Chapter 4 Habitats
In the central part of the basin, the First Broad and Second Broad rivers drain from the easternmost part of the Mountains and flow south across the foothills and Piedmont to merge with the lower Broad River before it crosses into South Carolina. The Broad River merges with the Saluda River near Columbia, South Carolina to form the Congaree River, which flows into Lake Marion and eventually into the Atlantic Ocean. The North Carolina part of the basin covers about 1,511 square miles (28% of the entire watershed) with nearly 3,756 miles of freshwater streams and 3,159 acres of lakes (NCDEQ 2011, 2025f,g) . Nearly 73% of the land in the basin is covered by forest or shrubland, about 22% is agricultural lands, and 3.5% is urban or developed land (NCGAP 2025) . The NCWRC manages nearly 36,000 acres of game lands in the Broad River Basin area, including parts of the South Mountains Game Land and Green River Game Land. Crowders Mountain, Chimney Rock State Park, Hickory Nut Gorge and Hickory Nut Falls are well-known state park destinations. The NCNHP has identified numerous Significant Natural Heritage Areas, Dedicated Nature Preserves, and Managed Areas in the basin that represent exceptionally rare natural communities and features that have a very high need for conservation. Many of these locations are actively managed for biodiversity through disturbance that mimics natural processes. Overall, stream gradients in the basin decrease as the topography changes from the Mountains to the foothills and into the rolling landscape of the Piedmont. Soils in the Piedmont generally contain greater proportions of sand and clay and have higher erosion potential than those in the upper portion of the basin. Stream habitats in the lower basin are generally dominated by runs and pools with high proportions of sandy and silty substrates. This geographic and geologic change provides a variety of habitats for both rare and common aquatic species, but the higher erosion potential can result in greater impacts from excess sediment loading from disturbed areas. 4.5.4.2 Aquatic Resource Conditions Surface waters of the state are assigned a classification that carries standards for protecting the best intended uses of that water. There are about 2,358 acres of freshwater impoundments and 579 miles of freshwater streams in the basin that have been classified for best uses (NCDEQ 2025f,g) . Classification categories include aquatic life, recreation, fish consumption, and water supply. Overall, more than 34% of the monitored streams that have data available support intended uses; however, the lack of data for more than half the basin provides an unclear assessment of overall water quality. It is important to note that all waters in the state are rated as impaired based on a state-wide fish consumption advisory for mercury contamination.
Some waterbodies in the basin have supplemental classifications such as HQW or ORW because they either have excellent water quality or they are a significant resource to humans or wildlife
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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