Page 74 - Florence County, SC Florence County 2032: Connecting Our Past, Defining Our Future

Existing County | Natural Resources

Carolina Bays

Interestingly, there is one landform type that is not found in many other places around the world. The following
information is taken from a brochure from US Fisheries and Wildlife to assist in explaining this resource. Carolina
Bays are small wetland depressions which are symmetrically oval in shape. When seen from the air, they are very
distinct and the long axis of the oval is always oriented northwest to southeast. These wetlands occur only in the
coastal plain regions of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia and vary in size from one acre to thousands
of acres. The origin of Carolina Bays is a mystery. Some theories include: meteor showers, ocean currents, and
sinkholes, but each theory has at least one flaw to disprove it. There are several different vegetative structures
found in Carolina Bays based on the depression depth, size, hydrology, and subsurface. The map below shows
Woods Bay located in Florence County, near Olanta. Woods Bay consists of 1,590 acres including marsh, sand hills,
oak, hickory forest and a shrub bog. More than 75 species of mammals, reptiles and amphibians are found here,
along with more than 150 species of birds. Woods Bay State Natural Area offers a close-up look at one of the last
remaining large Carolina Bays on the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Kingsburg Bay is a very unique Carolina Bay in
Kingsburg, Lower Florence County that is being extensively studied for its unique plant and animal communities.

Woods Bay in Florence County

Florence County, SC | Comprehensive Plan pg. 73