Winyah Bay
Encyclopedia
Winyah Bay is a coastal estuary
that is the confluence of the Waccamaw River
, the Pee Dee River
, the Black River
and the Sampit River
in Georgetown County in eastern South Carolina
. The historic port city of Georgetown
is located on the bay, and the bay generally serves as the terminating point for the Grand Strand
.
The bay is evidence of a drowned coastline
, created by a rise in sea level in recent geologic
time. It was a prime site for fishing by Native Americans
and an early area to develop in colonial times as a seaport and center of rice
culture and timber
ing.
The entrance to the bay is flanked by North Island, South Island and Cat Island, comprising the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, willed to the State by Tom Yawkey, former owner of the Boston Redsox.
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
that is the confluence of the Waccamaw River
Waccamaw River
The Waccamaw River is a river, approximately 140 miles long, in southeastern North Carolina and eastern South Carolina in the United States. It drains an area of approximately 1110 square miles in the coastal plain along the eastern border between the two states into the Atlantic Ocean...
, the Pee Dee River
Pee Dee River
The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in North Carolina and South Carolina. It originates in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, where its upper course above the mouth of the Uwharrie River is known as the Yadkin River. It is extensively dammed for flood...
, the Black River
Black River (South Carolina)
The Black River is a blackwater river in South Carolina in the United States....
and the Sampit River
Sampit River
The Sampit River begins in a swampy area of western Georgetown County, South Carolina, USA. It flows in an easterly direction to Winyah Bay at Georgetown. Only small crafts can navigate the upper parts of the river...
in Georgetown County in eastern South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. The historic port city of Georgetown
Georgetown, South Carolina
Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, in the Low Country. Located on Winyah Bay at the confluence of the Great Pee Dee River, Waccamaw River, and Sampit River, Georgetown is the second largest seaport in South Carolina,...
is located on the bay, and the bay generally serves as the terminating point for the Grand Strand
Grand Strand
The Grand Strand refers to a large stretch of beaches on the East Coast of the United States extending from Little River to Georgetown in the U.S. State of South Carolina. It consists of 60+ miles along an essentially uninterrupted arc of beach land, beginning around the Little River and...
.
The bay is evidence of a drowned coastline
Submergent coastline
Submergent coastlines are stretches along the coast that have been inundated by the sea due to a relative rise in sea levels. This occurs due to either isostacy or eustacy....
, created by a rise in sea level in recent geologic
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
time. It was a prime site for fishing by Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
and an early area to develop in colonial times as a seaport and center of rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
culture and timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
ing.
The entrance to the bay is flanked by North Island, South Island and Cat Island, comprising the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, willed to the State by Tom Yawkey, former owner of the Boston Redsox.