Basin Area

The COWASEE Basin covers over 315,000 acres in the midlands of South Carolina and includes the Congaree, Wateree and upper Santee Rivers.

The 24,000-acre Congaree National Park is the heart of the basin and is home to the largest old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the eastern United States.

Protected Acreage

Protected Land Figures 2/23/2015


Total Acres in COWASEE Basin: 315,000 Acres

Percentages

Type Percentage Acres
Public Conservation Land
31%
98,434
Private Under Easement
14%
43,837
Total Acres Conserved
45%
142,271
Prospective Conservation Easements
2%
8,226
Land Needed to be Protected
53%
164,411


Total Easement Acreage by Organization

Organization Acres
USDA Wetland Reserve Program
12,666
Congaree Land Trust
25,398
Ducks Unlimited
5,773


Total Easement Acreage by County

County Acres
Calhoun
8,921
Kershaw
5,596
Richland
11,403
Sumter
17,586

A map of the Conservation Success in the COWASEE Basin is provided in the Adobe PDF file format. Adobe® Reader® is required to open the file and is available as a free download from the Adobe® Web site.