The Santee River Delta, Aboard the Aluma Jet

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• published: 28 Aug 2012
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A 55 mile round trip around the Santee River Delta. The Santee River is formed by the confluence of the Wateree and the Congaree Rivers, which flow into Lake Marion and then into Lake Moultrie. From Lake Marion, part of the water runs along the course of the Santee River for several miles, to the area of St. Stephen, SC, where it is joined by the confluence of the Lake Moultrie Diversion Canal. The diversion canal was dug in 1985 to divert some of the water back into the Santee, and out of the East Branch of the Cooper River, because of sedimentation of Charleston Harbor. After being joined by the confluence of the diversion canal, the Santee runs along for about 25 miles, before it bifurcates into two rivers, the North Santee, and the South Santee. These 2 rivers parallel each other as they run to the ocean, for a distance of about 12 miles, and are separated by a distance of about 2 miles, and are intersected by the Intracoastal Waterway about 2 miles in from the ocean. Just after crossing the ICW, the North Santee River bifurcates one more time, into the North Santee River, and North Santee Bay, which both exit at North Santee River Inlet. The South Santee begins its course a couple of miles west of US Hwy 17/701, near the area of Wambaw Creek. It begins very narrow and shallow, and begins to widen as it approaches Hwy 17. The South Santee exits into the ocean at South Santee River Inlet, located between Cedar Island, and Murphy Island. This magnificent river system that once roared, unimpeded, from the mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, only receives 2% of its original water flow. Despite mankind's alteration of this river system for hydroelectric power, it is still what many folks would call "God's Country" And I tend to agree!