ACE Basin Reserve, South Carolina

Location: Headquartered 45 minutes south of Charleston, S.C., the reserve encompasses parts of Colleton, Charleston, Beaufort and Hampton counties. Acreage: 134,710 Designation: 1992 Lead Partner: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Mailing Address: ACE Basin Reserve South Carolina Department of Natural Resources P.O. Box 12559 Charleston, SC 29412 Phone: 843-953-9001

ACE Basin is one of the largest undeveloped estuaries on the East Coast. It’s named for the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto rivers, which meander past cypress swamps, historic plantation homes, old rice fields and abundant tidal marshes to meet at South Carolina’s biologically rich St. Helena Sound.

The ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve protects the natural beauty, abundant wildlife and unique cultural heritage of the area. In addition, the reserve preserves habitat for many endangered or threatened species, such as shortnose sturgeon, wood storks, loggerhead sea turtles and bald eagles.

Commercial fisherman harvest bountiful supplies of shrimp, crabs, oysters, clams and finfish each year in the ACE Basin. Recreational fishermen ply the mudflats for spottail bass, flounder and shrimp, while paddlers enjoy the natural beauty of a maze of salt marsh creeks and the black waters of the rivers.

Research conducted at the ACE Basin Reserve enhance the protection of these commercial and recreational uses by monitoring water quality, providing information on the abundance and types of important plant and animal species, and evaluating the overall health of the ACE Basin ecosystem.

Through a variety of educational programs, the reserve provides timely information to coastal decision makers, lawmakers, teachers, students and the general public. The reserve sponsors a summer lecture series, develops curriculum materials for teachers, offers a touch tank program for children and conducts educational cruises where students and teachers learn about estuaries and their values to marine life.