Meyer Lake Tract permanently protected near Savannah River; public opening set for August

by Aaron Dixon

JASPER COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - State and local officials gathered in Jasper County on Friday to celebrate the permanent protection of the 972-acre Meyer Lake Tract in Hardeeville.

Land conservation leaders say the project will expand outdoor recreation, preserve critical habitat, and help protect drinking water for more than 200,000 people across parts of South Carolina and Georgia.

The property, protected in 2024 after a multi-partner effort, sits along the Savannah River watershed and borders the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge.

Officials said its location, which is inside one of the fastest-growing counties in the country, made the tract a top conservation priority as development pressure increases.

A new Heritage Preserve

The tract is now designated as a Heritage Preserve, a status that prohibits development and sets strict rules for long-term stewardship.

“No one can ever sell this land, no one can ever develop this land, and we have very special rules about Heritage Trust properties,” Chief of Staff for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Shannon Bobertz, said. “They’re our Crown Jewels of South Carolina, and this is in that trust now and preserved forever.”

Recreation and a growing conservation corridor

Once it opens, the future Meyer Lake Wildlife Management Area and Heritage Preserve is expected to add opportunities for hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing, while also strengthening a broader network of conserved property along the coast.

Conservation partners said the tract contributes to a larger corridor of protected lands near the Savannah River.

“Protecting the Meyer Lake Tract was an important step in advancing landscape-scale conservation along the Savannah River, where connected forests, wetlands, and waterways support both wildlife and the health of our coastal communities,” President and CEO of Lowcountry Land Trust, Matt Williams, said.

According to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the site includes a diverse mix of habitats—freshwater lakes, isolated wetlands, bottomland hardwood forests, upland pine-hardwood forest, and about 3.5 miles of Savannah River frontage—that provide refuge for numerous species of conservation concern.

Protecting water resources for the region

In addition to recreation and habitat protection, officials emphasized the tract’s role in safeguarding nearby water supply infrastructure.

Meyer Lake helps protect a stretch of canal that carries water from the Savannah River toward the Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority treatment system, water that serves residents in the region.

Wetlands that reduce flooding and improve water quality

Conservation advocates pointed to wetlands on the property as a natural defense against severe flooding and a benefit to water quality.

Emily Purcell, director of Southeast conservation programs for Ducks Unlimited, said preserving floodplain forested wetlands helps both wildlife and communities.

“When you see wetland loss across the state and across the country trending, projects like this are so important—voluntary conservation,” Purcell said.

In the press release announcing the celebration, Ducks Unlimited noted that wetlands can filter sediment and nutrients, helping result in cleaner water in the Savannah River watershed.