Chapter 4 Habitats
There are approximately 5,048 miles of freshwater streams, 8,966 acres of freshwater impoundments, and 3,867acres of estuarine or saline waterbodies classified for best uses in the basin (NCDEQ 2025f, g) . All but two rivers in the basin flow into the Great Pee Dee River in South Carolina: the Shallotte and Lockwood Folly rivers drain directly to the Atlantic Ocean. A total of 115 miles have been designated as State Natural and Scenic Water, and 81 miles have been designated as National Wildlife and Scenic Water (NPS 1998) . Waterbodies in the Sandhills ecoregion are typified by flowing sand-bottomed streams, with acidic water, and are primarily located in the northwestern one-third of the basin. Soils in the Sandhills are well drained and provide a reliable source of groundwater recharge to the streams that run through this part of the basin. Coastal Plain waterbodies are typically meandering and have low flow conditions that contribute to the basin being dominated by blackwater systems. Streams are often braided systems, have wide floodplains, and have natural communities that are often hardwood bottomlands or pocosin wetlands (NCDWQ 2010b,c) . Natural Carolina bays can be found throughout much of the basin, with smaller bays that are often ephemeral and ideal habitat for amphibians. Based on the 2011 National Land Cover Dataset, land use in the basin was estimated to be 29% forested, 2% grassland, 26% agricultural, 32% wetland, and 7.3% urban or developed (MRLC 2011). There are six game lands in the basin covering 109,134 acres, including a portion of the Green Swamp Game Land. Rapid population growth in the upper end of the basin (Moore and Hoke counties) is associated with recreation activities (golf communities) and Department of Defense (DOD) facilities, while growth along the coast (Brunswick County) is associated with development for tourism. This growth contrasts with other areas in the basin where growth rates are much lower (NCDWR 2010c) . 4.5.11.2 Aquatic Resource Conditions Segments of the Lumber River, Naked Creek, Drowning Creek, and Lake Waccamaw have supplemental classifications as High-Quality Waters (HQW) or Outstanding Resource Waters (ORW) because they either have excellent water quality or they are a significant resource to humans and/or wildlife (NCDWQ 2010b) . Coastal estuarine waters and waters at the mouth of the Lockwood Folly and Shallotte rivers and their tributaries carry either an HWQ or ORW classification (NCDWR 2015a) . There are ORW Special Management Strategy Areas in the basin for the Lumber River (65,169 acres), Naked Creek (25,189 acres), and Lake Waccamaw (9,760 acres) (NCDWR 2015c) . These areas require site- specific provisions to protect resource values (e.g., no new discharges or expansion of existing discharges) (see 15A NCAC 02B.0225).
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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