Assessment of Water Resources and Watershed Conditions in Congaree National Park, South Carolina
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Program Center Assessment of Water Resources and Watershed Conditions in Congaree National Park, South Carolina Natural Resource Report NPS/SECN/NRR—2010/267 ON THE COVER Researchers at Wise Lake, an oxbow within Congaree National Park Photograph by: Michael Mallin Assessment of Water Resources and Watershed Conditions in Congaree National Park, South Carolina Natural Resource Report NPS/SECN/NRR—2010/267 Michael A. Mallin and Matthew R. McIver Center for Marine Science University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC 28409 December 2010 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Program Center Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Program Center publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate high-priority, current natural resource management information with managerial application. The series targets a general, diverse audience, and may contain NPS policy considerations or address sensitive issues of management applicability. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received formal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data, and whose background and expertise put them on par technically and scientifically with the authors of the information. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the U.S. Government. This report is available in the Reports and Publications section of the Southeast Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network webpage (http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/secn/) and the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/NRPM). Please cite this publication as: Mallin, M. A., and M. R. McIver. 2010. Assessment of water resources and watershed conditions in Congaree National Park, South Carolina. Natural Resource Report NPS/SECN/NRR— 2010/267. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 178/106142, November 2010 ii Contents Page Figures........................................................................................................................................... vii Tables ............................................................................................................................................. ix Plates .............................................................................................................................................. xi Appendices ................................................................................................................................... xiii Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... xv Acknowledgments....................................................................................................................... xvii Commonly Used Abbreviations ................................................................................................... xix Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Park Description.............................................................................................................................. 3 Background .............................................................................................................................. 3 Location, Size, and Boundaries .......................................................................................... 3 History of the Park .............................................................................................................. 4 Creation of the Park ............................................................................................................ 5 Hydrologic Information ........................................................................................................... 6 Rivers .................................................................................................................................. 6 Creeks ................................................................................................................................. 8 Lakes ................................................................................................................................. 12 Wetlands ........................................................................................................................... 15 Hydrology Affecting Congaree National Park. ................................................................ 16 Groundwater Resources .................................................................................................... 19 Biological Resources ............................................................................................................. 20 Algae ................................................................................................................................. 20 Aquatic Macrophytes ........................................................................................................ 20 iii Terrestrial Vegetation ....................................................................................................... 21 Rare and Threatened Plant Species ................................................................................... 22 Invasive Plants .................................................................................................................. 23 Zooplankton ...................................................................................................................... 24 Benthic Macroinvertebrates .............................................................................................. 24 Crayfish ............................................................................................................................. 26 Fish .................................................................................................................................... 28 Reptiles and Amphibians .................................................................................................. 31 Mammals........................................................................................................................... 34 Feral hogs .......................................................................................................................... 34 Birds .................................................................................................................................. 37 Rare and Threatened Animal Species ............................................................................... 37 Invasive Animal Species ................................................................................................... 38 Assessment of Park Water Resources ........................................................................................... 39 Sources of Pollutants ............................................................................................................. 39 Congaree National Park and USGS/SCDHEC Watersheds Designation ......................... 39 Point Source Pollution ...................................................................................................... 39 Non-point Source Pollution .............................................................................................. 43 Assessment of Biological Resources with Respect to Water Quality (Both Surface and Groundwater) ......................................................................................................................... 48 Water Quality Standards ................................................................................................... 48 Surface Water Quality ....................................................................................................... 48 Groundwater Quality ........................................................................................................ 58 Ecosystem Effects ............................................................................................................. 59 Human Health Issues ........................................................................................................ 62 List of impairments (State and Federal listings) .................................................................... 63 iv List of Water Bodies with Undocumented Conditions/ Status .............................................. 64 Other Areas of Concern ................................................................................................................ 67 Development Trends .............................................................................................................