Santee Cooper Project

(Engineering and Canals)

Portion of landsat satellite image of coastal South Carolina (1990).

Portion of shaded relief map of South Carolina, USGS (1970).

Santee Cooper Project (NAPP)

Santee Cooper Project (Topo)

Rationale

The Santee Cooper Study Site encompasses an unusually large area of South Carolina's Coastal Plain, but this level of coverage is necessary to highlight the importance of the role of engineering in managing the state's water resources and water transportation routes. From the early days of canal building, when the Old Santee Canal was constructed to provide a water connection between the Cooper and Santee rivers, to the modern Diversion and Rediversion canals connected to Lakes Marion and Moultrie, South Carolinians have tried to connect the city of Columbia, at the Fall Line Zone, with the port of Charleston, at the Atlantic Ocean. Today, this effort is more likely to be focused on tourism than on commerce, but the need is still present. The Santee Cooper site provides perspective on both the natural and geologic obstacles to constructing reservoirs and canals and the cultural and historical implications of such large projects.

Background Information

Description of Landforms

• Characteristic Landforms of the Coastal Plain
• Geographic Features of Special Interest
• Coastal Plain Once an Ocean Floor
• Soils of the Coastal Plain

Influence of Topography on Historical Events and Cultural Trends

• Native Americans
• Revolutionary Campaigns in the Coastal Plain
• Origin of South Carolina's State Flag
• Compromise of 1808
• Early Railroads
• Slavery
• King Cotton
• Wise Sayings, Folk Ways, and Good Luck Charms
• Strange Stories and Legends

Natural Resources, Land Use, and Environmental Concerns

• Climate and Water Resources
• Soils and Land Use
• The Timber Industry of the Coastal Plain
• Agriculture of the Coastal Plain
• Unique Natural Habitats in the Coastal Plain
• Freshwater Fisheries
• Phosphate, Limestone, and Other Rock Resources