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



Man-made canals surround much of Lake Waccamaw. They are 

 characterized by dense vegetation (mainly alligator-weed, Alternanthera 

 philoxeroides; duckweed, Lemna perpusilla; and beggar tick, Bidens 

 laevis) and steep, grassy roadside banks, and are open to the lake and 

 the Waccamaw River. 



Waccamaw River 



The Waccamaw River originates at the south shore of Lake Wac- 

 camaw and flows southward approximately 225 km to its confluence 

 with the Pee Dee River at Winyah Bay, South Carolina. The river is 

 sluggish and meandering with an average gradient of only 6.44 cm/ km. 

 Above Juniper Creek (Fig. 1), much of the river is less than 15 m wide 

 with the exception of an area known locally as "The Fishponds," 

 located just below Bogue Swamp. Here, for a distance of several 

 hundred meters, the river widens to approximately 50 to 60 m. Below 

 Juniper Creek the river widens considerably, and before crossing the 

 North Carolina/ South Carolina state line averages around 75 m wide. 



Seasonally, water levels in the river fluctuate considerably. High 

 water occurs in late winter and throughout the spring. During summer 

 and fall the waters recede, creating shallow, sandy stretches. 



Bogue Swamp 



Bogue Swamp is the first tributary to the Waccamaw River, origi- 

 nating approximately 6.5 km northwest of Lake Waccamaw and flow- 

 ing 13 km southeast before entering the river (Fig. 1). This is a small, 

 sand-bottom stream, often intermittent during dry months. 



White Marsh 



Brown Marsh, Elkton Marsh, and Red Hill Swamp flow from the 

 upper part of White Marsh, approximately 23 km northwest of Lake 

 Waccamaw. White Marsh is a sluggish, muck-bottom stream that flows 

 southeast for 33 km before entering the Waccamaw River. Stations 

 sampled during our survey were in Red Hill Swamp and the main 

 stream of White Marsh (Fig. 1). Aquatic vegetation was dense in the 

 areas collected, and station 15 was heavily obstructed with roots, 

 stumps and water-logged branches. 



Juniper Creek 



Juniper Creek is the largest tributary to the Waccamaw River in 

 North Carolina and is the first to enter the river from the east (Fig. 1). 

 It is formed by the confluence of Muddy Branch and Bear Pen Island, 

 Honey Island and Alligator swamps. Juniper Creek and its tributaries 

 form the major drainage system for Green Swamp. Many interconnec- 

 ting man-made canals east of Lake Waccamaw join Honey Island 

 Swamp with Dans Creek of the adjacent Cape Fear Drainage. These 



