SOUTH CAROLINA HABITAT PLAN FOR AMERICAN SHAD South Carolina Department of Natural Resources April 2021 Approved May 5, 2021 Introduction: The purpose of this Habitat Plan is to briefly document existing conditions in rivers with American shad runs, identify potential threats, and propose action to mitigate such threats. American shad (Alosa sapidissima) are found in at least 19 rivers of South Carolina (Waccamaw, Great Pee Dee, Little Pee Dee, Lynches, Black, Sampit, Bull Creek, Santee, Cooper, Wateree, Congaree, Broad, Wando, Ashley, Ashepoo, Combahee, Edisto, Coosawhatchie, and Savannah Rivers). Many have historically supported a commercial fishery, a recreational fishery, or both. Currently, commercial fisheries exist in Winyah Bay, Waccamaw, Pee Dee, Black, Santee, Edisto, Combahee, and Savannah Rivers, while the Sampit, Ashepoo, Ashley, and Cooper rivers no longer support commercial fisheries. With the closure of the ocean-intercept fishery beginning in 2005, the Santee River and Winyah Bay complex comprise the largest commercial shad fisheries in South Carolina. Recreational fisheries still exist in the Cooper, Savannah, Edisto, and Combahee Rivers, as well as the Santee River Rediversion Canal. For the purposes of this plan, systems have been identified which, in some cases, include several rivers. Only river systems with active shad runs were included in this plan, these include the Pee Dee River run in the Winyah Bay System (primarily the Waccamaw and Great Pee Dee Rivers), the Santee-Cooper system (Santee and Cooper Rivers with the inclusion of Lakes Moultrie and Marion), and the ACE Basin (Edisto and Combahee Rivers) (Figure 1). A joint plan with Georgia was submitted and approved for the Savannah River. Santee River Figure 1. Map of major South Carolina drainage basins and river systems with American shad (Alosa sapidissima) fisheries or historical American shad runs. Pee Dee River System Habitat Assessment The Pee Dee River watershed encompasses parts of North Carolina and South Carolina. Beginning in North Carolina in the Appalachian Mountains, tributaries flow out across the piedmont and at the confluence of the Yadkin and Uwharrie Rivers the Great Pee Dee River begins. From there it flows 90 km in North Carolina, and 280 km in South Carolina before emptying into Winyah Bay. The Great Pee Dee River flows unimpeded for its entire length in South Carolina. Historical Habitat American shad inhabited all of the Great Pee Dee River (280 km) and had access to all main stem tributaries throughout the 22,258 km2 watershed within South Carolina (SCDHEC), including Little Pee Dee River (187 km), Lynches River (225 km), Black River (243 km), and Waccamaw River (225 km) in both South Carolina and North Carolina. Stevenson (1899) reported American shad utilized the Pee Dee River throughout its entire length in South Carolina. He also reported American shad were taken 161 km up the Waccamaw River, 210 km up the Black River, and “considerable numbers” were taken 200 km up the Lynches River. Welch (2000), found contradicting reports on the historical presence of American shad in the Little Pee Dee River. A published letter to the U.S. Fish Commissioner from 1887 talked of shad in the Little Pee Dee River (Burns 1887); whereas Stevenson (1899) found no record of American shad caught in large numbers. Current Useable Habitat Spawning – American shad have access to all adequate habitats, there are no barriers to migration throughout the South Carolina portion of the watershed. Suitable freshwater riverine channel habitat for spawning occurs ~48 km inland and continues throughout the entire river portion of the Great Pee Dee River in South Carolina and all main stem tributaries. Rearing - Suitable rearing habitats are similar to the listed waterways for suitable spawning habitat with the addition of 18,158 ha of estuary in the Pee Dee River basin (SCDHEC 2013). Threats Assessment a. Barriers to migration inventory and assessment The Blewett Falls Dam is the furthest downstream dam on the Great Pee Dee River located at km 302. It is a North Carolina facility, however since it affects the spawning run of shad in the Pee Dee River System, it is mentioned briefly in this plan. Action: Develop a plan for establishing fish passage at barriers in the Pee Dee River System. Regulatory Agencies/Contacts: USFWS, NMFS, FERC, USACE, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), dam owners and operators, and federal and state legislators. Goal/Target: Establish fish passage at dams in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River basin, where passage is determined to be feasible. Progress: As part of the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) licensing process, hydroelectric facilities in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin (in particular Blewett Falls Dam) are required to implement trap and truck operations by the forth spawning season following the issuance of the license. This phased approach also requires modification of the trap facility and installation of a fish exit flume, allowing direct passage of fish over Blewett Falls. On April 1, 2015, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC; Commission) issued Duke Energy Progress, LLC (Duke Energy) a New License for the Yadkin-Pee Dee Hydroelectric Project (Project, FERC Project No. 2206) Required fish passage and mandated flow requirements associated with the issuance of the license should greatly improve water quality in the system. Cost: Unknown at this time. Timeline: 2022- b. The following is the list provided in 2013 of point source and nonpoint source activities that occur in the Pee Dee River. Since then, SCDHEC developed an interactive web-based database tool to better assess proposed, ongoing, and/or completed projects. It can be accessed at the following website: https://gis.dhec.sc.gov/watersheds/ Permit Section Active NPDES Facilities Facility Type Number Number Section Name Receiving Stream INTERNATIONAL PAPER CO./GEORGETOWN MAJOR INDUSTRIAL SC0000868 03040207-01 (Sampit River) SAMPIT RIVER 3V, INC. MAJOR INDUSTRIAL SC0036111 03040207-01 (Sampit River) SAMPIT RIVER CITY OF GEORGETOWN WWTP MAJOR DOMESTIC SC0040029 03040207-01 (Sampit River) SAMPIT RIVER CITY OF GEORGETOWN/WTP MINOR INDUSTRIAL SCG645013 03040207-01 (Sampit River) SAMPIT RIVER ISG GEORGETOWN INC. MAJOR INDUSTRIAL SC0001431 03040207-01 (Sampit River) SAMPIT RIVER SCPSA/WINYAH STEAM STATION MAJOR INDUSTRIAL SC0022471 03040207-01 (Sampit River) TURKEY CREEK INTERNATIONAL PAPER CO./SANTEE MINOR DOMESTIC SC0042960 03040207-01 (Sampit River) TURKEY CREEK TRIBUTARY CWS/WHITES CREEK-LINCOLNSHIRE SD MINOR DOMESTIC SC0030732 03040207-01 (Sampit River) WHITES CREEK GCSD/DEEP CREEK ELEM SCHOOL MINOR DOMESTIC SC0039195 03040207-02 (Great Pee Dee River/Winyah Bay) BOSER SWAMP GCSD/PLEASANT HILL ELEM SCHOOL MINOR DOMESTIC SC0039101 03040207-02 (Great Pee Dee River/Winyah Bay) FLAT RUN SWAMP CAROLINA SAND INC./BRITTONS NECK MINOR INDUSTRIAL SCG730043 03040207-02 (Great Pee Dee River/Winyah Bay) MAPLE SWAMP JAYCO/CANNONS LAKE MINE MINOR INDUSTRIAL SCG730538 03040207-02 (Great Pee Dee River/Winyah Bay) MAPLE SWAMP GCW&SD/PLANTERSVILLE EDR MINOR DOMESTIC SCG645051 03040207-02 (Great Pee Dee River/Winyah Bay) CHAPEL CREEK TRIBUTARY TOWN OF HEMINGWAY/WWTP MINOR DOMESTIC SC0039934 03040207-02 (Great Pee Dee River/Winyah Bay) CLARK CREEK DELTA MILLS INC./CYPRESS PLANT MINOR INDUSTRIAL SCG250151 03040201-12 (Great Pee Dee River) GREAT PEE DEE RIVER CAROLINA SAND/GRESHAM PIT MINOR INDUSTRIAL SCG730181 03040201-12 (Great Pee Dee River) GREAT PEE DEE RIVER TRIBUTARY DELTA MILLS INC./PAMPLICO PLANT MINOR INDUSTRIAL SCG250150 03040201-12 (Great Pee Dee River) MILL BRANCH TOWN OF PAMPLICO MINOR DOMESTIC SC0021351 03040201-12 (Great Pee Dee River) GREAT PEE DEE RIVER CITY OF MARION/S. MAIN ST. WWTP MAJOR DOMESTIC SC0046230 03040201-10 (Great Pee Dee River) GREAT PEE DEE RIVER DUPONT TEIJIN FILMS/FLORENCE PLANT MAJOR INDUSTRIAL SC0002917 03040201-10 (Great Pee Dee River) GREAT PEE DEE RIVER STONE CONTAINER CORP MAJOR INDUSTRIAL SC0000876 03040201-10 (Great Pee Dee River) GREAT PEE DEE RIVER MARION CERAMICS, INC./PEE DEE MINE MINOR INDUSTRIAL SCG730219 03040201-10 (Great Pee Dee River) TOBYS CREEK MOHAWK IND./OAK RIVER PLANT MINOR INDUSTRIAL SC0001996 03040201-08 (Great Pee Dee River) GREAT PEE DEE RIVER WALKER CONSTR./WALKER BORROW PIT MINOR INDUSTRIAL SCG730234 03040201-08 (Great Pee Dee River) CARTERS BRANCH DARLINGTON COUNTY/RUSSELL 2 MINE MINOR INDUSTRIAL SCG730515 03040201-08 (Great Pee Dee River) BUCKHOLTZ CREEK TRIBUTARY HANSON AGGREGATES SE/BROWNSVILLE MINOR INDUSTRIAL SCG730468 03040201-08 (Great Pee Dee River) ROGERS CREEK TRIBUTARY HANSON AGGREGATES SE/BLENHEIM MINOR INDUSTRIAL SCG730039 03040201-08 (Great Pee Dee River) RIGGINS BRANCH US CONSTRUCTORS/HANSON PIT MINOR INDUSTRIAL CG730435 03040201-08 (Great Pee Dee River) GREAT PEE DEE RIVER TRIBUTARY TOWN OF CLIO WWTF MINOR DOMESTIC SC0040606 03040201-08 (Great Pee Dee River) HAGINS PRONG TOWN OF CHERAW WWTP MAJOR DOMESTIC SC0020249 03040201-05 (Great Pee Dee River) GREAT PEE DEE RIVER DOMTAR PAPER CO.LLC/MARLBORO MILL MAJOR INDUSTRIAL SC0042188 03040201-05 (Great Pee Dee River) GREAT PEE DEE RIVER DELTA MILLS INC. MAJOR INDUSTRIAL SC0002151 03040201-05 (Great Pee Dee River) GREAT PEE DEE RIVER GALEY & LORD, INC./SOCIETY HILL MAJOR INDUSTRIAL SC0002704 03040201-05 (Great Pee Dee River) GREAT PEE DEE RIVER HANSON AGGREGATES SE/CASH MINE MINOR INDUSTRIAL SCG730467 03040201-05 (Great Pee Dee River) PEE DEE RIVER TRIBUTARY HANSON AGGREGATES