DRAINAGE OF BLACK AND BOGGY SWAMPS, S. C. 5 



The highways of the district are the usual dirt roads, but they have 

 been improved recently by the county and are now in very good 

 condition. 



WATERSHEDS. 



There are two distinct primary watershed areas in this district, 

 drained respectively by Boggy Swamp and Black Swamp, which are 

 in turn divided into various secondary watersheds drained by the 

 tributary branches or swamps. In addition to the two main water- 

 sheds with their tributaries there is included within the district a 

 section of land in the vicinity of Garnett drained by Church Branch, 

 Hog Branch, and King Branch. These branches flow down into the 

 second level of overflowed lands bordering the Savannah River and 

 form what is known as the " Pallachucolla Savannas," which empty 

 farther down into Black Swamp. Thus, while they are in reality 

 tributaries of Black Swamp, they will require separate handling so 

 far as this project is concerned. Similarly, Scott Swamp No. 1, 

 south of Robertville, and two small areas farther west must be con- 

 sidered separately. Black Swamp and its tributaries drain 18,490 

 acres, Boggy Swamp and its tributaries drain 36,693 acres, and the 

 independent watercourses drain 12,459 acres. 



These watershed areas are for the most part fairly rolling, although 

 the portion of the district west of the Augusta Road and that part 

 between Scotia and Garnett are quite flat. The higher and more 

 rolling lands are cultivated to some extent at present, as they have 

 very fair natural drainage, which is aided by some farm drainage; 

 but even on those lands crops fail in wet years, showing the need of 

 a general system of drainage. The swamps and the flatter areas are 

 mostly covered with timber, which is being rapidly cut off by lumber 

 companies. 



DRAINAGE CHANNELS. 



There is no lack of drainage channels in Black and Boggy Swamps 

 district, yet drainage conditions are bad. The situation is due pri- 

 marily to two causes — (1 ) lack of suitable drainage connection between 

 the wet, flat areas and the drainage channels or branches, and (2) 

 the inability of the drainage channels to remove the water after it 

 has reached them. The two main drainage channels for the district 

 are Boggy Swamp and Black Swamp, the former serving the northern 

 and western parts of the district, the latter serving the eastern part, 

 and both finally emptying into the Savannah River, the outlet for 

 all of the water from this district. There are numerous smaller 

 branches or swamps tributary to these, which reach out to the differ- 

 ent parts of the district, and which are the outlets for the drainage 

 from their respective watersheds. A general description of these 

 channels will suffice for this discussion, since they are all similar in 

 character and differ only as to size. 



