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The Santee River
Basin encompasses 11 watersheds and 1,279 square miles.
The Santee River Basin originates in the Upper Coastal Plain region of the State
giving way to the Lower Coastal Plain and the Coastal Zone regions. Of the
nearly one million acres, 0.5% is urban land, 11.7% is agricultural land, 12.4%
is scrub/shrub land, 0.5% is barren land, 42.5% is forested land, 16.1% is
forested wetland, 4.6% is nonforested wetland, and 11.7% is water. (Source:
1989-90 SPOT Imagery)
There are a
total of 934.4 stream miles in the Santee River Basin, 94,664 acres of lake
waters, and 5275.6 acres of estuarine areas. The Santee River is formed from the
confluence of the Congaree and Wateree Rivers and flows through Lake Marion. The
river is diverted in lower Lake Marion, and either flows out of the Santee dam
to eventually drain into the Atlantic Ocean via the South Santee River and the
North Santee River, or is channeled along a 7.5 mile diversion canal to fill
Lake Moultrie. After flowing through the Santee dam, the Santee River is joined
by the rediversion canal connecting Lake Moultrie and the (lower) Santee River.
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