Lake Wateree
Encyclopedia
Lake Wateree is a 19 mi2 reservoir
in Kershaw, Fairfield, and Lancaster counties, South Carolina
, in the United States
. It is one of South Carolina
's oldest man-made lakes. It has 216 miles (347.6 km) of shoreline and includes Lake Wateree State Recreation Area
, a bird refuge, and Shaw Air Force Base
Recreation center. Its name, like that of the river, recalls the now-extinct Wateree
Native Americans
, who lived in the area until dispossed by European settlers.
, east of I-77
just off SC 97.
(formerly Duke Power), Lake Wateree was created in 1920 when the Wateree River
was dammed. The Wateree Hydro Station produces 56 megawatts of electricity. This created a lake of nearly 14000 acres (56.7 km²) with 190 miles (305.8 km) of shoreline touching three counties.
, Striped bass
, White Perch
, White bass
, Crappie
, Channel catfish
, Arkansas Blue Catfish
, Shellcrackers
, Bream.
Other wildlife that call Lake Wateree home include deer
, fox
, squirrel
, turtle
, dove, turkey
, alligator
and various species of duck
, hawk
, eagle
, egret
, Heron and osprey
.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
in Kershaw, Fairfield, and Lancaster counties, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is one of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
's oldest man-made lakes. It has 216 miles (347.6 km) of shoreline and includes Lake Wateree State Recreation Area
Lake Wateree State Recreation Area
Lake Wateree State Recreation Area is a state park located in Ridgeway, SC. The state park is easily located off of US Highway 21, four miles north of the town of the Ridgeway. This site was acquired by the state in 1982 and offers camping sites, picnic shelters, an on-site tackle shop with boat...
, a bird refuge, and Shaw Air Force Base
Shaw Air Force Base
Shaw Air Force Base is a United States Military facility located approximately west-northwest of Sumter, South Carolina. It is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command...
Recreation center. Its name, like that of the river, recalls the now-extinct Wateree
Wateree
The Wateree were one of the first groups of Native Americans in the interior of the East Coast to encounter Europeans. They were recorded in 1567, by Spanish captain Juan Pardo's scribe Bandera for his expeditions through the interior of the Carolinas. They were named the Guatari in Bandera's...
Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, who lived in the area until dispossed by European settlers.
Location
The lake is surrounded by three of South Carolina's counties: Kershaw, Fairfield and Lancaster. It is about 30 miles (48.3 km) northeast of ColumbiaColumbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
, east of I-77
Interstate 77 in South Carolina
Interstate 77 is a north - south interstate highway, extending in the state of South Carolina, extending from the national southern terminus at an interchange with Interstate 26 near Columbia, north to the North Carolina state line near Rock Hill and Charlotte, NC.-Route description:Interstate 77...
just off SC 97.
Origin
Owned and managed by Duke EnergyDuke Energy
Duke Energy , headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is an energy company with assets in the United States, Canada and Latin America.-Overview:...
(formerly Duke Power), Lake Wateree was created in 1920 when the Wateree River
Wateree River
The Wateree River, about 75 mi long, is a tributary of the Santee River in central South Carolina in the United States, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean...
was dammed. The Wateree Hydro Station produces 56 megawatts of electricity. This created a lake of nearly 14000 acres (56.7 km²) with 190 miles (305.8 km) of shoreline touching three counties.
Wildlife
Lake Wateree is another South Carolina lake known for its great fishing and bountiful wildlife. The fish include Largemouth BassLargemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
, Striped bass
Striped bass
The striped bass is the state fish of Maryland, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and the state saltwater fish of New York, Virginia, and New Hampshire...
, White Perch
White perch
The white perch, Morone americana, is not a true perch but is, rather, a fish of the temperate bass family, Moronidae, notable as a food and game fish in eastern North America.The name "white perch" is sometimes erroneously applied to the white crappie....
, White bass
White bass
The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass (MoroneIt is the state fish of Oklahoma.- Range :White bass are distributed widely across the United States, particularly in the midwest. They are very abundant in Pennsylvania and the area around Lake Erie...
, Crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
, Channel catfish
Channel catfish
Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...
, Arkansas Blue Catfish
Blue catfish
The blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, is one of the largest species of North American catfish. Blue catfish are distributed primarily in the Mississippi River drainage including the Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Arkansas rivers...
, Shellcrackers
Redear sunfish
The redear sunfish , also known as the shellcracker, Georgia bream, cherry gill, chinquapin, improved bream, rouge ear sunfish and sun perch, is native to the southeastern United States, but since it is a popular sport fish it has been introduced to bodies of water all over North America...
, Bream.
Other wildlife that call Lake Wateree home include deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
, squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
, turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
, dove, turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
and various species of duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
, hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
, eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
, egret
Egret
An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...
, Heron and osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
.
See also
- Camden, South CarolinaCamden, South CarolinaCamden is the fourth oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and is also the county seat of Kershaw County, South Carolina, United States. The population was an estimated 7,103 in 2009...
- Great Falls, South CarolinaGreat Falls, South CarolinaGreat Falls is a town in Chester County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,194 at the 2000 census.-Geography and climate:Great Falls is located at ....
- Mitford, South CarolinaMitford, South CarolinaMitford is an unincorporated community in Fairfield County, South Carolina, United States. Its altitude is 568 feet .-References:...