2006 was the ten year anniversary of the collaborative efforts between the South Carolina Army National Guard and the SC Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) to refurbish reefs.
The South Carolina DNR Artificial Reef Program Reef-Ex project was established in 1997 and continues the work to build and enhance artificial reefs off the South Carolina coast. Surplus materials that the Army National Guard has provided to the program include armored vehicles and personnel carriers, combat engineering vehicles, fuel barges, shipping containers, submarine camels and concrete culvert rubble. These materials, once demilitarized, stripped and cleaned, are deployed and sunk on many of the DNR-maintained offshore artificial reef sites. The structures provide an ideal habitat for marine organisms such a crabs, shrimp and sea urchins which flourish and become the foundation for a thriving reef community. A variety of fish species are attracted to the structures for shelter and food.
The DNR Artificial Reef Program maintains 45 reef sites in estuarine, coastal and offshore waters. The sites are marked with yellow buoys to assist boaters in locating and using the reefs.
“The Department of Defense, nationwide, has over 20,000 pieces of out-of-date, surplus equipment which are difficult to store,” said Adjutant General Stan Spears of the S.C. Army National Guard. “Because the armor in personnel carriers can be several inches thick, it’s difficult for scrap metal users to cut them up and many time these pieces of equipment are just stored. This is a great, environmentally-friendly alternate use for the equipment.
“It’s a win-win situation for the South Carolina Military Department, the state fishing and wildlife habitats, and the waters of the Palmetto State coastline.”
The current Reef-Ex project will place 35 demilitarized armored personnel carriers on the Jim Caudle Reef, located three miles off of Little River Inlet.
“The armored personnel carriers that the Guard provided this year will make outstanding reef habitat for a lot of different species,” explained Bob Martore, DNR Artificial Reef Program Coordinator. “Recreational enthusiasts in this area will be able to fish and dive on these structures for decades to come.”
Jim Caudle reef currently consists of deck barges, bulk tankers and concrete material. The new additions will add over 25,000 cubic feet of habitat to the structure.
The timeline for Reef-Ex accomplishments began in 1997 with the placement of 56 obsolete Army National Guard armored vehicles, including 14 M60 battle tanks, 38 M113 armored personnel carriers and four combat engineering vehicles along four reef sites off the coast of Beaufort. In 1998, 52 M113 armored personnel carriers were deployed along two artificial reefs off of Charleston, and the following year, five reef sites off of Georgetown and Horry counties received the surplus materials. Since 2000, the Reef-Ex project has enhanced over 24 artificial reef sites with substrate materials donated by the S.C. Army National Guard.
For reef composition details and GPS coordinates visit the website: http:/saltwaterfishing.sc.gov/artificialreef.html.