Pee Dee River Basin

The Archaeological Institute of the Pee Dee considers projects in the Pee Dee river basin region of South Carolina. The Pee Dee basin originates as far north as Virginia, where mountain waters quickly conjoin to the Yadkin River in North Carolina. The Yadkin and Pee Dee rivers are essentially the same, only differently named. The total area of the basin covers over 18,000 square miles, 7,300 in South Carolina.

The Pee Dee basin includes all the springs, creeks, streams and rivers from Blowing Rock, NC to Winyah Bay in Georgetown, SC. These water sources are called tributaries. The major tributaries of the Pee Dee in South Carolina are the Little Pee Dee, Black River, Lynches River, and the Waccamaw. The combined flow of these systems deposits 15,000 cubic feet of fresh water into the Atlantic Ocean every second.

Collections of tributaries and their surrounding ecosystems are known as watersheds. Each tributary's watershed encompasses not only the water itself, but the plants, animals and communities within and around it. No matter where you are, you are in a watershed.