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Director lays out Pocotaligo Preserve plan, estimates up to $1M for initial dike and canal repairs
Summary
Beaufort County land preservation director presented a management plan for the 527‑acre Pocotaligo Preserve, outlining immediate water control repairs and a long permit-and-construction timeline; staff estimated $750,000–$1,000,000 for berm/dike/canal work and an additional multi‑million dollar public access budget phased over years.
Stephanie Nagid, director of the county's Land Preservation Department, presented the Pocotaligo Preserve Management Plan to the Natural Resources/Green Space Advisory Committee and outlined habitat goals, permit requirements and projected costs.
Nagid said the county acquired the 527‑acre property in October 2023 for roughly $5.5 million, with $1 million of that funding coming from the South Carolina Conservation Bank. She described the site as containing about 180 acres of fallow fields, roughly 140 acres of impoundments and two forested mesic uplands, and said the preservation objectives include protecting water quality, enhancing connectivity to the ACE Basin and preparing the site for future passive public access.
“The impoundments are really only about three feet deep,” Nagid said, noting that canals and dikes need repair to restore circulation and to prevent the impoundments from becoming algae‑choked. She said immediate priorities include replacing culverts, flap gates and risers and stabilizing dikes, citing locations on the plan marked with yellow stars and green lines.
Nagid said the county has submitted the required Army Corps of Engineers permit (in October 2024) and is awaiting federal feedback; state permits will also be required. She estimated that berm stabilization and canal excavation work could range from $750,000 to $1,000,000 depending on conditions and disposal costs, with prescribed‑burn events costing about $8,000 each, longleaf reforestation site prep roughly $20,000 and invasive control about $5,000 per event. She said public access planning and permitting is complex and could cost roughly $350,000, while public‑access improvements could amount to “a $7‑to‑10 million price tag” phased over years.
Nagid set expectations for phased implementation tied to funding and permits: initial water‑control repairs in the next fiscal year, berm/canal work and conceptual public‑access planning in fiscal years 2026–28, and phased construction of public access through fiscal year 2030 depending on permitting and procurement timelines.
Committee members asked about risks to adjacent properties, cemetery impacts and options to accelerate funding. Nagid responded that the adjacent cemetery is separate and not impacted by the project’s water flow and that the county is committed to maintaining open flow while improving internal circulation. Committee members encouraged staff to pursue grants and outside partners and requested the management plan be posted on the land preservation website, which Nagid said would occur the next day.
The committee did not take final action on funding at the meeting; Nagid said most of the immediate repair work is in the department’s FY26 budget and that implementation timing will depend on permit approvals and available capital.
