Lake Wateree, the second largest reservoir in the Catawba-Wateree system, is located northeast of Columbia, South Carolina in Lancaster, Kershaw, and Fairfield counties. Lake Wateree has a surface area of about 13,864 acres and 213.1 shoreline miles at full pond elevation of 225.5 feet msl. Table 4.10-1 summarizes the shoreline classification for Lake Wateree.

There are eight developed Duke Power owned public recreation access on Lake Wateree, one state park, Lake Wateree State Park, and one SCDNR boat access area. Figure 4.10-1 shows the public recreation access locations. In addition, there are six commercial non-residential marinas that provide additional public access on Lake Wateree. The following sections describe the Duke-owned public access areas, summarize the facilities at the county park, and provide estimates of the number and type of commercial recreational access facilities at Lake Wateree.

Existing Duke-Owned Public Access Areas

The developed Duke-owned public access areas provide about 144 acres and about 9,971 feet of shoreline frontage of public access at Lake Wateree. Combined, the developed access areas have 17 public boat ramps, 3 loading piers, 1 fishing pier, and about 452 parking spaces. Table 4.10-2 summarizes the facilities at the public access areas.

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Click Here to View Full Figure 4.10-1 Lake Wateree Public Recreation Access Areas

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State Park Public Recreation Facilities

Table 4.10-3 shows the site acreage, shoreline footage and recreational facilities provided at the Lake Wateree State Park, located in the upper portion of Lake Wateree. The SCDNR Beaver Creek access area provides parking and a boat launch access to Lake Wateree

Existing Commercial and Private Recreation Access

In addition to the Duke-owned public access areas and the state and county parks, the public can gain access to Lake Wateree through 6 commercial non-residential marinas. Private access to Lake Wateree is through private marinas and private piers located along the Lake Wateree shoreline. Table 4.10-4 summarizes the number and type of public and private commercial non-residential and commercial residential marina facilities. Table 4.10-5 summarizes the estimated number of private piers.

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Site Specific Descriptions of Existing Duke-owned Public Access Areas at Lake Wateree

The following section provides a description of each Duke-owned public access area at Lake Wateree, including a photograph, site characterisitics, site recreation facilities, and key recreation activities.

Cedar Creek Access Area

The Cedar Creek access area is located in the upper portion of Lake Wateree downstream of the Cedar Creek hydropower station along the eastern shoreline in Lancaster County, South Carolina. Table 4.10-6 summarizes key site characteristics for the Cedar Creek access area.

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Wateree Creek Access Area

The Wateree Creek access area is located in the upper portion of Lake Wateree along the western shoreline in Fairfield County, South Carolina. Table 4.10-7 summarizes key site characteristics for the Wateree Creek access area

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Taylor Creek Access Area

The Taylor Creek access area is located in the upper portion of Lake Wateree along the western shoreline, in Fairfield County, South Carolina. Table 4.10-8 summarizes key site characteristics for the Taylor Creek access area.

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June Creek Access Area

The June Creek access area is located in the middle portion of Lake Wateree along the western shoreline in Fairfield County, South Carolina. Table 4.10-9 summarizes key site characteristics for the June Creek access area.

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Colonel's Creek Access Area

The Colonel's Creek access area is located in the middle portion of Lake Wateree along the western shoreline in Fairfield County, South Carolina. Table 4.10-10 summarizes key site characteristics for the Colonel's Creek access area.

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White Oak Creek Access Area

The White Oak Creek access area is located in the lower portion of Lake Wateree, along the eastern shoreline in Kershaw County, South Carolina. Table 4.10-11 summarizes key site characteristics for the White Oak Creek access area.

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Buck Hill Access Area

The Buck Hill access area is located in the lower portion of Lake Wateree along the western shoreline, in Kershaw County South Carolina, just upstream of the Wateree dam. Table 4.10-12 summarizes key site characteristics for the Buck Hill Creek access area.

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Lugoff Access Area

The Lugoff access area is located in the lower portion of Lake Wateree along the western shoreline in Kershaw County, South Carolina, just downstream of the Wateree dam. Table 4.10-13 summarizes key site characteristics for the Lugoff access area.

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Recreation Use

Visitation at the public access areas on Lake Wateree was derived based on estimates of the traffic entering the Duke-owned public access areas. Total estimated visitation during the 1999 study period for Lake Wateree at these sites was about 295,183 visits. Figure 4.10-10 shows the distribution of the visitation for each month at Lake Wateree for the Duke-owned public access areas during the 1999 study period. A visit is considered a vehicle or vehicle/trailer entering the site for any part of a day.

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Table 4.10-14 provides a summary of the estimated recreation visitation based on the traffic counter data for the sampled sites during the 1999 study period. Of the Lake Wateree Duke-owned access areas, White Oak Creek and Colonel's Creek were estimated to have the greatest amount of use at about 23 percent and 19 percent, respectively, of the total estimated use at the Lake Wateree Duke-owned access areas.

Spot counts were conducted at seven sites for Lake Wateree, Buck Hill, Cedar Creek, Colonels Creek, June Creek, Taylor Creek, Wateree Creek, and White Oak Creek Access areas. Table 4.10-15 lists the number of sample days per month for the spot count data collection.

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Based on survey data input, the estimated ratio for annual visits to the project area for Survey B respondents (respondents that use both public and private access areas) compared to Survey C respondents (respondents at the public access areas) was about a ratio of 1.1 to 1. Accordingly, the estimated overall recreational visitation for Lake Wateree for the 1999 study period totaled 306,076 visits.

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The total number of surveys received for each survey is listed in Table 4.10-16. Survey D was conducted of marina operators, therefore numbers of surveys sent and received were low. Figure 4.10-11 shows the distribution of recreation activity type for Survey A, Survey B, and Survey C categories. Figure 4.10-12 shows the distribution of recreation activity type combining data from Surveys A, B, and C, spot counts and tailrace counts. Based on the combined data sources, the primary recreation activity for Lake Wateree during the 1999 study period was bank/pier fishing. For Lake Wateree, respondents indicated that for Survey A, about 15 percent recreated on the islands, for Survey B about 11 percent, and no respondents for Survey C recreated on the islands. The combined responses to Surveys A, B, and C indicated that about 9 percent overall recreated on the islands of Lake Wateree. The respondents indicated that the majority of the island activity was picnicking, fishing and camping.

For Lake Wateree, the average party size (average number of recreators in each party) for respondents to Survey A was 4.8, for Survey B was 4.7, and for Survey C was 2.8. The average party size for all three groups (A, B, and C) was 4.1. The average number of visits per year for Survey B was 46.8, for Survey C was 26.3, and for combined Survey B and C respondents was 35.2. The average length of stay for Survey B respondents was 16.2 hours, for Survey C respondents was 4.7 hours, and for combined Survey B and C respondents the was 9.6 hours. About 12 percent of the respondents to Surveys A and B indicated that Lake Wateree was the lake they primarily recreated within the Catawba-Wateree system. For Survey A about no respondents and for Survey B about 5 percent of the respondents indicated they had land abutting Lake Wateree.

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Table 4.10-17 summarizes the perceived crowding ratings for Lake Wateree for each survey type, including responses to Surveys D and E and a combined rating for Survey A, B, and C responses. Recreators on Lake Wateree (Surveys A, B, and C) indicated that weekday crowding was about low-range (on a scale of 1 to 5). Weekend crowding was rated as upper mid-range for survey respondents to Surveys A and B, and lower mid-range for respondents at the public access areas (Survey C). The marina owners indicated low crowding levels during the week and high on the weekends, while the lake rescue and management groups indicated low-range crowding ratings for weekdays and mid-range crowding levels for weekends.

*Weighted Average.

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Boating Use

Figure 4.10-13 shows the distribution of boating activity type for Lake Wateree based on Surveys A, B, and C individually, comparing the percentage of each boating activity type to the overall boating use. The average boating party size was 4.2 for Survey A; 3.5 for Survey B; 2.7 for Survey C; and 3.5 for the combined responses for Surveys A, B, and C. The average number of hours boating was indicated as 4.1 hours for Survey A; 6.0 hours for Survey B; 5.2 hours for Survey C; and 5.0 hours for the combined responses for Surveys A, B, and C.

Of the individuals surveyed who primarily recreated on Lake Wateree, about 89 percent of the Survey A respondents owned boats. For Survey B respondents, about 78 percent owned boats, about 52 percent of the Survey C respondents owned boats, and for the combined responses for Surveys A, B, and C, about 73 percent of the respondents owned boats.

Table 4.10-18 summarizes the distribution of boat ownership by type of boat for Lake Wateree. Motor boats comprised over 61 percent of the boat ownership, compared to the other boat categories, followed by jet skis at about 12 percent. The ownership of motor boat types was about 41 percent small motor boats (ranging 20 feet or less in size) and about 19 percent medium motor boats (ranging between 21 to 40 feet in size)

Figure 4.10-14 shows the period of the day the respondents indicated they primarily boated, for Surveys A, B, C. Lake Wateree was the fourth primary boat launching lake of the lakes within the Catawba-Wateree system for all survey respondents. For Survey A at about 16 percent indicated they primarily launched boats at Lake Wateree. For Survey B about 10 percent, for Survey C about 8 percent, and for the combined responses for Surveys A, B, and C about 11 percent of the respondents launched boats at Lake Wateree, as compared to other lakes within the Catawba-Wateree system.

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The overall boat carrying capacity is assessed based on the peak boating use estimates obtained during the aerial flyovers in the 1999 study period. The available boating acreage was adjusted from the base boats per acreage estimate (see Table 4.10-19) by the following factors (Warren and Rea, 1989):

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Table 4.10-20 shows the allowable overall boat capacity based on the usable water surface acreage and the boating activity mix identified from the surveys. Table 4.10-21 provides the assessment of the percent capacity of the boat use for Lake Wateree on the peak day during the 1999 study period. Lake Wateree during the weekday was estimated at 10 percent capacity, during the weekend at 12 percent capacity, and during the peak holiday period at 18 percent capacity for overall boating use.

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The overall boat carrying capacity assessment provides an assessment of the total surface area available for boating use. To assess the areas of the lakes with higher density of boating use, the general location of boating activity was recorded during the aerial flyovers for each day of aerial coverage. Figure 4.10-15 shows the location of boats during the peak use day for Lake Wateree. Figure 4.10-16 shows the boating density on Lake Wateree for the peak use day and areas with the greatest clustering of boating activity. Figure 4.10-17 shows the boat density map based on the composite of the four highest boating use days. This figure illustrates the areas with the most boating use during the peak use days during the study period and provides an assessment of areas with high density boating during the study period.

Click Here to View Full Figure 4.10-15 Lake Wateree Peak Use Day Boat Counts

Click Here to View Full Figure 4.10-16 Lake Wateree Peak Use Day Boat Density Map

Click Here to View Full Figure 4.10-17 Lake Wateree Composite Peak Use Boat Density Map

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Lake Wateree Estimated Future Recreational Demand

Table 4.10-22 provides the population projections for the counties within 50-60 miles of Lake Wateree reservoir. Population projections were conducted for these impact zones using population data from the Office of State Planning for the counties in North Carolina and from the Office of Research and Statistics for the counties in South Carolina for 1970 through 1990 and population projections from the U.S. Census Bureau for 2000, 2010, and 2020. An average percentage increase for each ten year period was calculated. The impact zone populations were then projected to the year 2050 using the average percentage growth for the entire time period.

Table 4.10-23 provides the estimated recreational use for the impact zone through the year 2050. Current use estimates are based on spot counts and responses to surveys. The recreational use projections were estimated by computing the projected population increase for the impact zone and incorporating indexed values for future recreational use for the various activities. The index values for each activity were obtained from "Outdoor Recreation in American Life: A National Assessment of Demand and Supply Trends" (Cordell, 1999). The indices are based on models that incorporate a number of variables, including age structure of the population, income, race, sex, and population density, as well as other explanatory variables. Full model parameters and estimates are available from the author.

Table 4.10-24 shows the estimated absorption percentage for the four major recreation activities that require specific lands and facilities. Picnicking, swimming, camping, and boating are activities that require specific developed facilities. The other activities listed are dispersed activities that can take place at a variety of undeveloped areas. The estimated 1999 use levels are from Table 4.10-23. The estimated demand is based on the impact zone population (population of all counties within 50-60 miles of the lake). The impact zone population is multiplied by the participation rate for the activity, which was obtained from "Emerging Markets for Outdoor Recreation in the United States: Based on the National Survey on Recreation and the Environment" by H. Ken Cordell, et al. Participation rates are for the South and are similar to 1995 North Carolina SCORP data. Specific participation rates are as follows: swimming, 37.3%; picnicking, 44.8%; camping 22.4%; boating, 45.0%. The product of the impact zone population and participation rates are then multiplied by the estimated of number of days of participation for each activity, which were obtained from the 1995 North Carolina SCORP. The 1999 estimated number of participants for each activity was then divided by the 1999 estimated demand to obtain the estimated absorption percentage. Absorption percentage is defined as the percent of total demand for the impact zone that is met by the individual lake.

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Table 4.10-25 provides the estimate of the recreational facilities land acreage needed to meet the future recreational demand through the year 2050. The weighted population is the estimated impact zone population multiplied by the participation rate for each activity. The facility standards and estimated acreage needs for the facility class are based on State SCORPS and FERC Guidelines for Outdoor Recreational Facilities. The facility need is the total facility need for the impact zone based on the weighted population and the facility standards. The total facility need is then multiplied by the absorption percentage to determine the facility need for Lake Wateree. The acreage needs are then based on the Lake Wateree facility need multiplied by per unit acreage needs that are based on State SCORPS and FERC Guidelines for Outdoor Recreation Facilities. For Lake Wateree, it is estimated that 36 acres are required to accommodate future recreational facilities demand through the year 2050. This includes 2 acres of beaches, 4 acres of picnic areas, 8 acres of campsites, and 22 acres of boat ramps.

The estimated acreage needs for the reservoir are total usable acreage needs. Usable land acreage at existing developed public recreational facilities can be counted toward meeting these needs. Duke Power sites, county and state parks, and other private and public agencies will meet these needs. There are a number of state and county parks that are located on lands leased from Duke Power. These areas are not included in the discussion, as Duke Power owned access areas. Duke Power is expected to meet a portion of the future recreational land needs. The entire estimated need will be met by a combination of opportunities from all sources.

For Lake Wateree, the most frequently identified recreational facility needs mentioned were for restrooms and boat ramps. Duke Power will not be providing restrooms at unsupervised access area because of the potential for vandalism at the sites. By the end of the next five-year period, Duke Power will have improved all of the boat launching facilities on Lake Wateree.

*Boating activities

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Recreators were asked in the surveys if the existing recreational facilities within the Catawba-Wateree system met their recreational needs. For Lake Wateree, 68 percent of Survey A (n=66); 70 percent for Survey B (n=47); 77 percent for Survey C (n=62); and 71 percent for combined Surveys A, B, and C, of the respondents stated that the existing facilities met their needs. The primary facilities that were indicated as needed at Lake Wateree included more boat ramps, swimming areas, picnic areas, restroom facilities, camping areas, and restaurants around the lake. In response to whether additional boating facilities were needed, 76 percent for Survey A; 74 percent for Survey B; 73 percent for Survey C; and 74 percent for combined Surveys A, B, and C, felt that the existing boating facilities were adequate. The primary boating facilities that were indicated as were needed at Lake Wateree included more boat ramps, marinas, pump out stations, and gas pumps.

About 41 percent for Survey A (n=66); 28 percent for Survey B (n=47); 5 percent for Survey C (n=62); and 25 percent for the combined Surveys A, B, and C indicated they had a negative experience while recreating. About 32 percent for Survey A (n=66), about 13 percent for Survey B (n=47), about 5 percent for Survey C (n=62), and about 17 percent for the combined Surveys A, B, and C, indicated they had felt jeopardized while recreating. The primary reasons listed for the negative experiences and incidences when recreators felt jeopardized were reckless or inconsiderate boat or jet ski use by other recreators. Many comments were related to dangerous and inexperienced operation of jet skis and dangerous operation of boats that created large wakes or resulted in near collisions. Several respondents commented that Lake Wateree was too crowded with boat traffic. A few respondents stated that water quality and trash and litter were a problem.

In terms of responses to additional comments or in response to the question if they could change one thing, many respondents to Surveys A, B, and C stated concerns associated with boating use on Lake Wateree. The primary concerns were related safety factors associated with improper use of jet skis and boats, including effects of irresponsible jet skiing and boating, boat wakes, and boat users not understanding and/or adhering to boat laws and common sense boating safety measures. Many respondents also indicated the need for more boating patrol and enforcement on Lake Wateree, such as more no wake zones and restrictions on the size of boats. Several respondents stated concerns about the water quality of Lake Wateree.

One respondent from the Survey D indicated that the existing policies were not adhered to. For Lake Wateree, respondents to Survey E commented that tighter control on jetskis should be implemented and use of lights while boating should be enforced after dark. In addition, concerns were stated about boating safety and effects of speeding and alcohol consumption on boat use.