I see people crabbing and fishing from the bridge on Harborview Rd daily. It is one of the most polluted waterways in the state. Day before yesterday I personally witnessed the sewer line break in the lagoon next to Ellis Fish Camp restaurant. Officials say 7200 gallons of raw sewage leaked. It is probably more like 50,000 + gallons. All that sewage will take a very long time to seep into Ellis Creek, both up and down stream. It all dumps out into the harbor. Not blaming anyone. The lines were put in during the 1960’s. Just saying I won’t be consuming anything around the area.
Dude, tides. Enough said. The brown shrimp should be extra thick this.
I would like to know where you derived the statement “it’s one of the most polluted waterways in the state”. It’s not on the list of impaired waters and I just spent quite a bit of rainy day energy looking.
Typically, the effluent from a WWTP is going to be a higher “quality” than the native waters. In essence, the fecal coliforms that impair the water have been removed. This is from federal regulations (NPDES). Where problems come in a lot of times is from septic systems in rural areas. The lechate (from the leach field) contains fecal coliform. This enters the surrounding water body untreated. Therefore it’s more likely sections of, say the Edisto, are significantly more polluted than Ellis/James Island Creek. This is because we have city sewer.
Only a very small percentage of waste water is solids (poop). 50,000 gallons is nothing considering that James Island Creek probably flushes (tidally) millions per day…
I just drove over it. It is the same color it always is! 
Newsless Courier article from 2017
Both James Island and Shem Creek have the same issue for long time
Charleston Today article from June.
Bittlebank, James Island and Shem Creek highlighted.
https://chstoday.6amcity.com/water-quality-guide-charleston-sc/
This sucks…All old septic tanks and sewer lines need to go. Tax the newbies. Its gotta be done. Dont live or fish much past Cape romain, but nobody wants to see the same crap going on in Florida.