Watersheds and Basins

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Watershed Basin signs you might see around town:

Below you can learn more about your watershed basin by learning where you are within our larger watershed and why it is important. We have a flyer that describes the watershed education program.

To get more information you can scroll through the information below and click on individual basins you are interested in. If you have questions or comments, just send them to us.

Below is a map of the basins and where signs will be placed.

Our City's Natural Resources: Watersheds, Basins, Streams, Creeks, Rivers, and Ponds

A watershed or drainage basin is an area of land where water drains to a common waterway such as a stream, lake, estuary, wetland, river, or even the ocean. Watersheds come in all shapes and sizes and cross local, state, or national boundaries. No matter where you are, you're in a watershed.

Watersheds are complex networks of water conveyances. Depending on what scale you look at (for instance: the entire United States, Individual States or local communities) a watershed basin can be broken down into sub-watersheds for each. Like a puzzle, the more pieces of the watershed you put together, the better picture you see and the more you understand about individual, state or country wide watersheds. The South Carolina watershed map gives us a better understanding of the basins here in North Augusta.

Savannah River Basin

North Augusta falls within the state watershed "the Savannah River Basin" which is divided into three regions: Tugaloo/Seneca, the Upper Savannah, and the Lower Savannah. Most of North Augusta is located in the Lower Savannah River Basin.

Lower Savannah River Basin Facts:	Details:
Watersheds Incorporated	15
Square Miles	2,123
Acres	1.3 million
Forested Area	61.0%
Agricultural Area	12.5%
Barren Area	9.84%
Urban Area	2.1%
Forested Wetlands	12.3%
Non-forested Wetlands	1.0%
Water	1.3%
Stream Miles	2,075

Note: Federal lands, such as the Savannah River Site and the Savannah River National Wildlife Refuge, form a sizable portion of this basin.

North Augusta's watershed map (above), is sub-basin of the Lower Savannah River Basin.

To learn more about the Savannah River Basin, look to SC DHEC's Savannah River Basin Watershed Water Quality Assessment.

Which basin do you live in?

Learn more about each basin by clicking the names below!

Arrow Wood Basin

Hammond Hills Basin

This basin is located in Hammond Hills subdivision and incorporates stormwater that flows from Stanton to Bunting Drives near Hammond Hill Elementary School. It also captures some of the drainage from Campbellton Drive and its Associated streets. This basin is unique because it has features that make it a little more difficult to study as the infrastructure is older. This basin is also close to the Savannah River and has a lot steeper slopes and rougher terrain.

Fox-Creek Basin

This basin is located at the edge of the city, near the Edgefield County line. All creeks and streams that flow into Gregory Lake on Gregory Lake Rd are all part of the Fox Creek Basin. Most of this area is outside the city limits. The basin is sampled at a location just before its convergence with Pole Branch. Once the two basins meet, water is carried directly to the Savannah River along the undeveloped portion of Bergen Road (formerly Frontage Rd).

Pole Branch Basin

This basin is one of the city's largest basins. The basin encompasses lands along Highway 25 at I-20, to Arbor Place off of Walnut Lane, Bergen Rd, and its communities, through Belvedere to Five Notch Road at I-20 and Knobcone Ave. It includes a large area below Edgewood Heights subdivision, the North Augusta High School and then all the way to I-20 at Martintown Road. All creeks and streams located in the area converge into Pole Branch and it then crosses I-20 on Bergen Road and converges with Fox Creek below Martintown Road.

Crystal Lake Basin

The Crystal Lake basin is located in the area of the city that encompasses areas of Jackson Avenue, Mokateen, Crystal lake drive, Forest and Lake Avenues and Crystal Lake. The large drainage depression located near Woodlawn Avenue accepts stormwater from the streets. The water flows from these areas across Buena Vista Avenue along Crystal Lake Drive to Crystal Creek. It travels through the basin until it reaches the Savannah River at the end of Savannah Point Drive. The sample point is at that location.

Pretty Run Basin

The Pretty Run Basin is a large basin that drains older neighborhoods such as Lynnhurst, the Greeneway Trail along Bolin Road, Knollwood and Waccamaw Streets, Marion Avenue and portions of Know Avenue to lower Bradleyville Road and Georgia Avenue near McDonald's. Most of the area east of Five Notch Road is included until you reach Knollwood. In addition to these upper portions of the stream sub-basin, residential areas including The Rapids, Heron Cove, and other areas along Martintown road near the Greeneway Trail are drained to Pretty Run.

The main branch of this basin is Pretty Run Creek. The stream is polluted with excess bacteria. This has resulted in it being the city's only state designated Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) stream. This makes the sub-watershed a priority for the city. The TMDL sample location is within the Rapids subdivision just before the stream enters the Savannah River.

The state and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the Pretty Run TMDL as a road map to limit bacteria. The city implemented a TMDL Monitoring and Assessment Plan for Pretty Run Creek in 2015 and completed the assessment in 2018. Results from the monitoring helped to determine that the source of the bacteria is mostly animals that use the natural areas. The birds, deer, raccoons, squirrels, and other wildlife have been concentrated along the streams and natural areas that have been protected from development. We are working on ways to improve water quality in the stream.

River Bluff Basin

Storm Branch Basin

This basin once drained to the area located near the bottom of Belvedere Ridge where a closed wastewater treatment lagoon once operated. Since the closure of the lagoon, the basin drainage areas does not flow and the creek associated with it is dry most of the year. Stormwater filters into the old lagoon beds that are fully vegetated large depressions. Although the ditch is dry most of the time, the sample point for this area is located on Powerhouse Road. It is checked for flow during routine monitoring.

Womrath Basin

This basin includes the area located from the junction of Knox Avenue and Old Edgefield Road back to Carolina Springs and Womrath Road. The water flows from these areas and then crosses Old Aiken Road and beyond until it crosses US 1/78 (also known as Aiken- Augusta Highway). From there, the unnamed creek empties into wetlands located adjacent to Horse Creek. This basin is sampled at the TTX Plant off of Hamburg Road.

Horse Creek Basin

Horse Creek is a major stream in the Middle Savannah Watershed. The city borders the stream from Atomic Road all the way to the Savannah River. Wetlands and their associated streams below the railroad track below Revco Road empty to Horse Creek along this stretch of the stream. The sample point for Horse Creek is located at the end of the stream adjacent to Horse Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. Horse Creek is nearly 96% located in the upper regions of Aiken County so the city has little to no impact on this stream. It is also a stream listed as impaired by bacteria and a TMDL was approved for Horse Creek.

Waterworks Basin

The Waterworks Basin is a very large basin in the city that handles tremendous flows during rain events. The basin drains the area from Knox Avenue including Kroger, Lowes, Walmart, Belk, Publix, Lidl, and Big Lots Shopping Centers, Summerfield Park, Edgefield Heights, and Atomic Road businesses. Much of this water flows through Edenfield Park until it converges beside the Public Safety Complex to the primary basin stream along Riverside Boulevard and then through The River Golf Course and its pond system to the Savannah River. The basin is sampled at Shoreline Drive just before it empties to the river. The basin's stormwater system has been updated to prevent historical flooding on Buena Vista Avenue.

Hamburg Basin

Mims Branch Basin

The Mims Branch sub-basin drains a large undeveloped area located along Highway 520 from Ascauga Lake Road to Blanchard Road and is bordered by Old Sudlow Lake Road. It is the only basin in the city that is nearly 100%undeveloped. The basin is sampled at Old Sudlow Lake Road where it leaves the city. At the present time, this basin is considered a "representative basin" since it is in a relatively undeveloped area and is not impacted by industrial or residential use. The basin is being sampled in several locations to capture valuable data while it remains undeveloped.

Riverview Basin

North Augusta, SC

Watersheds and Basins

Watershed Basin signs you might see around town:

Our City's Natural Resources: Watersheds, Basins, Streams, Creeks, Rivers, and Ponds

Savannah River Basin

Which basin do you live in?

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