Waccamaw 



River 



It's a clear, sunny day as Doug Smith pushes an aluminum canoe into the By Ann Green 



slow-moving water of the Waccamaw River. 



As Smith paddles through a thick, forested area in Columbus County, he 

 notices a ripple in the water and maneuvers around some tree branches. 



"This is where beavers are building a small dam, " says Smith, who is 

 leading a trip down the river. "There were no beavers on the river when I was 

 a child. " 



As Smith continues to stroke down the river, the only sign of life is the 

 lapping of paddlers and the drumming of a pileated woodpecker. 



"When you go down the river, it is like going back a hundred years, " 

 says Smith. "You hear an occasional plane, and that is it. " 



Joy Pinson of Murrells Inlet, S.C., 

 agrees. 



"I have been on the Waccamaw in South 

 Carolina, but not this far up," says Pinson, 

 president of the Winyah Rivers Foundation. 

 "It is so quiet and remote." 



Throughout the paddling trip, the water 

 level is only knee deep because of the low 

 amount of rain. The color of the water is so 

 black and clear that it looks like a mirror 

 reflecting giant cypress. 



'The water is black because it drains 

 through hardwood swamp forests and collects 

 tannins that come from decomposing organic 

 matter," says North Carolina Sea Grant 

 education specialist Lundie Spence, who was 

 part of the paddling group. 'The water is 

 perfectly clean. Because there has been no 

 recent rain, the river isn't carrying any 

 sediments and is very clear." 



The paddling trip is one of the first for 

 the newly formed Waccamaw River Outdoor 

 Center in Columbus County. 



"By showcasing the Waccamaw, we are 

 going to protect the river," says Charles 

 Hickman, a co-owner of the outdoor center. 



"We will bring in people who care about the 

 environment and keep the river from 

 disappearing. If we don't do something, the 

 river will disappear in a hundred years." 



Last year, Hickman, Smith and William 

 Wayne purchased 60 acres at Old Dock near 

 Whiteville. Near the Waccamaw riverbank is 

 a large grassy area where canoes and kayaks 

 can be stored, and cars can be parked. 



The group plans to build an education 

 and convention center on the picturesque 

 property. 



"We have access to many landings all 

 along the river," says Hickman. "My vision is 

 to have marked hiking and paddling trails 

 with wildlife observation stations all along 

 the way." 



WACCAMAW WATERSHED 



The center is located near the river's 

 headwaters, not far from Lake Waccamaw in 

 Columbus and Brunswick counties. The river 

 converges with the Intracoastal Waterway 

 near Bucksport, S.C., empties into Winyah 

 Bay, and then flows past Georgetown to the 

 Atlantic Ocean. 



The Waccamaw River is part of the 

 Waccamaw Drainage System, which consists 

 of three headwater streams: White Marsh 

 Swamp on the west, Juniper Creek and Green 

 Swamp on the east, and the upper Waccamaw 

 River, which drains Lake Waccamaw and 

 other surrounding swamps. 



"The water flow of the Waccamaw 

 River system is important," says Spence. "It 

 is similar to the Everglades in Florida, where 

 water flows over the larger wetlands in a thin 

 layer and finally drains into the main body of 

 the Waccamaw River. 



"This sheet flow allows for slow 

 infiltration of stormwater and prevents 

 sediment from flowing into the river and also 

 keeps the water flowing evenly. If toxins flow 

 into upstream waters, they can affect 

 everything downstream." 



One of the Waccamaw' s most important 

 wetlands is the Green Swamp, which is a 

 botanical wonderland with small remaining 

 areas of pine savannas and bay forest. The 

 swamp also contains at least 14 different 

 species of insectivorous plants, including 

 extensive populations of Venus flytrap, 



Continued 



COASTWATCH 7 



