Understanding Georgetown’s Waterways

Everything that makes Georgetown County SC rich with history can be better understood on the water. Georgetown’s surrounding waters are the reason it is the 3rd oldest city in South Carolina. Water is at the root of  Georgetown’s history, as the 5 rivers (the Waccamaw, Black, Sampit, Pee Dee and Santee) that flow through the county helped build the local economy by being a natural means of transportation. These easily navigable waters are the main reason the area was originally settled. The deep channels cut into Winyah Bay and the Santee Delta by tidal currents allowed ships to navigate inland and find shelter from the open ocean. These rivers supported Georgetown’s growth from those first settlements in the 1500s, to the first major cash crops, to the steel and paper mills currently running in Georgetown today.

When Georgetown was first settled the Santee and Pee Dee rivers were essential in accessing inland America. These two large river basins guided the first Europeans inland and this allowed trade and shipping to settle the area.

All 5 rivers in Georgetown create the perfect environment to grow indigo and rice while doubling as a means of shipping the crops. Georgetown is especially ideal for rice due to its tides. While it was an enormous feat to cut back the swamp to build the rice paddies, the tide acted as a natural means of irrigation. Freshwater flowing down the rivers is less dense than the saltwater flowing inland on a rising tide allowing the less dense freshwater to sit on top of the saltwater. When the tide rose, trunk gates were opened to allow the freshwater to flood the fields and were closed before any salt entered the canals.

Georgetown’s economy benefited from these rivers into the 1900s and still does today. The paper and steel mill were intentionally built on the Sampit River allowing ships to easily and safely drop off their cargo. There is also a long maritime history because of these rivers from all of the shipping mentioned earlier to commercial and recreational fishing.