The Washo Reserve

Acres: 1,040
County: Charleston
Owned and managed by: The Nature Conservancy

The Washo Reserve is a 1,040-acre natural area owned by The Nature Conservancy. The reserve features a 200 year old freshwater cypress lake and cypress-gum swamp, which harbors the oldest wading bird rookery in continuous use in North America. Over 50 pairs of osprey nest here, making the Washo on of the largest concentrations of this bird of prey along the entire East Coast.

In the eighteenth century, the Washo area was purchased by Joseph Blake, whose name is often associated with the reserve. It became part of the network of plantations which prospered on cotton, rice and indigo. Being a plantation owner cultivating the marsh rice field, Blake's main interest was to create a freshwater reserve supply for controlled flooding. This was accomplished by damming a small creek running from McClellanville to the Santee River through this portion of the Santee Swamp.

Civil War and a large hurricane in 1898 were fatal to the Blake Plantation. By the 1900's sportsmen had discovered the value of the various diked marshes surrounding the Reserve for hunting. The Santee Gun Club was founded in 1898. Over the years the club expanded its land holdings in Charleston County to several thousand acres, including the Washo Reserve.

During the 1930's, over 500 nesting pairs of Common Egrets were estimated on the Washo Reserve. Wood Stork, now an endangered species in South Carolina, could usually be spotted at the far end of the Reserve.

In 1974, the Santee Gun Club donated to The Nature Conservancy over 24,000 acres of property now known as the Santee Coastal Reserve. While the Conservancy deeded most of the property to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the Conservancy retained the ecologically sensitive Washo Reserve.

The Washo Reserve Nature Trail is designed as a self-guided interpretive trail. Twenty numbered stations are located throughout the 3 mile trail. Each numbered station combined with the descriptive text and sketches are designed to point out important natural features of the area. Visitors are asked to keep on the trail at all times. The entire walk should take approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours, leaving you plenty of time to relax at active observation points.

The Reserve has been established as a wildlife sanctuary to be used solely for educational, scientific and aesthetic enjoyment. The Washo Reserve is open for public use from February 1 through October 31, Monday through Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Between February 1 and August 31, public visitation is restricted to the use of the boardwalk and nature trails due to the high concentration of breeding and nesting birds. Special visitations can be arranged by contacting the Santee Coastal Reserve.