Part Iv. Natural Resources Element
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PART IV. NATURAL RESOURCES ELEMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Geography 4-1 Geology 4-2 Climatic Conditions 4-3 Soils 4-4 Drainage Basins 4-6 Flood Plains 4-7 Water Resources 4-8 Forest 4-11 Plants and Wildlife; Rare, Threatened and Endangered 4-15 Rivers and River Related Resources 4-18 Wetlands 4-22 Summary, Observations, Conclusions 4-25 Goals and Strategies 4-27 PART IV. NATURAL RESOURCES ELEMENT This element of the Comprehensive Plan consists of an inventory and assessment of natural resources, and consideration of their role in the future development of Spartanburg County. Principal among the county’s natural resources are geography, geology, water, soils, floodways, drainage basins, forest, vegetation, wetlands, wildlife, and climatic conditions. A summary assessment of each follows. GEOGRAPHY Spartanburg County is located in the northwestern part of the state, in what has come to be known as the “Piedmont Crescent”. The county lies just southeast of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the piedmont plateau, which is characterized by subdued topographic features and moderate relief. The land surface is inclined to elevations exceeding 1,000 feet in the northwest section of the county to less than 600 feet in the southeast. Hills have a well rounded appearance with no conspicuously prominent ridges or peaks. Valley floors are generally about 100 feet deep with well developed water courses. There are few swamp like areas. The general slope of the county is southeastward, which is the general direction of the main drainageways. The land ranges from nearly level to steep, but most areas are gently sloping to moderately steep. The highest point in the county, about 1,480 feet, is on Bird Mountain in the northwestern part. In the central part elevation ranges from 750 to 900 feet. In the northern part of the county, a series of hills rises about 200 feet above the surrounding land and does not conform to the general pattern of relief. The lowest elevation is on the Enoree River in the extreme southeastern part of the county near the Union County line. 4-1 GEOLOGY Thirteen geologic formations are found in Spartanburg County, but over 95 percent of the county is in five major formations, shown on the accompanying map. These formations are made up of alluvium, fine-grained rocks, medium-grained rocks, fine-grained to coarse-grained rocks, and coarse-grained rocks. Alluvium consists of material recently deposited on flood plains. The fine-grained rocks are quartzite, diabase, taluca quartz monzonite, and sericite schist. The medium-grained rocks are granite, biotite gneiss, and migmatite. The fine- grained to coarse-grained rocks are biotite schist, Yorkville quartz monzonite, and hornblende schist. The coarse-grained rocks are hornblende gneiss, coarse-grained granite, and muscovite pegmatite dikes. Nearly all of Spartanburg County, except for some small areas in the southeastern part bordering Union County, lies within the Inner Piedmont belt, a major subdivision of crystalline rocks in the Piedmont province. The small area in the southeastern part of the county contains rocks typical of the Kings Mountain belt. v e r m uch of the count y, the hard crystalline rock has weathered to a soft clayey or sandy material (saprolite), which maintains many of the original rock structures and extends from 4-2 Major Geologic Formations 1. Yorkville Quartz Monzonite 2. Hornblende Gneiss 3. Hornblende Schist 4. Biolite Gneiss Migmotite 5. Biotite Schist ground surface to depths of as much as 140 feet. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS Development attributed to the location of Spartanburg County is aided by climatic conditions, which have contributed to the accelerated growth of the southeast region of the United States (Sunbelt) over the last several decades, in contrast to the more frigid less hospitable temperatures in the northeast (Frostbelt) region. A humid, temperate climate characterizes the county. Spartanburg County is located on the lee side of the mountains, which provide protection from the cold air masses that move southeastward during the winter. At Spartanburg, temperatures usually are between 32 degrees and 90 degrees for eight months of the year; the average daily temperature for the county is about 60 degrees. Average annual rainfall is Rainfall Distribution 4-3 about 50 inches---an amount that exceeds the national average by 20 inches. Rainfall is usually well distributed throughout the year. Depending upon location, accumulations may vary from 30 inches in a dry year to over 80 inches in a wet year. Prevailing winds are from the southwest most of the year, but are from the northeast late in summer and early fall. Average relative humidity ranges from 57 percent in winter to 47 percent in April and May. The average relative humidity for the year is approximately 70 percent. Warm weather generally lasts from some time in May into September with few breaks from the heat during midsummer. Temperatures of 90 degrees or higher are recorded on an average of 50 days. About 25 percent of the annual rainfall occurs in summer, chiefly in local thundershowers. Fall generally is the most pleasant season, especially from late September to early November. During this period, rainfall is light, the percentage of sunshine is high, and the temperature is generally moderate. About 23 percent of the total annual rainfall is in fall. Winters are mild and relatively short, though about 60 days have temperatures at freezing or below. About 26 percent of the annual rainfall occurs in winter, mainly in steady rains. Spring is the most changeable season. March is frequently cold and windy, but May is generally warm and pleasant. Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are most likely in spring. About 26 percent of the total annual rainfall occurs in spring. The climate of the county is favorable for crops such as peaches, apples, cotton, corn, small grain, 4-4 soybeans, hay, and vegetables. That the climate is favorable to crop production is evident by the fact that Spartanburg County ranks second in the state in the production of peaches and apples and fourth in harvested acres of hay. SOILS Soils and soil conditions have a significant affect on land use, often limiting its development. Such is the case with soils in many areas of Spartanburg County. In fact just over one-third of all soils in the county pose severe constraints to urban development. The principal constraints fall into two categories: (1) foundations for dwellings, and (2) use for septic tanks. Foundation limitations are the result of very low load bearing capacity, erodibility and steep slopes in some areas. Constraints in the use of septic tanks for on-site sewage disposal have to do with slow percolation rates, slopes, high water table, flooding, and hard rock at shallow depths. While it is not impossible to develop these soils, they are more costly to develop and often contribute to lingering problems. As a result, they are studiously avoided for the most part, at least for high intensity development, which generally has been the case in Spartanburg County. Unfortunately, lands with the fewest constraints for urban development also have the fewest constraints for agricultural use. And since development generally follows the path of least resistance, other factors being equal, there is the potential for conflict wherever agricultural lands (orchards) exist in an urbanizing environment. Something has to give, and it is generally the orchards. Table 4-1 Soils Posing Severe Constraints to Development Spartanburg County TYPE OF CONSTRAINT Percent Building Septic Soil Classification Land Area Foundation Tank Both Cataula 7.6 X X X Congaree 3.5 X X X 4-5 Enon 1.4 X Hayesville .2 Irdell .1 X X X Louisburg .8 X Madison 6.3 X X X Mecklenburg .3 X X X Musella 1.4 X Pacolet 9.0 X Vance .5 X X X Wilkes 3.0 X X X Worsham 1.4 X X X Total 35.5 Water .6 36.1 Thirteen of the 22 different types (series) of soils in Spartanburg County pose severe constraints to development. Table 4-1 lists these soils, establishing their extent in the county, and identifies the type of constraint each poses. Inherent constraints to urban development have kept most of these soils in a rural or undeveloped state, but with the expansion of public sewer service into these areas, one of the major obstacles will be no more, thus opening them to the prospects of more intensified development. Ignoring land use suitability's and limitations can cost not only money, but even lives when soils that cannot support roads or structures are used improperly. Improper land use can also damage the resource and reduce its value for more suitable uses. As a result, greater use of soils information is recommended as a prerequisite to development, including: (1) Considering soil survey information as one of the criteria for making land use plans and decisions. (2) Consulting a soil survey before commencing any earth-moving or construction activities. (3) Requiring the use of soil surveys in any large scale land 4-6 development or management projects. DRAINAGE BASINS Spartanburg County extends into three parallel drainage basins. Consequent or trunk streams in this area resulted from the initial tilt of the land surface, and streamflow is toward the southeast at a general slope of about 15 feet per mile, except for the northeast corner which flows northeast into the Broad River. About 3.5 square miles of basin are drained for each mile in length along a mainstem. One measure of natural drainage development is drainage density or the ratio of the total length of streams in a basin to the drainage area of the basin. In Spartanburg County, the ratio is estimated to be about 1.5 miles per square mile, indicating a fairly wide spacing of stream channels and a relatively long overland travel of surface water.