SanteeNational Wildlife Refuge

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Santee National WildlifeRefuge established in 1941,is located in ClarendonCounty, South Carolina. The15,000 acre refuge lies withinthe Atlantic Coastal Plainand consists of mixedhardwoods, mixed pine-hardwoods, pine plantations,marsh, croplands, old fields,ponds, impoundments andopen water. This tremendousdiversity of habitat supportsmany kinds of wildlife. Thefour management units of therefuge stretch over 18 milesalong the northern side ofSantee Cooper’s Lake Marion.The office/visitor center offersmany interesting displays forpublic viewing and is locatedoff U.S. Highway 301/15,seven miles south ofSummerton and four milesnorth of Santee.

We Need This RefugeTo provide food, water and shelter formigrating ducks, geese and swansduring the months of Novemberthrough February.

To provide food, water, and shelterfor many other migratory andresidents birds.

To provide habitat and protection forendangered and threatened speciesincluding the bald eagle andAmerican alligator.

To provide opportunities forenvironmental education,interpretation and wildlife-orientedrecreation for refuge visitors.

WildlifeA myriad ofwildlife speciesinhabit thevaried landscapeof Santee.During thewinter months,the threatenedbald eagle andoccasionally the

endangered peregrinefalcon can be seen. FromNovember throughFebruary migratingwaterfowl such as mallards,pintails, teal and woodducks along with Canadageese are a majorattraction. Throughout theyear, red-tailed and red-

shouldered hawks can be viewedsoaring overhead, and a variety ofsongbirds and wild turkey may bereadily observed.

Birds are not the only residents ofSantee. Forested areas providehomes for white-tailed deer and otherwoodland creatures such as raccoons,squirrels and bobcats. The ponds andmarshes provide a home foralligators as well as a number ofother reptiles and amphibians.

This blue goose,designed by J.N.“Ding” Darling,has become asymbol of theNationalWildlife RefugeSystem.

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Top: Americanalligator; below:white-tailed deer;cover: northernpintail.

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Habitat ManagementTo support a large variety of wildlifespecies, intensive habitatmanagement is a must. The habitatmanagement programs at Santeerange from the very basic to complex.

One of the basic programs is the woodduck nest box program, where nestingboxes are provided in areas that arelacking in available tree cavities, thus“adding to” the natural habitat.

The water and freshwater marshmanagement program is morecomplex. Water levels are adjusted toprovide maximum benefits forwildlife. In the impoundments andmarshes different levels are used tohelp some types of vegetation togrow while controlling unwanted“pest plants.”

Periodically flooded woodlandscontaining mast producinghardwoods are food-rich and verybeneficial to waterfowl.

Management of forests andcroplands is also critical. Corn,wheat, millet and soybeans areplanted to supplement availablenatural foods and attract manyspecies of wildlife.

Habitat management is acomplicated process but well worththe effort since it provides anabundant amount of food, cover andshelter for a wide range of animals.

Wildlife ObservationSantee National Wildlife Refugeincludes four units, each offering avariety of outdoor recreationactivities for the refuge visitor.

The Bluff Unit, located near theVisitor Center is home to the SanteeIndian Mound that dates back morethan 3,500 years. The British erectedFt. Watson atop the mound duringthe Revolutionary War only to have ittaken by General Francis Marion’stroops in 1781. A walk along the one-

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Top to bottom:female woodduck on next box;commonmoorhen;unknown fern.

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mile Wrights Bluff Nature Trailaffords visitors the chance to observesongbirds, wood ducks, and smallmammals. The east side of this trail,alongside Cantey Bay, is a great placeto see wading birds, Canada geese,

and otherwaterfowlspecies.

Dingle Pond ishome to aCarolina Bayand providesunique habitatfor severalwetland species

including alligators, wood ducks,mallards, great blue herons and otherwading birds. The area also boasts agreat diversity of songbirds as wellas numerous reptile and amphibianspecies. Visitors may utilize a one-mile trail to get a closer look atwildlife on this unit.

The Pine Island and Cuddo Unitsprovide the greatest diversity ofhabitats of the four units. Pine Islandprovides protection and habitat forAmerican alligators, numerous speciesof wading birds, nesting bald eagles,several grassland bird species, and ishome to thousands of wintering ducks,geese and swans. Visitor access onPine Island is limited to foot andbicycle traffic only.

An auto tour route on the Cuddo Unitprovides numerous wildlifeobservation opportunities. Bird life onthe Cuddo Unit is abundant as arealligators and many other nativespecies.

An automatic gate on the Cuddo Unitcontrols hours of access to minimizedisturbance to wildlife during criticalperiods. Current visitor use hoursare posted at the entrance gate ormay be obtained by contacting therefuge office.

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Top to bottom:great egret;prothonotarywarbler; fragrantwater lily.

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L A K E

Jack’sCreek

Pine Island

Scott’sLake

BLUFFUNIT

DINGLEPONDUNIT

PINEISLAND

UNIT

SavannahBranch

Polly-CanteyBay

CanteyBay

95

419

257301

15

400

Historic site ofFt. Watson and Santee Indian Mound

52

37876

95

Orangeburg

Summerton

9578 26

26

176

301

521

15

601

21

Santee Dam

Santee River

Lake Marion

St. Matthews

Sumter

Manning

Moncks Corner

Branchville

38373

127

SANTEENational Wildlife Refuge

LEGEND

Refuge Boundary

Roads

Vehicle Entry Point

Vehicle Parking Area

Check Station

Boat Ramp

SanteeNational Wildlife Refuge

EM A R I O N

CUDDOUNIT

BlackBottom

Round Island

PlantationIslands

TawCaw

Creek

100 AcreIsland

Potatoe Creek

260

64

260

Old River Rd.

715

559

8

38

N

Refuge trails are open for wildlifeobservation, photography and hiking.

Lake Marion is open year-round toboating, except Cantey Bay,Savannah Branch and Black Bottomwhich are closed from November 1through February 29.

All areas open to boating are alsoopen to fishing, as well as the Scott’sLake Public Fishing Beach. Theseareas produce largemouth bass,catfish and bream. All Federal andState regulations are in effect.

Permitted on the refuge duringdesignated seasons. Deer, small gameand dove seasons are scheduledyearly. A refuge permit is requiredfor hunting. Consult the huntbrochure for additional details.

We RecommendVisitors are encouraged to stop by

the VisitorCenter forcurrentinformation onaccess andseasonally closedareas. Visitoraccess on allrefuge units maybe limited toprovide totalsanctuary forwintering ducksand geese.

Layered clothing during cool monthsand the use of insect repellant duringwarm months are recommended.

Binoculars, spotting scopes, and fieldguides are also highly recommended.

Prohibited ActivitiesAll government property includingnatural historic and archaeologicalfeatures is protected by Federal Law.Searching for or removal of objectsof antiquity or other value is strictlyprohibited.

Boating

Fishing

Hunting

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Pair of green-winged teal.

Please do not pick flowers or removeother vegetation.

Fires, camping, swimming and ATV’sare prohibited.

Firearms are prohibited unlessspecifically authorized by the RefugeManager. Firearms transported invehicles during hunts must beunloaded and encased or dismantled.

WildlifeCalendarThis calendar ismeant to providevisitors with ageneral guide toseasonal wildlifeevents.

Weather maycause slightvariations. Thebest times to

observe wildlife are generally earlymorning and late afternoon.

JanuaryWaterfowl concentrations peak withCanada geese abundant on wheatfields and ducks and coots in theimpoundments and bays. Winteringgrassland bird species (sparrows,juncos and flycatchers) are here ingood numbers. Striped bass areschooling.

FebruaryWaterfowl can be observed foragingto build energy reserves beforebeginning their long migrationsnorth. Crappie begin to move into the

creeks. Woodducks, purplemartins andbluebirds arebeginning tolook over thenesting boxes.

MarchRaptors areplentiful.

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Top to bottom:black-throatedblue warbler;barred owl;dwarf iris.

Alligators may be seen sunning oncanal and pond edges. Largemouthbass begin to move into the shallows.

AprilButterflies and dragonflies areeverywhere. Both painted and indigobuntings as well as orioles, tanagers,vireos and blue grosbeaks havereturned and warblers are migrating.Fishing is productive for most species.

MaySpring migration continues. Nestingactivities are evident. Fishing isexcellent for all species.

JuneFish begin to seek out cooler waters.White bass begin schooling.

JulyShorebirds begin to return fromtheir nesting grounds and can beseen on pond and lake edges. Youngof the year are out practicing theirskills and learning to survive. Bass,crappie and catfish have moved todeep water.

AugustSummer warblers begin to migratesouth. Redbugs, biting flies andmosquitoes are voracious. Fishing isgenerally poor.

SeptemberFall songbird migration peaks.White-tailed deer rutting activitycommences as bucks begin to rub thevelvet off their antlers.

OctoberRaptors, cormorants, white-throated

and songsparrows, andwaterfowl arearriving innumbers. Ruby-crowned kingletsand yellow-rumped warblersare prevalent.Catfishing isexcellent.

Above: indigobunting; below:pair of woodducks.

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NovemberBald eagles are frequently sightedaround concentrations of waterfowl.Striped bass are schooling.

DecemberLarge concentrations of waterfowl.Tundra swans may be observed on BluffUnit. Excellent fishing for largemouthbass, striped bass and catfish.

Visitor CenterThe Santee Visitor Center iscurrently open Tuesday throughSaturday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Itcontains a number of displaysdescribing refuge wildlife andhabitats. The Center provides anexcellent opportunity for the visitorto become acquainted with the refugebefore venturing out and is highlyrecommended, especially for the firsttime visitor.

The NationalWildlife RefugeSystemSantee NationalWildlife Refugeis one of over540 refuges inthe NationalWildlife RefugeSystem. Themission of thesystem is to

preserve a national network of landsand waters for the conservation andmanagement of fish, wildlife, andplant resources of the United Statesfor the benefit of present and futuregenerations. The Refuge Systemencompasses over 95 million acresadministered by the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service, an agency of theDepartment of the Interior.

In addition to the Refuge System,the Fish and Wildlife Service isresponsible for the endangeredspecies program, National FishHatcheries, certain marine mammalsand migratory birds as well as otherwildlife programs.

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Above: baldeagle; below:Canada geese inflight.

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Santee National Wildlife Refuge2125 Fort Watson RoadSummerton, SC 29148803/478 2217http://santee.fws.gov

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service1 800/344 WILDhttp://www.fws.gov

February 2005