Erosion on the Front Beach

The erosion in the middle of the Front Beach has been pretty dramatic.  The recent storms toppled the ramp at Osprey Walk.  Currently, you have to walk around the usual walkway.  The staff have chained the toppled ramp until they can fix it.
The dunes are vertical walls up to 6 feet tall in some areas [...]

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Baby Terrapins at Wet Lab

The next time you’re at the Huyler House be sure to check out the Baby Diamond Backed Terrapins in one of the tanks.  Our intern Chrissie is a budding expert on Terrapins.  She’s studying the population of the creatures on Dewees and has enrolled the turtles in the Wet Lab in a  “Head Start” program.  [...]

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Huyler House Still Partially Boarded Up

When we visited Dewees this weekend, we found a few of the windows at the Huyler House still boarded up for hurricane season.  The picture below was taken on the second floor coming from the suites towards the dinning room entrance.
A window in the Nature Center is also boarded up.

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Charleston Waterkeeper Approved!

From my friend Cyrus Buffum:
It’s official, there is a Charleston Waterkeeper!
On September 16, 2008 the Waterkeeper Alliance Board of Directors approved Charleston Waterkeeper as the newest member of the Waterkeeper family.  The Chairman of the Board, Robert Kennedy, Jr., and the rest of the Board Members approved two other programs: the Choptank Riverkeeper in Maryland [...]

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Policy Change Driving Up Costs

The recent mandates telling the builders to get their trucks and other equipment off the island will drive up construction, renovation and maintenance costs.
The builders have been told by the Island Manager to remove their trucks and other equipment from the Island.  Even though there is a long-standing parking lot in the Utility Area for [...]

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New crabbing, shrimping, fishing and birding docks

Following the removal of the alligator at the crabbing dock, some called for the removal of the crabbing dock.  Instead, adding more crabbing and fishing docks to the impoundment is much more likely to reduce problems with the accidental training of alligators.
The existing crabbing dock is in use nearly every waking hour in the summer.  [...]

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Fishing Walkway Opposite Crabbing Dock

I propose a public-private partnership between the POA and Dewees community members to build a new fishing walkway opposite the crabbing dock (click to see Map).
I believe there’s sufficient interest in the idea that all the POA would have to do is oversee the construction and obtain the permits.  The funding would be provided by [...]

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Possible New Ferry

The POA Board might want to consider getting a new ferry to replace the Dewees Lady (also infamously known as “Thunderbox”).
A catamaran like the Charleston Water Taxi might make a good ferry.
Advantages:
– reliable, quiet 4-stroke engines
– catamaran format reduces drag, increases fuel efficiency, is very stable and maneuverable
– much less noise than the Dewees Lady [...]

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Thunderbox

Is there anyone that likes the Dewees Lady?
She’s loud.  Really loud.
She is a fair weather boat — she stakes on the water and is hard for the crew to control in big wind.
She smells.
She’s difficult to load.
She’s not pretty.
She has bad karma.
Did I mention that she’s really loud?!
Let’s send her on her way.
There must be [...]

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Spring Island Visit

Gary McGraw, Ginny Moser, Lori Wilson and Judy Fairchild went to visit Spring Island on Tuesday.  They were investigating different ways that barrier islands and sea islands similar to Dewees set up their intern programs.  They gathered lots of interested information.  Karl Ohlandt said to say hello to everyone.

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