SREL Reprint #1943

Hydrology of a Carolina bay located on the upper coastal plain of western South Carolina

Robert F. Lide1, Vernon G. Meentemeyer2, John E. Pinder, III1, and Lynne M. Beatty1,3

1Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802
2Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
3Department of Geology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66044

Abstract: Thousands of Carolina bays are found on the Atlantic Coastal Plain between northern Florida and New Jersey. Most of these shallow depressions are wetlands, and many hold temporary ponds that fluctuate in response to seasonal or long-term climatic conditions. Despite the abundance of bays, few studies have described their hydrologic regime. This study examines the hydrologic interactions of Thunder Bay, a 7-ha Carolina bay located on the Upper Coastal Plain of western South Carolina. Data from 38 piezometers, borehole logs, and records of pond stage and weather indicate that water ponded at Thunder Bay is a surface expression of the water table. Although fluctuation of pond stage is largely controlled by precipitation and evapotranspiration, nearly continuous seepage losses coupled with periodic ground-water inflow are also important components of Thunder Bay's hydrologic regime.

Keywords: Carolina bay, hydrology, water balance, wetlands

SREL Reprint #1943

Lide, R.F., V.G. Meentemeyer, J.E. Pinder III, and L.M. Beatty. 1995. Hydrology of a Carolina bay located on the upper coastal plain of western South Carolina. Wetlands 15:47-57. 

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).