Carolina Bay which made up of small oval shape wetlands. From the air they are very distinct with long axis of the oval is almost always oriented northeast to southeast. Their size varies from one acre to thousands of acres. Their origin is a mystery. Theories include meteor showers, ocean currents, and sinkholes. Each theory has at least one flaw to it.

Carolina Bays have many different vegetative structures, based on the depression depth, size, hydrology, and subsurface. Bays are predominately open water areas with large scattered pondcypress trees, while others one very thick, shrubby areas called pocosins, growing on peat mats. Many Bays have fell victim to farming, highways, developments and golf courses.

The animals that depend on the habitat are birds, such as herons, egrets, and migratory waterfowl, live in Carolina bays. Also mammals such as deer, raccoons, skunks, and opossums get food and water from Carolina Bays. Some of the animals that live there are: black bear, dragonflies, green anole, green tree frog, and a wood stork.

The average water depth and soil type have a large influence on the types of found is and around Carolina Bays. Bays contain trees such as black gum, sweet gum, magnolia, bald cypress, maple, and shrubs such as sumac, butter bush, gallberry and red bay. Plants common in Carolina Bays are water lilies, sedges and various grasses. 60% of rare plant species or found in the Carolina Bays. Rare plants are found in the Carolina Bays. Some of the plant species are: bladderwort, butterwort, fetterbush, loblolly bay, pitcher plant, pondcypress, pond pine, red bay, sun dew, sweet bay.

Wetlands control flooding and provide water for animals and plants. They purify water processing nutrients, suspended materials and other pollutants. It also does Erosion Control. It is a wild life habitat. The last reason it is used for is recreation.

Water levels vary greatly from one Carolina Bay to the next and from one year to the next. Researchers think that Carolina Bays are 30,000 to more than 100,000 years old. A theory of how the Carolina Bays or that is that a meteor hit the earth and the pieces of rock become the Carolina Bays. Some people think that Carolina Bays are annoying wet spots. Farmers ploughed through them and builders filled and paved over them until federal wetlands regulations began protecting them in the 1970’s. More 97% of the Carolina bays once found in South Carolina have been destroyed or severely altered. The USA have lost half if their wetlands annually.

Aerial Photographs of Carolina Bays