2 John R. Shute, Peggy W. Shute, David G. Lindquist 



age. Seventeen species of plants and animals considered of special con- 

 cern by biologists were listed from in and around Lake Waccamaw by 

 Teulings and Cooper (1977). Parts of the Waccamaw River's upper 

 reaches have been proposed for inclusion in the National and Scenic 

 Rivers System (Anonymous 1978) because of their relatively undis- 

 turbed nature and the river's unique assemblage of flora and fauna. 



Geological evidence suggests that the Waccamaw River once 

 drained a much larger area, extending into the inner Coastal Plain and 

 Piedmont. As discussed later, zoogeographical evidence supports this 

 theory, which may explain the high species diversity. 



This study was intended to provide a baseline of information on the 

 overall distribution of fishes within the drainage, with special emphasis 

 on the endemic and undescribed forms, because habitat alteration could 

 present a definite problem for most of the unique fishes. There is limited 

 suitable habitat for the species with upland affinities, and impoundment 

 or channelization projects could prove disastrous. 



STUDY AREA 



The Waccamaw River drainage lies entirely within the low Coastal 

 Plain of North and South Carolina, draining an area of approximately 

 4000 km" (Fig. 1). It is a relatively young system, believed to have been 

 formed during the Late Pleistocene, 32,000 to 75,000 years ago (Zullo 

 and Harris 1979). Sediments consist of Pleistocene sands underlain by 

 the fossiliferous Waccamaw Formation, a limestone formation that is 

 exposed in some areas of the river. The Surry Scarp forms the western 

 border of the system, and to the north the Cape Fear Fault forms a 

 barrier separating the Cape Fear Basin from the Pee Dee Basin (Zullo 

 and Harris 1979). 



Friar Swamp 



Friar Swamp is the principal feeder system to Lake Waccamaw. 

 Originating from Council Mill Pond (approximately 15 km north- 

 northwest of Lake Waccamaw), this small stream flows south and con- 

 verges with Slap Swamp, Buckhead Branch, and Gum Swamp to form 

 Big Creek (Fig. 1). Big Creek is a typical black water stream with a 

 sandy, muck bottom and an abundance of aquatic vegetation along its 

 shoreline. 



Lake Waccamaw 



Lake Waccamaw is the largest of the Carolina Bays, with a total 

 area of 3618 ha. Most of its 22.9 km shoreline is characterized by sandy, 

 low-gradient beaches. Vast beds of maidencane, Panicum hemitomum, 

 extend offshore along the eastern, southern, and western shores of the 

 lake. Cape Fear spatterdock, Nuphar luteum sagitifollium, grows in 



