other seemingly stacked together. Brown said there were more than 500 of them in a mile. With heavy rains and high water this week, there aren’t that many visible, but many still are.

“It's put silt in the water,” Brown said, “and the water was up at least two or three feet.”

Brown has several concerns about the pollution, but two are most pressing. One, she wants it stopped.

“There has to be a source upstream,” she said, “This isn't a one-time dump.”

The variety also seems to indicate regular dumping.

“It’s everything,” Brown said. “Eighteen-wheeler tires, car tires, tires with the white on the outside so there's no telling how old some of them are. You've got wheelbarrow tires.”

Her other main concern is getting the tires out of the water.

“We're just hoping for volunteers,” Brown said.

A cleanup event is planned for May 6. Brown will lead volunteers to a trailhead site behind Antioch International Church. It isn’t far from the Anne Springs Close Greenway. The two are supposed to connect as part of the Carolina Thread Trail through both North and South Carolina.

“It leads all the way up to the back of the Greenway,” Brown said. “This trail leads into the back of there.”

So far, Brown hasn’t heard back from law enforcement after reporting what she found.

According to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, more than 4 million tires are discarded annually in the state. South Carolina buyers pay $2 per new tire toward a fund aimed at preventing tire dumping and encouraging recycling. There are fees for recycling large quantities of tires. In York County, residents can bring up to four auto tires at a time to the county convenience centers, including two in Fort Mill Mill. Tractor and truck tires will only be accepted at the county landfill.

North Carolina, which feeds into Sugar Creek near the incident site, has several rules for tires. Mecklenburg County facilities accept up to 15 tires at a time without prior approval, and may charge extra for muddy or dirty tires. Residents can drop off up to five tires for no charge, with each additional tire costing $1. Tires on rims, which have to be 20 inches or smaller, cost $2.

To volunteer for the upcoming cleanup, call 864-346-0469 or email nationfordlandtrust@gmail.com.

This story was originally published April 7, 2017 at 7:39 PM with the headline "What takes more hands than counting tires in a Fort Mill creek? Helping get them out.."