Land Use Changes in the Lake Issaqueena Watershed, South Carolina.

Over the last 75 years, the Lake Issaqueena watershed has experienced a drastic shift in land practices. This study was conducted to examine the changes in land use and land cover (LULC) that have occurred. Aerial photography of the watershed (1951, 1956, 1968, 1977, 1989, 1999, 2005, 2006 and 2009) was analyzed and classified using the geographic information system (GIS) software, ArcGIS. Seven land classes were defined: evergreen, deciduous, bare ground, pasture/grassland, cultivated and residential/other developments. From 1951-2009, the watershed experienced an increase of tree cover and bare ground (17.4% evergreen, 62.3% deciduous, 9.8% bare ground) and a decrease of pasture/grassland and cultivated (42.6% pasture/grassland and 57.1% cultivated). From 2005 to 2009, there was increase of 21.5% in residential/other developments due to a national housing boom.  Prior to 1938, the area consisted of single-crop cotton farms, but after 1938 the farms were abandoned, leaving large areas with eroded soil.   Starting in 1938, Clemson reforested almost 30% of the watershed, while the remainder was privately owned. Currently, 3/4 of the watershed is forestland, with a limited coverage of small farms and residential developments.