The Waccamaw River is a

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of ...

, approximately 140 miles (225 km) long, in

southeastern The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sep ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

and eastern

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. It drains an area of approximately 1,110 square miles (2886 km²) in the coastal plain along the eastern border between the two states into the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. Along its upper course, it is a slow-moving, blackwater river surrounded by vast wetlands, passable only by shallow-draft watercraft such as

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the ter ...

. Along its lower course, it is lined by sandy banks and old plantation houses, providing an important navigation channel with a unique geography, flowing roughly parallel to the coast.

Description

The Waccamaw River begins its course at

Lake Waccamaw Lake Waccamaw is a fresh water lake located in Columbus County in North Carolina. It is the largest of the natural Carolina Bay lakes. Although bay trees (''Magnolia virginiana L.'', ''Gordonia lasianthus Ellis'', and ''Persea'') are present w ...

, a Carolina Bay in Columbus County, North Carolina. Downstream it forms the county line between Columbus and Brunswick counties, flowing generally southwest and parallel to the coastline; it is separated from the ocean by approximately 15 miles (24 km). It enters

and flows southwest across Horry County, past Conway. Near Burgess, it is joined from the northwest by the Great Pee Dee River, which rises in north central

. It continues southwest, separated from the ocean by only five miles (8 km) in a long tidal estuary. The long narrow point of land along the ocean formed by the lower river is called Waccamaw Neck. At Georgetown it receives the

Black River (South Carolina) The Black River is a blackwater river in South Carolina in the United States. It courses through Sumter, Clarendon, and Williamsburg counties before merging with the Great Pee Dee River in Georgetown County. The river was called the Wee Nee ...

from the north, then turns sharply to the southeast and enters the ocean at Winyah Bay, approximately five miles (8 km) north along the coast from the mouth of the

Santee River } The Santee River is a river in South Carolina in the United States, and is long. The Santee and its tributaries provide the principal drainage for the coastal areas of southeastern South Carolina and navigation for the central coastal plain ...

. Navigable as far as Conway, the lower river has been an important commercial route for the region since the 18th century. Before that, it was equally important for various Native American cultures. In the 19th century, planters developed extensive

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

cultivation on lands of the lower Waccamaw River. They depended on the labor of thousands of enslaved

Africans African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...

and their descendants to cultivate and process this labor-intensive crop. After the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

, some of the large plantations were confiscated by the federal government. In addition, the emancipation of enslaved persons and new laws established a "free labor" market. Some planters established sharecropping or tenant farmers to gain workers, but as freedmen wanted to control some of their work. The rice industry declined under these conditions. Since the early 20th century, the Waccamaw's lower course in South Carolina forms part of what is now known as the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. It joins the river from the northeast at

Bucksport, South Carolina Bucksport is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 876 at the 2010 census. It is a rural port on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway at the merger point with ...

. Long important to trade and transportation, the waterway also began to be recognized for its recreational uses. In addition, the river's extensive wetlands provide

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

for diverse species, including the Carolina pygmy sunfish and the American black bear.

"Extensive forest communities cover the Waccamaw floodplain, including cypress-gum swamp and bottomland hardwood forests. The bottomland hardwood forests of the Waccamaw are unique in the Carolinas in containing abundant Atlantic white cedar and live oaks, along with the more typical laurel and overcup oak and loblolly pine."

The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Nat ...

has acquired a portion of the habitat for conservation and preservation. They control land along the Waccamaw, the lower Pee Dee and Little Pee Dee rivers for habitat preservation. A much larger area was acquired by the federal government for the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1997 near the confluence of these three rivers. Originally consisting of , it is planned to have a total of .Official refuge site
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References

External links

Winyah Rivers Foundation: About the Waccamaw River
* Albergotti, Dan
"Shadows Along the Waccamaw"
''Southern Spaces,'' November 24, 2008. {{authority control Rivers of North Carolina Rivers of South Carolina Rivers of Georgetown County, South Carolina Rivers of Horry County, South Carolina Rivers of Columbus County, North Carolina Rivers of Brunswick County, North Carolina Rivers of Bladen County, North Carolina Tributaries of the Pee Dee River

Description

See also

References

External links