Waccamaw River - Description

Description

The Waccamaw River begins its course at Lake Waccamaw, 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 South Carolina 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 North Carolina. 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) 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 lower river is navigable as far as Conway, and has formed an important commercial route for European Americans in the region since the 18th century. Before that, it was equally important for various indigenous cultures. Its lower course in South Carolina forms part of the recreational Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, which joins the river from the northeast at Bucksport, South Carolina.

The river's extensive wetlands offer habitat 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."

A portion of the habitat has been acquired by The Nature Conservancy. Land along the Waccamaw, the lower Pee Dee and Little Pee Dee rivers has been acquired for habitat preservation. Additional land is being acquired for the new Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge.

In the 19th century, planters had extensive rice cultivation on lands of the lower Waccamaw River. This was a labor-intensive crop, made possible only by thousands of enslaved laborers, mostly Africans and their descendants. After the American Civil War, emancipation of slaves meant the decline of the industry.