South Carolina Coastal Bird Conservation

Corps of Engineers, SCDNR announce start of construction for the Crab Bank Restoration Project

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CHARLESTON, S.C. (September 13, 2021)-- After several years of planning and fundraising, the anticipation is over and the excitement of construction activity begins on the restoration of the Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary, nestled in Charleston Harbor between the tip of Sullivan’s Island and Patriots Point. 

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Charleston District announced today that the contractor, Virginia-based Norfolk Dredging Company, has begun moving hydraulic pipe into the area, for its aptly-named Dredge “Charleston” to begin pumping operations on approximately Sept. 14, 2021.

The restoration project is sponsored by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and calls for the one-time placement of approximately 660,000 cubic yards of compatible material from the Charleston Harbor Deepening “Post 45” project. When finished, the project will create approximately 32 acres of prime nesting habitat above mean high water for coastal birds. The project will benefit a wide variety of nesting and migrating seabird species that used the island before Hurricane Irma removed the last remaining bit of available nesting high ground in 2017.

 

Boaters and paddlers in the vicinity of Shem Creek and the Mount Pleasant Old Village shoreline will need to take extra precautions. This type of dredging operation is not typical in this popular and frequented section of the harbor and with it comes safety concerns. Please be mindful that in addition to the dredge there will be floating and submerged pipelines and auxiliary equipment that are hazardous to those who get too close to the construction zone. In addition, residents and businesses could experience some noise and lights than are not normally present due to the proximity to the shoreline. Earthmoving equipment outfitted with lights and audible signals required by safety regulations will be mobilized and operate around the clock. While this may create some short-term inconvenience, the long-term benefits of a restored Crab Bank will be a major benefit to our community and the area’s fast-growing outdoor and nature-based tourism economy.

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“The safety of our operations is of paramount importance for both the workers and the public,” said Lt. Col. Andrew Johannes, Charleston District Commander. “We are excited for this important work to begin, but it is challenging, and we want it completed as safely and expeditiously as possible. Do not approach the contractor’s equipment, do not land your watercraft on the restored footprint, and please be hyperaware of submerged and floating pipelines, especially when there is poor visibility.”

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Planning and fundraising for the restoration of Crab Bank, which is owned and managed by the SCDNR, began in 2018. Federal grants and contributions raised by a coalition of non-profit groups, businesses and private citizens will fund the majority of the work. The opportunity to restore Crab Bank was made possible through a cost-share partnership between the USACE and SCDNR that was supported by a sustained public fundraising campaign organized through the S.C. Coastal Bird Conservation Program. Dozens of businesses and hundreds of individual small donors contributed to the campaign.

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“This project would not have been possible without the amazing community support and assistance from Audubon South Carolina, the Coastal Conservation League, and Coastal Expeditions, as well as all of the individuals donors who contributed to this effort,” said SCDNR Director Robert Boyles. “Communication, fundraising and awareness have been key to the success that we hope to see this spring as birds return to the newly established footprint of Crab Bank.” 

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Construction is projected to take approximately two months to complete, and both agencies ask that boaters take notice of the activity from afar and be aware of their speed when in the surrounding areas. We want the project carried to completion in a safe manner for the contractors, as well as those fishing, boating and paddling in vicinity of Shem Creek and the Old Village shoreline.

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CHARLESTON, S.C. --- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), and representatives of the Town of Mount Pleasant met on April 12 to review a noteworthy adjustment to the placement location of dredged material for the Crab Bank Restoration project. Following through on earlier commitments to re-evaluate before construction, the Corps’ recent data collection and discussions with their dredging contractor revealed that the planned construction methods would benefit from an adjusted footprint that is shifted substantially to the southeast.

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This adjusted footprint will allow the contractor to take advantage of more areas of existing shallow water to begin their work and also addresses the Town’s concerns by placing dredged materials further to the southeast, shifting the edge of the footprint approximately 1,400 feet further away from the mouth of Shem Creek compared to the previous plan.

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All parties desire for this restoration project to be a WIN-WIN for the community. This adjustment to Crab Bank will provide the same level of shorebird nesting habitat benefits as the previous plan, and the restored sanctuary will continue to serve as an ecological and economic asset for the Lowcountry, just like Shem Creek.

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Construction activity for this Beneficial Use of Dredged Material project using compatible material from the Charleston Harbor Deepening “Post 45” project is expected to begin in September and should only take a couple of months to complete.

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The restoration project is sponsored by the SCDNR and calls for the one-time placement of approximately 660,000 cubic yards of compatible material from the deepened channel. When finished, the project will create approximately 28 acres of critical nesting habitat for highly threatened populations of shorebirds that make the Lowcountry their home and delight visitors to our beautiful community and Shem Creek.

 

 

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The initiative to save Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary has taken a giant step forward with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ recent approval of the $124 million Lower Harbor contract as part of the Charleston Harbor Post 45 Deepening project. 

  

Awarded in August to Virginia-based Norfolk Dredging Company, the Lower Harbor dredging contract includes an option that will allow the placement of approximately 660,000 cubic yards of sediment within the historic footprint of Crab Bank — material that would otherwise be disposed of in an EPA-approved disposal area offshore. The local share of the final cost to place the dredge material on Crab Bank will be only $132,000 — considerably less than the Corp’s original estimate. 

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“This is great news for everyone that stepped up to the plate to protect Crab Bank,” said SCDNR Director Robert Boyles. “This means that we will be able to continue efforts with our partners to better understand, protect, and improve coastal bird habitat up and down the South Carolina coastline.” 

  

The Corps expects to supply the remaining $245,000 needed for the project. When completed, the work will restore approximately 28 acres of prime nesting habitat above the high tide line for coastal birds. Recognizing the need for a strategy to identify funding for Crab Bank, SCDNR worked with Audubon South Carolina, the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League and the Coastal Expeditions Foundation to make the success of Crab Bank a reality by establishing the South Carolina Coastal Bird Conservation Program, an SCDNR-managed fund that can receive donations, draw interest and help finance critical projects to help protect coastal birds. 

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“The beauty of the story of Crab Bank is, not only did it provide an opportunity for collaboration among interested conservation-minded folks to save the island, it also spearheaded the development of SCDNR’s Coastal Bird Conservation Program, an even bigger platform that we’ll have going forward to protect and perpetuate the conservation of all sorts of coastal birds— from shorebirds and seabirds to marshbirds and wading birds,” said SCDNR Office of Environmental Programs Director Lorianne Riggin. “Going into this massive fundraising effort, no one knew that we would come out on the other side of it having met the dollar mark AND with the opportunity to do even more for coastal birds.”   

  

“The Crab Bank restoration effort is a perfect example of what agencies, nonprofits, businesses, local leaders, students, and citizens can accomplish for conservation when they work together,” said Laura Cantral, Executive Director of the Coastal Conservation League. “This project touches much of what Lowcountry residents hold dear, including protecting wildlife and our unique coastal ecosystems, enhancing our hospitality industry, and strengthening communities and education. When the work is done, 5,000 or more birds will return every season to nest on the island, making Crab Bank once again a visible indicator of the healthy, vibrant coast we love.” 

  

Major corporations such as Boeing SC, BP, the Post & Courier Foundation, the S.C. Ports Authority, and hundreds of individual citizens in the Charleston region contributed funds to support the restoration of Crab Bank and the S.C. Coastal Bird Conservation Program’s broader mission. An effort led by students at Moultrie Middle School in Mt. Pleasant added $675 to the total funds raised – which to date is more than $700,000. In addition to the private funds raised, a $700,000 grant awarded to Audubon South Carolina by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Coastal Resiliency Grant Program took fundraising efforts across the finish line and ensured that Crab Bank will be restored. Any additional funds will go toward monitoring and stewardship of the island. 

  

“Thanks to everyone’s efforts, brown pelicans, black skimmers, royal terns, and so many other species will once again have a safe place to rest during migration and nest during the summer in Charleston Harbor,” said Nolan Schillerstrom, Coastal Programs Coordinator for Audubon South Carolina. “Many of these birds suffer deeply from limited habitat, but with Crab Bank restored, we’re taking a big step in the right direction.” 

  

“The Coastal Expeditions Foundation is proud to be part of the task force that assembled and fought for the salvation of Crab Bank Island,” said Coastal Expeditions Chief Steward Chris Crolley. “The Crab Bank initiative and the creation of the S.C. Coastal Bird Conservation Program is some of the most important work we will do in our lifetimes.”     

  

“The collaboration and partnerships that were strengthened while the community secured funds for Crab Bank is invaluable and inspiring,” said Felicia Sanders, seabird and shorebird biologist for SCDNR. “This project not only built a nesting island for thousands of birds, but also resources and advocates to continue working on coastal bird conservation for many decades to come.” 

 
 

Project Timeline: 

Complex engineering projects like this one take years to plan and execute. It may be 2021 before full restoration of Crab Bank occurs, and many factors can influence the outlook for completion of the work. However, the important thing is that the process is moving forward, and long-term, this is a big win for South Carolina’s coastal birds. 

  

Before the last blow from Hurricane Irma in 2017 that washed away the remaining available high ground for nesting, Crab Bank was not only a critical nesting and resting spot for coastal birds, but also a popular attraction for thousands of paddlers and birdwatchers — an integral part of a thriving local tourism economy centered around Shem Creek’s shops, restaurants and outfitters. Overall, coastal tourism contributes an estimated $9 billion per year to South Carolina’s economy — a cash infusion that depends in no small part on healthy, abundant wildlife populations. 

  

Make no mistake about it, the S.C. Coastal Birds Conservation Program and SCDNR are in this fight for the long haul. Scientists estimate that shorebird populations have shrunk by as much as 70 percent across North America since 1973, and South Carolina provides the majority of habitat for entire populations of a number of seabirds, shorebirds and wading birds. Efforts to conserve birds in South Carolina can and will help region-wide populations rebound. Individuals interested in supporting or learning more about this important endeavor will find more detailed information on the Coastal Bird Conservation website: [https://www.sccoastalbirds.org/]. 

  

In the meantime, SCDNR is continuing to work on coastal bird management, education and research.  Donated funds will help with those efforts. If you would like to continue your support of SC’s coastal birds, please visit the How You Can Help page. Thanks for caring for the natural resources of our state!