ABSTRACT

The present delta of the Santee River of South Carolina offers an excellent opportunity for analyzing the sedimentary and faunal relationships of a deltaic platform undergoing seaward destruction. Industrial development of the Santee River, i.e., damming and rediversion, altered the Santee River from an active progradational stage to a destructional stage.

Five distinct facies were recognized on the basis of grain size, sedimentary structures, biota, color and composition and petrology. These facies are (1) a marsh facies, including levees, (2) an oyster reef facies, including associated environments affected by the reefs or reef derived clastics, (3) a bay facies, (4) a marine facies, including spit, tidal delta and contiguous sandy zones, and (5) a fluvial facies.

Cores taken along the banks of the river and within the channels were analyzed to determine the vertical extent of the facies defined above. This core evidence indicates (1) that marine sediments are being transported into the delta system, and (2) migration of channels of accompanying bar migration is occurring.

The Santee River delta now represents an abandoned deltaic lobe undergoing seaward destruction and modification.