Ken Taylor 



ABOVE: Paddlers can experience untouched natural areas along the Waccamaw. 



"We chose the Waccamaw because it is 

 still in fairly good condition," says Pinson. 

 "With the growth of the Grand Strand in 

 North and South Carolina, it makes this 

 timely. We need to prevent further degrada- 

 tion of the river." 



The Winyah Foundation and other 

 groups also are fighting a large regional 

 landfill on a 760-acre parcel in the heart of 

 the Green Swamp, southwest of N.C. 21 1 in 

 Columbus County. 



"We feel there is too much risk 

 associated with placing a landfill in the Green 

 Swamp, which is at the headwaters of the 

 Waccamaw," says Pinson. 



The Columbus County Board of Commis- 

 sioners already has approved the project. 



"The county is spending $1.5 million a 

 year to dispose of solid waste," says Amon 

 McKenzie, chairperson of the Columbus 

 commissioners. "We need a place to dispose 

 waste. Tne experts were given the task of 



finding the most practical place. The swamp 

 was what they came up with. We have spent 

 10 years trying to find an area for the waste." 



However, Lake Waccamaw Mayor Bo 

 McNeill and a number of concerned residents 

 are fighting the project. 



"I don't think it will be environmentally 

 safe," says McNeill. 



Lake Waccamaw is one of the largest 

 natural lakes in the United States east of the 

 Mississippi and has the distinction of being 

 the only lake in North Carolina to have been 

 designated an 'outstanding resource water.' 



The landfill is at higher elevation than 

 the lake. "The site for the landfill drains into a 

 creek. Any contaminants will run into Lake 

 Waccamaw or into a creek, ending up in the 

 Waccamaw River. The Waccamaw River is 

 known to be one of the cleanest rivers in 

 North Carolina. The potential danger to the 

 environment for Lake Waccamaw or the 

 Waccamaw River is too great for this 



landfill," says McNeill. 



The landfill still has to be approved by 

 state and federal regulators. 



Despite the debate, the bountiful 

 resources on the river provide many 

 opportunities for paddlers. 



"It is a beautiful wilderness," says 

 Hickman. "Other than what loggers have 

 done, the area is untouched. It is as far in the 

 country as you can get. It is quiet, and nature 

 lovers fall in love with it." □ 



To contact the Waccamaw River 

 Outdoor Center, call 888/863-7978 or go 

 online at www.4wroc.com/. 



To order a CD of the report "The 

 Waccamaw Drainage System: Geology and 

 Dynamics of a Coastal Wetland, Southeast- 

 ern North Carolina, " contact 

 Jeff.Bruton@ncmail.net or visit the Web: 

 www.ncwater.org/ and follow the link to 

 reports and publications on the Waccamaw. 



COASTWATCH 11 



