Wassaw Island
Encyclopedia
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 part of Chatham County
. The island
and its surrounding marshlands are part of the Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge, which has a total area of 10070 acres (40.8 km²) of marsh
, mudflats, and tidal creeks, including approximately seven miles of undeveloped beaches. The land mass is 76 percent salt marshes and 24 percent beach
es, dunes, and maritime forest. The refuge is a part of the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex
.
The United States government owns most of the island. Loggerhead turtles nest on the beaches in late spring/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.
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 English 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 did end up building a home in the center of the island along with approximately 20 miles 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 1969, the Parsons, in an effort to keep the island from being developed, sold the island to the Nature Conservancy of Georgia. Today, the island is a national wildlife refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Caretta Research Project, which focuses on learning more about the endangered loggerhead sea turtles, is conducted on the island by volunteers.
and at its closest point is 3¼ miles 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.
, built in 1898 by Second Lieutenant Henry Sims Morgan of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The fort is made from cement, with small clam shells embedded in the walls. The ruins are still in decent condition, not having fallen apart from erosion of the water or weather. However, every year they sink a few more inches into the ground.
At high tide, water from the ocean comes up and pools around the fort. As the tide retreats, water remains around the ruins, trapping fish and sometimes small sharks or other wildlife in tidal pools around the battlements and a large radius around the ruins. Bass up to three and four feet long have been reported to be trapped in these tidal pools. Other fishes have been reported to be trapped as well.
Sea Islands
The Sea Islands are a chain of tidal and barrier islands on the Atlantic Ocean coast of the United States. They number over 100, and are located between the mouths of the Santee and St. Johns Rivers along the coast of the U.S...
. It is located on the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
off the coast of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and is part of Chatham County
Chatham County, Georgia
Chatham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The county seat and largest city is Savannah. In the official US Census of 2010, Chatham County had a total population of 265,128 . Chatham is the most populous Georgia county outside the Atlanta metropolitan area...
. The island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
and its surrounding marshlands are part of the Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge, which has a total area of 10070 acres (40.8 km²) of marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
, mudflats, and tidal creeks, including approximately seven miles of undeveloped beaches. The land mass is 76 percent salt marshes and 24 percent beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es, dunes, and maritime forest. The refuge is a part of the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex
Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex
The Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex administers seven wildlife refuges between Georgia and South Carolina. Over 56,000 acres of refuge land along a 100 mile coast line are administered by the complex.The complex includes seven refuges:...
.
The United States government owns most of the island. Loggerhead turtles nest on the beaches in late spring/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 English 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 did end up building a home in the center of the island along with approximately 20 miles 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 1969, the Parsons, in an effort to keep the island from being developed, sold the island to the Nature Conservancy of Georgia. Today, the island is a national wildlife refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Caretta Research Project, which focuses on learning more about the endangered loggerhead sea turtles, is conducted on the island by volunteers.
Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge
The wildlife refuge, established in 1969, is located at 31°52′46"N 81°01′29"W, approximately fourteen miles southeast of SavannahSavannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
and at its closest point is 3¼ miles southeast of popular Skidaway Island
Skidaway Island, Georgia
Skidaway Island is a census-designated place in Chatham County, Georgia, United States. The population was 8,341 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is one of the most affluent communities in the state...
separated by marsh and tidal creeks. The refuge is bordered by the Wilmington River and Wassaw Sound
Wassaw Sound
Wassaw Sound is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean on the coast of Georgia, United States near Savannah where which the Wilmington River flows.-American Civil War naval battle:...
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 WarSpanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, built in 1898 by Second Lieutenant Henry Sims Morgan of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The fort is made from cement, with small clam shells embedded in the walls. The ruins are still in decent condition, not having fallen apart from erosion of the water or weather. However, every year they sink a few more inches into the ground.
At high tide, water from the ocean comes up and pools around the fort. As the tide retreats, water remains around the ruins, trapping fish and sometimes small sharks or other wildlife in tidal pools around the battlements and a large radius around the ruins. Bass up to three and four feet long have been reported to be trapped in these tidal pools. Other fishes have been reported to be trapped as well.
Mammals and reptiles
- White-tail Deer
- Wild Boar
- AlligatorAlligatorAn alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
- Loggerhead Sea TurtleLoggerhead Sea TurtleThe loggerhead sea turtle , or loggerhead, is an oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around long when fully grown, although larger specimens of up to have been discovered...
Birds
- Bald EagleBald EagleThe Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
- Egrets
- Herons
- Peregrine FalconPeregrine FalconThe Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
- Piping PloverPiping PloverThe Piping Plover is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The adult has yellow-orange legs, a black band across the forehead from eye to eye, and a black ring around the neck...
- Wood StorkWood StorkThe Wood Stork is a large American wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It was formerly called the "Wood Ibis", though it is not really an ibis.-Appearance:...
- Migratory birds
- Various shore birds