Deveaux Bank Heritage Preserve
Contact Information
SC Department of Natural Resources Heritage Trust ProgramPO Box 167
Columbia, SC 29202
(803) 734-3886
Hours of Operation
Because of bird nesting, Deveaux Bank is closed year round above the high tide line except designated areas.
Contributions to the Endangered Wildlife Fund on the South Carolina Income Tax Form help to make the identification and management of these preserves possible.
Important Information for Visitors
Photographs
Description
Deveaux Bank Heritage Preserve was established to protect significant nesting habitat of sea and shorebirds. Deveaux Bank Heritage Preserve encompasses approximately 25 acres at the mouth of the North Edisto River in Charleston County . The size of this preserve varies and may sometimes disappear entirely. Deveaux Bank is a estuarine island that was first documented in 1921. It has been documented as a shorebird rookery since the 1930s. Nesting was temporarily halted during World War II due to the island's use as a bombing range. The island is part of a dynamic system; it completely subsided in 1980 due to erosion from Hurricane David. It has slowly reemerged and shorebirds began nesting on the island again in 1983.
These preserves are sandspit islands formed by deposits from their associated river systems. The islands are dynamic and shift in position and structure due to erosion and deposition of sand. Two plant communities exist on the preserves: intertidal beach and maritime grasslands. The intertidal beach community consists of shifting sand beaches and regularly-flooded mud flats. If present, vegetation is sparse and consists of smooth cord grass, glasswort, marsh hay and sea purslane.
The maritime grassland community consists of unstable sand dunes elevated above the highest flood mark. This community is dominated by Russian thistle and marsh hay, which grow along with camphorweed, beach elder, beach tea and dog fennel.
Birds that predominantly feed in aquatic systems and tend to nest in groups of closely associated nests are considered colonial water birds. Colonial water birds were abundant in the early 1800's, but many populations were nearly exterminated at the turn of the century when it became fashionable to mount water bird feathers on ladies' hats. After commercial harvest was prohibited, water bird populations increased in the 1930's.
Deveaux Bank supports colonies of nesting water birds because of their isolated nature and lack of mammalian predators. Species nesting on the area include eastern brown pelican, least tern, royal tern, black skimmer, gull-billed tern, sandwich tern, common tern, laughing gull, Wilson's plover, American oystercatcher, snowy egret , tricolored heron, and willet. Besides providing nesting habitat, the preserve provides winter loafing and feeding areas for numerous species, including the federally-threatened piping plover.
This preserve is one of the most significant sea and shorebird nesting areas in South Carolina, containing 10 species and 8,436 nests in 1998. The preserves contain the largest pelican rookeries in the state, with 1,696 nests in 1998. The brown pelican rookeries are of particular importance due to the paucity of suitable nesting areas in South Carolina.
The colonial nesting behavior of these birds make them very susceptible to disturbance. Birds are densely packed into breeding sites during the nesting season, rendering the entire colony susceptible to disruption or destruction. Therefore, the preserve is open only below the high tide line except in the designated recreation area.