Peter Kleinhenz (Aiken Land Conservancy)

Aiken Land Conservancy recently acquired the 431-acre Keadle Bridge Tract, a property of exceptional ecological importance located in Aiken County, South Carolina. This tract represents a major step forward in establishing a connected corridor of protected land between Aiken State Park and the Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve.

The Keadle Bridge Tract features approximately 1.2 miles of frontage along the South Fork of the Edisto River, along with a rich diversity of habitats including an Atlantic white cedar swamp, intact floodplains, tributaries, and stands of old-growth bald cypress. These ecosystems support a wide array of wildlife, including the prothonotary warbler, dwarf waterdog, spotted turtle, and several other state-listed plant and animal species. The property also provides an important buffer for aquatic habitats, including known striped bass spawning areas within the river system and habitat for several state-listed crayfish species.

The long-term vision for the Keadle Bridge Tract is to transfer the property to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, where it will be incorporated into the adjacent Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve. While no gopher tortoise habitat exists on the Tract, its protection will help to allow the continued use of prescribed fire within known gopher tortoise habitat, benefitting the species and its commensals indirectly. The Tract will ultimately be open to the public in the coming years.