…about the Little Pee Dee River in Dillon County. Well, maybe not quite EVERYthing.
Recently I was given by a friend and public official a publication of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 1000 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC 29201 “Boating Guide to the Little Pee Dee, Scenic River Water Trail in Dillon County.” I am not an outdoor person, but I appreciatively accepted her gesture and with mild interest thumbed through the elaborately detailed spiral bound book. But it caught my attention as a good read even if for no other reason that the river runs near where I live. I investigated its content more thoroughly and this column is my “book” report.
So what are some of the facts given in this publication that might be unknown to most Dillonites? Let’s start with the question: Did you know?
THAT the river begins (headwaters) in Marlboro County, SC at Red Bluff Lake
THAT its entire length is almost 120 miles
THAT it ends at the meeting point of three South Carolina counties; Georgetown, Marion and Horry at the Great Pee Dee River
THAT it flows 48 miles through Dillon County
THAT the distance in ‘river’ mile from Moccasin Bluff to Stafford Bridge (US 301) is 4 miles, and it takes about 2.5 hours to complete by boat; it takes 7 minutes driving time. The ‘road’ distance is 3.8 miles.
THAT the “scenic” section of the river in the county covers 27 miles, from Moccasin Bluff at Hamer to the Highway 41 (Lake View-Fork connector) Landing
THAT the average daily streamflow of the Little Pee Dee River is about 577 cubic feet per second.
THAT bank full water level is 9 feet at Galivants Ferry. The minimum level was at the 1.8 ft. stage; (August 18, 2002) ; the maximum level (overflow) was 13.12 ft on October 9, 1964 at Galivants Ferry.
THAT the average width is about 45 feet
THAT during moderate flow condition, the depth is about five feet deep
THAT it has been evolving as a river system for the last 1.8 million years
THAT the river has been rated as a superior resource for inland fisheries
THAT a total of 53 species of fish are known to inhabit the local waters
THAT recreational fishing is heaviest from April through June
THAT the river supports many mammal species. Can you name a few?
THAT the river system is a haven for bird watchers. Can you name some of their sightings?
THAT the Spanish explorer Hernando d Soto may have camped out in 1540 on the banks of what later became the Little Pee Dee River
THAT the first toll bridge locally over the Little Pee Dee River was built in 1800, today known as Allen’s Bridge
THAT the first modern 1930 roadway through Dillon Country built by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) crossed the Little Pee Dee River at Harllee’s Bridge near Little Rock.
The book is a treasure find for locals but especially for outdoor enthusiasts. Some of the other covered topics are Boating Information, River Safety, Float Plans, Outfitter List, Reading and Reference List, River Miles Coordinates Table (latitude, longitude), and numerous detailed maps showing the river as it flows through the county.
The book is hardly technical but one having a minor in geology would find it to be helpful.
Then some of the ‘interesting’ words in the publication that might challenge the typical reader are riparian, sinuosity, geomorphology, pointbars, Pleistocene, oxbow lakes, paleo-channels, prothonotary, periauger and the colorful river terms – sloughs and guts.
“… Past Chairman (and Minturn native) John Alford submitted the successful grant application and started this project before his retirement in April 2009.” Additional acknowledgements are listed.
I thank the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources for its quoted/cited information used in this column.
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Bill Lee
PO Box 128
Hamer, SC 29547