Basin Facts and Figures

The Waccamaw River/Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) Basin encompasses 11 watersheds and 979 square miles. The Waccamaw River Basin incorporates the Lower Coastal Plain and Coastal Zone regions and the AIWW flows through the Coastal Zone region. Of the some 600,000 acres, 42.5% is forested land, 20.1% is forested wetland (swamp), 13.5% is scrub/shrub land, 9.7% is urban land, 4.9% is nonforested wetland (marsh), 4.8% is water, 4.1% is agricultural land, and 0.4% is barren land. The urban land percentage is comprised chiefly of the Cities of Conway, Georgetown, Myrtle Beach, and North Myrtle Beach.  (Source: 1989-90 SPOT Imagery)                  

There are approximately 784 stream miles in this watershed, 2,373 acres of lake waters, and 22,910 acres of estuarine areas. The Waccamaw River flows across the South Carolina state line from North Carolina and accepts drainage from Kingston Lake and the AIWW via Socastee Creek. The Waccamaw River then joins the Sampit and Pee Dee Rivers to form Winyah Bay, which drains into the Atlantic Ocean.                                                                                

Water Quality Information
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