ACE Basin
The Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto Basin (abbreviated as ACE Basin, spoken as ace basin) is one of the largest undeveloped estuaries along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Located primarily in Colleton, Charleston and Beaufort counties in South Carolina, the Ashepoo, Combahee and South Edisto rivers combine into the larger St. Helena Sound and drain a significant portion of the Lowcountry region. The 350,000 acres (1,400 km2) area is renowned for its extensive natural beauty and commitment to preserve marshes, wetlands, hardwood forests, and riverine systems and the various fauna that occupy the area.
A sizable portion of the ACE Basin has been protected via a public-private partnership with contributing properties. A collaboration of federal, state, local, and private efforts have led to the preservation of 250,000 acres of land, with stakeholders controlling various interests. The umbrella organization for these efforts is the ACE Basin Task Force.
For generations, this area was primarily agricultural, dominated by the plantation system. After the Civil War, only three plantation homes survived in the area, and much of the land became fertile ground for hunting and outdoor enthusiasts.
Development pressures emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, prompting concerned citizens to petition local, state, and federal authorities to assist with preserving the basin. In 1988, a group of concerned citizens and advocacy groups formed the ACE Basin Task Force which further formalized the cause for preservation and conservation. What emerged from these efforts became the ACE Basin Project, comprising the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, and other private groups and companies to continue to collaborate on this endeavor.
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