Congaree River

Tributaries of the Congaree River include Rocky Branch, Congaree Creek, Gills Creek, Tom’s Branch, Mill Creek, Cedar Creek, Sandy Run Creek, Big Beaver Creek, Butler’s Gut, Bates Mill Creek, and Buckhead Creek. Major transportation routes within the Basin include I-26, U.S. Highway 601, S.C. Highway 378, S.C. Highway 21, and I-77.

The Congaree River watershed is contained within Richland County’s Southeast Planning Area. Population within this planning area is projected to increase by 30.9% by the year 2035; however, land use is expected to remain rural. In Lexington County, the area around Silver Lake is expected to undergo substantial residential and industrial development. The area south of the City of Cayce, along I-26 and U.S. 321, is expected to experience heavy growth. The area along U.S. 176 and U.S. 21 should experience moderate industrial growth.

The City of Columbia operates a wastewater treatment plant on the Congaree River, with a permitted capacity of 60 mgd. East Richland Public Service District operates a wastewater treatment plant on Gills Creek, a tributary of the Congaree, with a permitted capacity of 13 mgd. In Lexington County, the City of Cayce operates a wastewater treatment plant on the Congaree River, with a permitted capacity of 25 mgd.

Running nearly two miles from Knox Abbott Drive to Moffatt Street, the West Columbia Riverwalk features outstanding fishing spots, and scenic views of the islands of the Congaree River and the Columbia skyline. A focus of the Riverwalk is an amphitheater near the Gervais Street Bridge.

The following list of birds identified within Congaree National Park focuses on bottomland hardwood forest year-round residents, summer and winter visitors, with a handful of migrants included: Wood Duck, Wild Turkey, Mississippi Kite, Red-shouldered Hawk, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Barred Owl, Chimney Swift, Red-headed Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Acadian Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Veery, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Swainson’s Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Wood Thrush, Northern Parula, Orange-crowned Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Pine Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Prothonotary Warbler, Swainson’s Warbler, Ovenbird, Kentucky Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Summer Tanager, Scarlet Tanager, Fox Sparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Rusty Blackbird.

Congaree Creek Heritage Preserve has many of the same species found in Congaree National Park, though most birding takes place in the winter. Year-round residents and winter visitors are featured here, with only a handful of summer residents: Wood Duck, Red-shouldered Hawk, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Red-headed Woodpecker, Acadian Flycatcher, Blue-headed Vireo, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Wood Thrush, Orange-crowned Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Prothonotary Warbler, Swainson’s Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Summer Tanager, Fox Sparrow, Rusty Blackbird.

Along Old State Road, Beckham Swamp Road, White House Road and Longwood Road, roadside birding can be quite good. Some bottomland specialists can be found in wetlands, sloughs and oxbow lakes, though the emphasis here is on winter field birds. At times, these bottomlands will flood, attracting shorebirds, gulls, and waterfowl. Sightings in this area include: Wood Duck, Green Heron, Mississippi Kite, Northern Harrier, American Kestrel, Merlin, Sandhill Crane, Greater Yellowlegs, Wilson’s Snipe, Bonaparte’s Gull, Forster’s Tern, Eurasian Collared Dove, Red-headed Woodpecker, Loggerhead Shrike, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Eastern Bluebird, American Pipit, Palm Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Swainson’s Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Vesper Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, Painted Bunting, Dickcissel, Bobolink, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Meadowlark, Rusty Blackbird, Orchard Oriole.

From 1999-2002, an extensive SCDNR study of Congaree National Park’s floodplain waters (the Congaree River proper was not surveyed) identified 56 species, including Longnose Gar, Bowfin, American Eel, Gizzard Shad, Threadfin Shad, Eastern Mudminnow, Redfin Pickerel, Chain Pickerel, Greenfin Shiner, Whitefin Shiner, Common Carp, Eastern Silvery Minnow, Bluehead Chub, Golden Shiner, Dusky Shiner, Spottail Shiner, Taillight Shiner, Coastal Shiner, Sailfin Shiner, Creek Chubsucker, Spotted Sucker, Shorthead Redhorse, Snail Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, Brown Bullhead, Flat Bullhead Channel Catfish, Tadpole Madton, Margined Madtom, Flathead Catfish, Swampfish, Pirate Perch, Lined Topminnow, Mosquiotfish, Brook Silverside, White Perch, Mud Sunfish, Flier, Banded Pygmy Sunfish, Blackbanded Sunfish , Bluespotted Sunfish, Redbreast Sunfish, Green Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Warmouth, Bluegill, Dollar Sunfish, Redear Sunfish, Spotted Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, Swamp Darter, Tesseleated Darter, Sawcheek Darter, Yellow Perch, and Piedmont Darter. Congaree National Park also identifies Lake Chubsucker, Eastern Mosquitofish, and Speckled Madtom as park species.

Recent studies have documented activities of the endangered shortnose sturgeon in the Congaree River. Shortnose sturgeon migrate over 40 miles up the Congaree River to spawn. While all migrations to Columbia occurred during the February and March spawning period, several sturgeon returned to the lower Congaree River and remained throughout the summer and fall before moving back into Lake Marion for the winter. The endangered Carolina Heelsplitter is believed to exist in the Congaree River watershed.

As for other wildlife, the American Bald Eagle, once endangered but now recovering, is known to exist along the Congaree River.

Historically, daily flows have been highly variable due to hydroelectric releases upstream. However, proposed changes in operations and increased minimum flow releases from the Saluda Project should stabilize daily flows. Flows vary seasonally with the greatest flows occurring in the winter months and the lowest during the summer. Local tributary streams contribute flows to a much lesser extent. The largest of these streams include Gills Creek and Cedar Creek on the north (Richland Co.) side of the river and Congaree Creek and Big Beaver Creek on the south (Lexington/Calhoun Co.) side.

Aquatic life impairment was identified at five sites due to a variety of factors including poor macroinvertebrate assemblages, low dissolved oxygen, and high copper levels. Elevated mercury levels were found in fish samples from Forest Lake, Sesquicentennial State Park, and three locations on the Congaree River. DHEC has issued a fish consumption advisory for the entire Congaree River due to elevated mercury levels in some fish species. They advise that people limit consumption of largemouth bass, chain pickerel, and bowfin (mudfish) to one meal per week.