2021 Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary - Future Plans

 

Damage from a fallen tree is now repaired

In the early 2000’s the City of Walterboro began consolidation of tracts of land that became known first as the Great Swamp, totaling 600-acres. Providing paved and boardwalk access to the public came to fruition, but maintaining these facilities provides a challenge. Now renamed the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary, the swamp also includes the Walterboro Wildlife Center educational facility right downtown. Recreational use is bound to increase as the Lowcountry continues to see population growth, and the City of Walterboro is planning now for upgrading access. 

Low water levels on July 7

Jeff Molinari is the Walterboro City Manager, and he shares that as of May 2021 a plan of action for the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary is in place. “At our annual City Council Retreat in May, I asked our staff to develop a funding plan to replace all the boardwalks in the Sanctuary,” said Molinari. “Now that we have completed the Walterboro Wildlife Center project, we can turn our attention back to access issues. The lifespan of the wood on our boardwalks is limited given the wet environment, and this likely won’t be the last time that we have to replace the wood. We do have paved pathways, and earthen trails, but the boardwalk access through wet areas is essential to connect them.”

“The City, Parks and Recreation Department is authorized for continuous repair to the boardwalk as is necessary,” said Molinari. “However, a string of extreme weather events including Hurricane Matthew, a tornado and flooding have left a swath of damage that is too big for a quick fix. We have had an engineer inspect all of the boardwalks and they have endorsed both a short-term repair plan and a long-term repair plan for us to consider. In parts of the Sanctuary, the boardwalk was uprooted from the ground and will require re-engineering. Our work crew can deal with a fallen tree issue readily, but larger issues take more time and resources to work around.”

To view the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Press and Standard.

To view past articles about the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary click on Beech Hill Boardwalk - Wet Winter Weather - Heritage Corridor Boardwalk

To view past blog entries about hardwood bottomlands click on Congaree National Park - Hunting Wood Ducks - Hunting Wild Turkey 

To view past blog entries about trees click on Laurel Oak Disease - Dendrochronology