Lumber River

Lumber River
Tributary to Little Pee Dee River
The Lumber River as seen from the boat launch at Princess Ann near Orrum
Map of the Pee Dee River watershed showing the Lumber River.
Location
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
South Carolina
County (South Carolina)Dillon
Horry
Marion
County (North Carolina)Columbus
Hoke
Robeson
Scotland
CityLumberton
Physical characteristics
SourceDrowning Creek, Moore County, NC
 • location1.25 mi (2 km) west of Samarcand, Moore County, North Carolina
 • coordinates34°57′43″N 079°21′58″W / 34.96194°N 79.36611°W / 34.96194; -79.36611[1]
 • elevation225 ft (69 m)[2]
MouthLittle Pee Dee River
 • location
about 1 mile southwest of Nichols, South Carolina
 • coordinates
34°11′44″N 079°09′56″W / 34.19556°N 79.16556°W / 34.19556; -79.16556[2]
 • elevation
39 ft (12 m)[2]
Length123.71 mi (199.09 km)[3]
Basin size1,749.86 square miles (4,532.1 km2)[4]
Discharge 
 • locationLittle Pee Dee River
 • average1,851.55 cu ft/s (52.430 m3/s) at mouth with Little Pee Dee River[4]
Basin features
Progressionsoutheast then southwest
River systemPee Dee River
Tributaries 
 • leftGum Swamp
Mill Branch
Bear Swamp
Jacks Branch
Raft Swamp
Powell Branch
Saddletree Swamp
Jacob Swamp
Piney Island Canal
Big Swamp Canal
River Swamp
Porter Swamp
Gapway Swamp
 • rightBuck Swamp
Cotton Mill Branch
Jacob Swamp
Mill Swamp
Flowers Swamp
Ashpole Swamp
BridgesUS 401, McGirt Gin Road, Red Springs Road (NC 71), Old Red Springs Road, Alma Road, Recreation Center Road, NC 711, Three Bridges Road, N Chicken Road, Lowe Road, Caton Road, US 301, W 5th Street, NC 41 + 72, S Chestnut Street, Hestertown Road, NC 72, Matthew's Bluff Road, Willoughby Road, NC 904, S Nichols Street (US 76-SC 9)
TypeScenic, Recreational
DesignatedSeptember 25, 1998

The Lumber River, sometimes referred to as the Lumbee River, is a 133-mile-long (214 km)[5] river in south-central North Carolina in the flat Coastal Plain. European settlers first called the river Drowning Creek, which is still used as the name of its headwater. The waterway known as the Lumber River extends downstream from the Scotland County-Hoke County border to the North Carolina-South Carolina border. Soon after crossing into South Carolina, the Lumber River flows into the Little Pee Dee River, which flows into the Pee Dee River, or Great Pee Dee River. Finally, the combined waters flow into Winyah Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

In 1989, the river was designated as a "Natural and Scenic River" by the North Carolina General Assembly. In addition, it is the only blackwater river in North Carolina to be designated as a National Wild and Scenic River by the Department of the Interior. In 2010, the Lumber River was voted one of North Carolina’s Ten Natural Wonders, the result of an on-line contest held by Land for Tomorrow, a coalition dedicated to supporting the preservation of North Carolina’s land and water resources.[6]

  1. ^ "GNIS Detail - Lumber River". geonames.usgs.gov. US Geological Survey. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Lumber River Topo Map, Marion County SC (Nichols Area)". TopoZone. Locality, LLC. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  3. ^ "ArcGIS Web Application". epa.maps.arcgis.com. US EPA. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Lumber River Watershed Report". Waters Geoviewer. US EPA. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  5. ^ "The National Map". U.S. Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 2012-03-29. Retrieved Feb 14, 2011.
  6. ^ "The Robesonian - River Quest Lumber makes list of top 10 state wonders". Archived from the original on 2012-03-22. Retrieved 2010-11-17.