Property Description
Santee Island is entirely wetland with 99% being nationally declining wetland types. South Carolina Natural Heritage Program tracked priority ecological communities include bottomland hardwoods and cypress-tupelo swamp. Santee Island is so named for its location between the mainstem of two rivers and two side branches, making it a true island. The tract is heavily forested except for ~100 acres in historic rice fields with thick, early successional vegetation. Depressional wetlands can be found within one of these old fields. These rice fields have been proposed for addition to the Georgetown County Rice Culture National Register of Historic Places nomination. The forested wetlands and openings are utilized by no less than 117 priority species, 12 of which have some sort of federal designation, and 47 are also of regional conservation concern. Parcel analysis by the South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative Blueprint rank 96% of Santee as “highest priority” in overall regional priority considering connectivity, reptile and amphibian abundance, habitat for forested wetland birds, aquatic resource value, and significance for climate change resilience as the property is a prime candidate for Spartina marsh migration.