Atlantic white cedar. Numerous other wetland species were also 

 present in varying proportions. 



Today, in the remaining forested areas, red maple and 

 swamp blackgum predominate with sweetbay and redbay. The two 

 natural areas contain the remaining mature second-growth and old- 

 growth stands. 



5) Pungo Association: These are nearly level, very poorly 

 drained soils that are muck to a depth of 51 inches or 

 more; on broad, level flats. 



Natural Areas Represented: Van Swamp 

 Percentage of county land area: 7% 



This soilscape occupies almost the entire southeast corner of 

 the county south of Lake Phelps. A small, disjunct area lies with- 

 in Van Swamp in the county's southwest corner. 



This soilscape occupies the area of deepest peat accumulation, 

 presumably along a filled-in paleo-channel of the Alligator River. 

 About 8,000 yrs. before present, peat began filling in the former 

 stream channel by vertical deposition, then began spreading over 

 the adjacent landscape laterally. Eventually the mantle of peat 

 spread out over most of central Washington County. The highest 

 or deepest portion of this peat "dome" is the area occupied by 

 the Pungo soilscape. 



The original vegetation was probably dominated by pond pine 

 over a dense layer of evergreen and deciduous shrubs and bay 

 trees. During extended droughts, the upper layers of the peat 

 would dry out, and largescale wildfires occurred. Fire resistant 

 species such as pond pine and the shrubs were better adapted to 

 this fire-maintained regime and so dominated the landscape. This 

 pond pine-dense shrub vegetation type overlying peat wetlands is 

 the classical "pocosin." 



Because both Pungo and Phelps Lakes lie adjacent to the deep 

 peat areas, it has been suggested that both formed as a result of 

 peat fires which burned down to the underlying mineral layers. 

 Enlargement of the burned areas occurred when water filled them 

 and wind and water currents combined to erode the peat margins , 

 gradually creating the large freshwater lakes which are present 

 today. 



Recently, the potential use of peat as an alternative energy 

 source has generated interest in mining the deep deposits. The 

 southeast corner of the county was ditched and a series of access 

 roads were constructed in the 1960's and 1970 's. Peat mining on 



