} The Wateree River, about 75 mi (120 km) long, is a

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...

of the

Santee River } The Santee River is a river in South Carolina in the United States, and is long. The Santee and its tributaries provide the principal drainage for the coastal areas of southeastern South Carolina and navigation for the central coastal plain of ...

in central

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, which flows to the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. It was named for the Wateree Native Americans, a tribe who had migrated to this area from western North Carolina. They lived here until the early 18th century, when they were set upon and displaced by mostly English settlers during the Yamasee War. Survivors merged with the larger

Catawba people The Catawba, also known as Issa, Essa or Iswä but most commonly ''Iswa'' (Catawba: '' Ye Iswąˀ'' – "people of the river"), are a federally recognized tribe of Native Americans, known as the Catawba Indian Nation. Their current lands ar ...

, becoming extinct as a tribe.

Course

The Wateree River is a continuation of the

Catawba River The Catawba River originates in Western North Carolina and flows into South Carolina, where it later becomes known as the Wateree River. The river is approximately 220 miles (350 km) long. It rises in the Appalachian Mountains and drains into ...

, which flows from the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the world, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsy ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

; this river had the different names of Catawba and Wateree assigned to different sections by different groups of settlers. Today the name change is marked at the point where Wateree Creek empties into Lake Wateree. This is a manmade lake formed by Wateree Hydro Station Dam, a Duke Energy hydroelectric project built in the 20th century in

Kershaw County, South Carolina Kershaw County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 65,403. The county seat and largest city is Camden. The county was created in 1791 from parts of Claremont, Lancaster, Fairfie ...

. The Wateree flows generally southward through Kershaw County and along the common boundary of Richland and

Sumter Sumter may refer to: People Given name * Sumter S. Arnim (1904–1990), American dentist * Sumter de Leon Lowry Jr. (1893–1985), United States Army general Surname * Rowendy Sumter (born 1988), Curaçaoan footballer * Shavonda E. Sumter ( ...

counties, past the Piedmont town of Camden. It joins the

Congaree River The Congaree River is a short but wide river in South Carolina in the United States; It flows for approximately 53 miles (85 km). The river serves an important role as the final outlet channel for the entire Lower Saluda and Lower Broad wate ...

to form the

about 35 mi (55 km) southeast of Columbia.

Crossings

The following is a list of crossings along the short length of the Wateree *

US Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making ...

/ US 601 in Camden & Lugoff *Railroad bridge in Camden * Interstate 20 in Camden *Garner's Ferry Road US 378 near Stateburg & Eastover *Two railroad bridges near the confluence with the

near Eastover

References

Sources

Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry
* DeLorme (1998). ''South Carolina Atlas & Gazetteer''. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. . *, retrieved 6 February 2006

Course

Crossings

See also

References

Sources

Further reading