Welcome to Santee NWR
Collage of photos from Santee NWR. Credit: USFWS
Santee NWR, established in 1942, is located in Clarendon County, South Carolina. Of the total 15,095 acres that make up the refuge, only 4,400 acres are owned with the remaining acreage being managed under a lease agreement with the South Carolina Public Service Authority (aka Santee-Cooper). The refuge also manages 10 conservation easements on private lands, totalling 458 acres in Bamberg, Barnwell, Clarndon and Orangeburg counties.
The refuge is located on the north shore of Lake Marion in Clarendon County, South Carolina. It is a major wintering area for ducks, geese and swans, as well as a nesting and stopover area for neo-tropical migratory birds, raptors, shore birds and wading birds. Endangered/ threatened species on the refuge include the red-cockaded woodpecker, the bald eagle and the American alligator. Numerous other species of wildlife are indigenous to this area.
The refuge provides habitat for migratory waterfowl consistent with the objectives of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, provides habitat and protection for neo-tropical migratory birds and endangered or threatened species, as well as a diversity of indigenous wildlife species, and provides opportunities for wildlife-oriented recreation and environmental education.
To accomplish these objectives, several different management tools are used. Water level is managed in impoundments by use of pumps and water control structures. Cooperative and force account farming programs provide food for various species. Other tools include moist soil management, prescribed fires, and mechanical and chemical control of noxious plants. Public hunting, law enforcement, refuge interpretation and recreational programs and waterfowl banding involve and educate the public in wildlife protection.
Public use opportunities at the refuge include a visitors center with educational exhibits, walking trails, an auto tour route, wildlife observation and photography, hunting and fishing.
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