Wassaw Island

Last updated

Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
DSC 9425 (8091112286).jpg
USA Georgia relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Map of the United States
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Wassaw Island (the United States)
Location Chatham County, Georgia, United States
Nearest city Montgomery, Georgia
Coordinates 31°54′01″N80°58′56″W / 31.9003°N 80.9822°W / 31.9003; -80.9822
Area10,053 acres (40.68 km2)
Established1969
Governing body U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Website Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge
Designated1967
Wassaw Island

Wassaw Island is one of the Sea Islands. It is located on the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the U.S. state of Georgia and is within the borders of Chatham County. The island and its surrounding marshlands are part of the Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge, which has a total area of 10,053 acres (40.68 km2) of marsh, mudflats, and tidal creeks, including approximately 7 miles (11 km) of undeveloped beaches. The land mass is 76 percent salt marshes and 24 percent beaches, dunes, and maritime forest. The refuge is a part of the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex. [1]

Contents

The United States government owns most of the island, while a portion is still privately held by the island’s former owners, the Parsons family. Loggerhead sea turtles nest on the beaches in late spring and early summer, and turtlers can camp at the turtlers' cabin at the Federal Dock (refuge headquarters office), and then go to the beach at night to observe the turtles. Aside from this, the Federal Dock is usually only used when natural disasters occur on the island and assistance is necessary.

The island is accessible only by chartered or private boat. Most visitors arriving by private boat anchor their boats to the north or south beaches or in Wassaw Creek, near the boat dock for the refuge headquarters office. The public is encouraged to use twenty miles (32 km) of dirt trails for hiking or bicycling.

History

Human activity and impact on Wassaw has been minimal. Native Americans apparently used the island for hunting fish, fowl, reptiles, and shellfish. Indian artifacts dating to A.D. 500-600 have been found on the island.

For most of the 19th century the island was occupied by Anthony Odingsell, an African American planter, who inherited Little Wassaw Island from his former master and probable father, Charles Odingsell. Anthony Odingsell was the wealthiest free person of color in Georgia for many years.

During the Civil War the island was occupied first by Confederate troops and then Union troops. Then in 1866, George Parsons, a wealthy businessman, purchased the island with the intent of making it a holiday retreat for family and friends. Although his attempts to populate the island with hogs, pheasants, turkey and quail failed, he built an extensive housing compound for his family in the center of the island, along with approximately 20 miles (32 km) of interior roads.

In 1898, during the Spanish–American War, a fort was built into the dunes on the north end of the island as part of the Endicott system of coastal forts. Over time, high tides, wind, and rain have eroded away the dunes, and the fort made of oyster tabby, poured concrete, and North Georgia granite continues to deteriorate from its already dilapidated condition.

In 1930, the Parsons family formed the Wassaw Island Trust, with the goal of conservation and preserving the island’s natural state.

A few decades later in 1969, the Parsons family learned that the state of Georgia was considering employing eminent domain to condemn the island and open it for public, commercial use and development. In an effort to keep the island from being developed, the family conveyed part of the island to the United States for permanent preservation as a National Wildlife Refuge. Today, the island continues to be a designated refuge and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, while the Parsons family retains a private housing compound on the island.

The Caretta Research Project, a conservation project focused on the study and protection of loggerhead sea turtles, also operates from the island. The project, which was founded in 1972, originated as a collaboration between the Savannah Science Museum and the Parsons family’s Wassaw Island Trust. Caretta’s work focuses on the conservation of endangered loggerhead sea turtles, and is conducted on the island by volunteers.

Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge

Designated a Natural Landmark in 1975 Wassaw Island Natural Landmark 1975.JPG
Designated a Natural Landmark in 1975

The wildlife refuge, established in 1969, is located at 31°52′46″N81°01′29″W / 31.87944°N 81.02472°W / 31.87944; -81.02472 , approximately 14 miles (23 km) southeast of Savannah and at its closest point is 3.25 miles (5.23 km) southeast of popular Skidaway Island separated by marsh and tidal creeks. The refuge is bordered by the Wilmington River and Wassaw Sound to the north and the Vernon River and Ossabaw Sound to the south and encompasses the barrier island, two smaller islands known collectively as Little Wassaw Island, and a few hammocks.

Fishing, collecting shells and wildlife, biking, and camping are illegal on the beach of the island.

Fort Morgan

At the northern end of the Wassaw Beach, facing the ocean, are the ruins of Fort Morgan from the Spanish–American War, built in 1898 by Second Lieutenant Henry Sims Morgan of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The fort is made from cement and granite gravel, with small clam shells embedded in the walls. The ruins are slowly deteriorating as tidal forces and shifting sands have caused sections to crumble under their own weight. The tidal action of the beach leaves much of the ruins exposed some years and other years much of it appears to have been buried under several feet of sand.

Sometimes the corroded remains of the bolts which held the two 4.7-inch rapid fire cannon mounts are clearly visible in their circular pattern located on either side of the main bunker. These two cannons were intended to defend Savannah against a possible approach by the Spanish via the Wilmington River. The fort was the largest single fortification built specifically for the Spanish–American War and was constructed by civilians under the guidance of the US Army Corps of Engineers.

As the ruins are a prominent feature easily visible from other coastal islands to the north, the top of the bunker has an official USGS Survey marker embedded in the concrete roof.

Since Hurricane Irma in 2017 the surrounding beach has eroded, leaving the structure approximately 40 yards off of the beach at low tide.

Airplane crash

According to the NTSB report, At 9:30 on July 4, 1980 a mosquito control Beach C18S tail number N35MS twin-engine airplane on a flight from Johns Island, South Carolina with a destination of Kings Bay, Georgia, crashed on the south end of the island killing both pilot and copilot. The pilot was 50 years old and had over 8,000 hours flight time. Both pilots were incapacitated at the time of the uncontrolled descent.

NTSB remarks: Aircraft observed in shallow descent til impact. DIBROM 14 on board that when atomized produces blinding fumes. [2]

Wildlife

Mammals and reptiles

Birds

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tybee Island, Georgia</span> City and barrier island in Georgia, United States

Tybee Island is a city and a barrier island in Chatham County, Georgia, 18 miles (29 km) east of Savannah. The name "Tybee Island" is used for both the island and the city, but geographically they are not identical: only part of the island's territory lies within the city itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge</span> Protected area in Florida, US

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 140,000-acre (57,000 ha) U.S. National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) on the Atlantic coast of Florida's largest barrier island. NASA's Kennedy Space Center and visitor complex are also situated on the island and NASA can restrict access to the refuge based on its operational needs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loggerhead sea turtle</span> Species of marine reptile distributed throughout the world

The loggerhead sea turtle is a species of oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around 90 cm (35 in) in carapace length when fully grown. The adult loggerhead sea turtle weighs approximately 135 kg (298 lb), with the largest specimens weighing in at more than 450 kg (1,000 lb). The skin ranges from yellow to brown in color, and the shell is typically reddish brown. No external differences in sex are seen until the turtle becomes an adult, the most obvious difference being the adult males have thicker tails and shorter plastrons than the females.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Isles of Georgia</span> Place in Georgia, United States

The Golden Isles of Georgia consist of barrier islands, and the mainland port cities of Brunswick and Darien on the 100-mile-long coast of the U.S. state of Georgia on the Atlantic Ocean. They include St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Jekyll Island, Little St. Simons Island, Sapelo Island, and Blackbeard Island. The islands are part of a long chain of barrier islands known as the "Sea Islands", located along the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia and northern Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perdido Key, Florida</span> Unincorporated community in Florida, United States

Perdido Key is an unincorporated community located in Escambia County, Florida, United States, between the cities of Pensacola, Florida and Orange Beach, Alabama. The community is located on and named for Perdido Key, a barrier island in northwest Florida and southeast Alabama. "Perdido" means "lost" in the Spanish and Portuguese languages. The Florida district of the Gulf Islands National Seashore includes the east end of the island, as well as other Florida islands. No more than a few hundred yards wide in most places, Perdido Key stretches some 16 miles (26 km) from near Pensacola to Perdido Pass Bridge near Orange Beach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cayo Costa State Park</span> State park in Florida, United States

Cayo Costa State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Florida, on Cayo Costa, an island directly south of Boca Grande and just north of North Captiva Island, approximately 12 miles (19 km) west of Cape Coral. The park is accessible only by charter boat, private boat, or ferry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge</span> National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina, United States

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge located on North Carolina's Pea Island, a coastal barrier island and part of a chain of islands known as the Outer Banks, adjacent to Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The sanctuary is located 10 miles (16 km) south of Nags Head, North Carolina on NC 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape St. George Island</span> Barrier island in Florida panhandle

Cape St. George Island is an uninhabited barrier island situated on Florida's North Gulf Coast, south-southeast of St. Vincent Island, west of St. George Island and 8–10 miles south-southwest of the town of Apalachicola in Franklin County, Florida. It was formerly part of St. George Island, but was separated from the main island in 1954, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed the ship channel known as Bob Sikes Cut.

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge is a 7,157-acre (29 km2) National Wildlife Refuge located in five separate units in Baldwin and Mobile Counties, United States, directly west of Gulf Shores, Alabama on the Fort Morgan Peninsula. The refuge serves as a resting and feeding area for migratory birds and as a sanctuary for native flora and fauna. The refuge is one of the largest undeveloped parcels of land on the Alabama coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Key West National Wildlife Refuge</span> United States National Wildlife Refuge in Florida

The Key West National Wildlife Refuge is a 189,497 acre (766.867 km2) National Wildlife Refuge located in Monroe County, Florida, between Key West, Florida and the Dry Tortugas. Only 2,019 acres (8.171 km2) of land are above sea level, on several keys within the refuge. These keys are unpopulated and are also designated as Wilderness within the Florida Keys Wilderness. The refuge was established to provide a preserve and breeding ground for native birds and other wildlife as well as to provide habitat and protection for endangered and threatened fish, wildlife, plants and migratory birds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge</span> United States National Wildlife Refuge in Florida

The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) System, located along a twenty-mile (30 km) section of coastline from Melbourne Beach to Wabasso Beach, Florida, along State Road A1A. The 900 acre (3.6 km2) refuge was established in 1991, to protect the loggerhead and green sea turtles.

The Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 5,618 acres (2,274 ha) National Wildlife Refuge located in McIntosh county in Georgia. The refuge was established to provide a nature and forest preserve for aesthetic and conservation purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge</span> Wildlife refuge in South Carolina, United States

The Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge is a 66,287 acre (267 km²) National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern South Carolina near Awendaw, South Carolina. The refuge lands and waters encompass water impoundments, creeks and bays, emergent salt marsh and barrier islands. 29,000 acres (120 km2) are designated as a wilderness area. Most of the refuge is only accessible by boat. The Intracoastal Waterway passes the Refuge. Mainland facilities include the refuge's headquarters and visitor center which are located on U.S. Highway 17 about 30 minutes by car from Charleston, South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woman Key</span>

Woman Key is an island in the Florida Keys in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It is within the boundaries of the Key West National Wildlife Refuge.

The Odingsell River is a 5.7-mile-long (9.2 km) tidal river in the U.S. state of Georgia. It flows into Ossabaw Sound just north of the mouth of the Ogeechee River. It passes through salt marshes lying between Skidaway Island to the west, Wassaw Island to the north and east, and Little Wassaw Island to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge</span>

Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge, located approximately 12 miles (19 km) off the coast of Darien, Georgia, in McIntosh County, was established on April 3, 1930 to provide protection and habitat for migratory birds. The barrier island refuge consists of Wolf Island and two smaller islands, Egg and Little Egg. Over 75% of the refuge's 5,126 acres (20.74 km2) are composed of saltwater marsh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge</span> Nature reserve in Noyack, New York, US

The Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge is a 187-acre (76 ha) National Wildlife Refuge in Noyack, New York. Much of the refuge is situated on a peninsula surrounded by Noyack and Little Peconic bays. The refuge is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulf of Oman desert and semi-desert</span>

The Gulf of Oman desert and semi-desert is a coastal ecoregion on the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman in Oman and the United Arab Emirates at the northeastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. The climate is hot and dry, with gravelly plains and savanna with thorny acacia trees inland from the coast. Along the coast there are mixture of habitats that include mangrove swamps, lagoons and mudflats. The mangrove areas are dominated by Avicennia marina and the savanna by Prosopis cineraria and Vachellia tortilis. Masirah Island is an important breeding area for the loggerhead sea turtle and other sea turtles also occur here, as well as a great variety of birds, some resident and some migratory. There are some protected areas, but in general the habitats have been degraded by the grazing of livestock, especially camels and goats; they are also at risk from oil spills, off-road driving and poaching.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Marine Park of Zakynthos</span> National park in Greece

The National Marine Park of Zakynthos founded in 1999, is a national park located in Laganas bay, in Zakynthos island, Greece. The park, part of the Natura 2000 ecological network, covers an area of 135 square kilometres (52 sq mi) and is the habitat of the loggerhead sea turtle. It is the first national park established for the protection of sea turtles in the Mediterranean.

Thamihla Kyun Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in Myanmar, located on the 0.88 km2 (0.34 sq mi) small uninhabited Diamond Island near the mouth of Pathein River. It was established in 1970 and is part of Ngaputaw Township in Ayeyarwady Region. It is managed by the Forest Department.

References

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service .