Waterfront properties in Columbia, South Carolina are plentiful. Monticello Reservoir, Lake Murray, Lake Wateree, Broad River, Congaree River, Saluda River, and Wateree River are great landmarks for central South Carolina. Although they are primarily considered recreational areas for outdoor enthusiasts and high-value real estate investors, their main function is to produce electricity.

In earlier times, before the popularity of motor vehicles and interstate highways, rivers were used for Indian trade and travel. In fact, Columbia was established and settled due to the convergence of the Saluda, Broad, and Congaree rivers. Columbia later became the state capital due to its central location.

Columbia’s lakes and rivers are an important attribute to the real estate market here. Waterfront property is a multi-million dollar industry that has compounded over the years. Real estate is bought and then sold over and over again, usually increasing in value with each sale. But again, the underlying function of these bodies of water is hydroelectricity.

The Monticello Reservoir in conjunction with the Parr Reservoir has the most interesting functionality. Lake Monticello, as it is commonly called by locals, is a tranquil lake located off HWY 215 in Jenkinsville, South Carolina, about 35 minutes from downtown Columbia. Local talk over the years has told me that most of the properties surrounding the lake were farmland and that farmers have kept the acreage intact and have not succumbed to high value real estate opportunities. It wasn’t until the turn of the millennium that legacy properties began to sell due to the lack of profitability of farmland and the high demand for waterfront property for sale in South Carolina.

The 6,700-acre Monticello Reservoir was completed in the late 1970s as a pumped storage facility managed by SCE&G (South Carolina Electric and Gas). It was built to supplement the existing 4400 acre Parr Reservoir which has been around since the early 1900’s. These are the two main components of the nuclear pumped storage facility and a 300 acre “Recreation Lake” was later built as a public recreation area . Traditional hydroelectric stations must have large volumes of water or a constant flow to create this process. That is unless you have a nuclear power facility to pump water back to the original source (over the turbines) like Monticello does. Due to this process, water levels can rise and fall in extreme measures. Sometimes as much as a 5-foot decrease at Monticello and a 10-foot rise at Parr Reservoir over a 12-hour build period. Boaters should exercise extreme caution and be alert to any danger that may arise during this time. Compared to Lake Wateree and Lake Murray, Lake Monticello has some strict restrictions on fishing and boating and does not allow water skiing or jet skiing. In addition, SCE&G owns a strip around the entire lake in order to maintain natural beauty and prohibit excavation projects.

Lake Murray is a lake that is also managed by SCE&G. Approximately 50,000 acres in size, the 200-foot dam was once considered the “largest earthen dam” in the world. Lake Murray was built in the mid-1920s and completed around 1930. The dam was recently upgraded with a “back-up dam” in case of an earthquake or uncontrollable breach. Waterfront property on Lake Murray is in high demand and use of the lake is much less restricted. You’ll find all kinds of waterfront properties, including single-family residences, multi-family condominiums and apartments, and even commercial properties. It is by far the most popular lake in the area and is about 20 minutes from downtown Columbia. There are public access points around the entire lake and boating, skiing, sailing, diving, and fishing are recommended. There are also a few marina grills that are open to the public and in the summer you’ll find the boats lined up all along the pier. It was rumored that “Madonna” bought a house here years ago.

Lake Wateree is a somewhat different environment. It is operated by Duke Power and was built in the 1920’s and is approximately 13,000 acres in size. Lake Wateree and is located about 15 minutes from I-77, 25 minutes from I-20 between Charlotte, NC and Columbia, SC. It’s also a recreational lake, but you’ll find much less traffic and virtually no social venues. Anglers consider Lake Wateree a desirable area because it has traditionally been a low-traffic area with many coves and undeveloped property. Sometimes you can forget that it is a public lake and feel like you have it all to yourself. By comparison, it’s a mix of Lake Murray and Lake Monticello.