Natural Resource Condition Assessment: Congaree National Park

Burkholder, JoAnn; Allen, Elle; Kinder, Carol; Flood, Stacie

The two major goals of this report were to (i) inventory the natural resources of Congaree National Park (CONG, or the park) within the Columbia Metropolitan Area of South Carolina, including a synthesis of available information and collection of geospatial data layers and maps; and (ii) to develop a set of indicators, quantitative insofar as possible, for natural resource conditions that can be tracked over time. The natural resources that were evaluated included air quality, geology and soils, groundwater, surface water, terrestrial and wetland biota, and species of special concern. Climate was also evaluated. Congaree National Park is a large park (10,845 hectares or 26,800 acres [ac]) located within the Coastal Plain of South Carolina about 32 kilometers (km; or 20 miles [mi]) southeast of the City of Columbia. The park protects over 105 square kilometers (40.6 mi2) of forested floodplains. Most of the park is forested wetland that is flooded periodically each year. Within the park both the sixth-order Congaree River and the Wateree River meander through densely forested wetlands. These wetlands and other major water features such as creeks, oxbow lakes, and sloughs support numerous fish, birds, herpetofauna, mammals, and other aquatic life. Congaree National Park is home to a highly diverse flora and fauna population, with 22 plant communities and dozens of species of trees in this unique old-growth bottomland forest. The major goals of park staff are to promote the natural function of the floodplain through preserving the wilderness areas and wetlands and minimize the disturbance to natural features such as landforms, vegetation and wildlife habitat. Congaree National Park is a popular park with 113,000 visitors per year, averaging seven visitors/kilometer of trail (11 visitors/mile of trail) per day. The park is located in Richland County and lies within the Columbia Metropolitan Area (population 399,000), only 32 kilometers (20 mi) from the City of Columbia (population 131,700). Both the county and the metropolitaion area are growing in human population, with rates increasing 2% per year. The park is down-airshed and downstream from this urbanized population center, and its pollution represents a major threat to the park’s natural resources. Congaree National Park still has a fair soundscape condition from a natural resource perspective, but its lightscape condition is poor. A state highway transects the park; a federal highway and two interstate highways are 2.4 kilometers (1.5 mi) north and 17.7 kilometers (11 mi), respectively, to the north/northwest; and some flight paths pass over the park en route to the Columbia Metropolitan Airport or two area military bases. The airshed has moderate ozone levels that could adversely affect both human health and the park vascular plant communities. Visibility is poor because of compromised air quality, and the park also lies in an area that is prone to acid deposition by nitrogen and sulfur species. Most of the dominant soils in Congaree National Park are erodible, acidic, and flood frequently. The groundwater level of the deep aquifer in the area is not monitored even though groundwater use is projected to increase significantly with the demands of the rapidly growing human population in the area. The groundwater level in an adjacent aquifer in Columbia has significantly decreased over the five year period from 2007–2011. Surface-water quality in Congaree National Park is characterized by good pH and dissolved oxygen. However, high fecal bacteria levels were detected in the Cedar Creek sub-watershed; turbidity is also sometimes high; and phosphorus and nitrogen levels are excessive in comparison to EPA recommendations, so that overall the surface water-quality condition of this park is poor.

Natural Resource Condition Assessment: Congaree National Park

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