Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve just crossed the road.
The heritage preserve and wildlife management area located between the fast-growing Carolina Forest and Highway 90 areas of Horry County has grown by 353 acres, thanks to a deal between Conway Medical Center and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, preserving the tract of land west of International Drive.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really good for us to work on a win-win community partnership, and I think that鈥檚 what this is,鈥 said CMC CEO Brian Argo.
The SCDNR-managed habitat destined for perpetual preservation has now grown to 10,788 acres. South Carolina lawmakers, hospital leaders and environmental advocates gathered in the growing preserve to celebrate the occasion Tuesday morning, June 10.
鈥淚 used to drop my daughter off at Ocean Bay Elementary School and before I knew what Lewis Ocean Bay was, I always used to marvel that there was this huge, untouched tract of land right beside this huge, growing community,鈥 said state Rep. Tim McGinnis (R-Myrtle Beach). 鈥淲e have an amazing jewel of South Carolina right here in our backyard.鈥
That jewel is home to precious wildlife and plant life including the largest black bear population in the state, according to SCDNR; carnivorous 鈥減itcher鈥 plant; the threatened red-cockaded woodpecker and the iconic bald eagle. Lewis Ocean Bay is also home to the carniverous Venus flytrap, which has a narrow geographic habitat, growing naturally only in southeast North Carolina and coastal South Carolina.
鈥淸Lewis Ocean Bay] is the most biodiverse state-owned property that we know of in South Carolina,鈥 said CCL鈥檚 Trapper Fowler. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 a remnant of what Horry County once would have looked like, the Carolina Bays and longleaf pine savannas well before any of us were here.鈥
A spider is in the depths of a pitcher plant at Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
The habitat is full of 鈥渇ire-dependent鈥 species, making prescribed burns a necessity. The burns, performed by SCDNR, reduce the chance of devastating wildfires and thin out vegetation at the base of pines to allow for the growth of plants like the Venus flytrap, native orchids and pitcher plants. Before rapid development, the burns would occur naturally or be done by Native Americans.
鈥淣ative Americans used fire a lot for hunting purposes. They would set fires to run game out,鈥 said Sam Chappelear, SCDNR regional assistant chief of wildlife. 鈥淟ightning strikes were another reason [for fires]. But if you think about it and look at all of Horry County that used to be forested, that鈥檚 a lot of trees for lightning to strike to potentially start a fire. But when you put all the development in, the roads, the parking lots, the buildings, you鈥檝e eliminated a lot of forest, a lot of trees that could have potentially been struck by lightning. So what happens is, it takes man. Us as an agency, DNR, to use prescribed fire to obtain the objectives we want to.鈥
The preserve is named after Carolina Bays, elliptic-shaped land features found on the Atlantic coastal plain. The unique land formation has become less common as coastal areas have been constantly developed, but Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve is home to 23 undisturbed bays, the largest concentration in one place in the state, according to SCDNR.
When CMC announced its plans to develop a 50-bed hospital in Carolina Forest across from the nature preserve, it caused an uproar among environmentalists and nearby neighbors.
This map shows the 353 acres of land (bordered in yellow) which has been added to Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area.
Environmental groups like the Coastal Conservation League spoke up, saying the land should be conserved because of the unique wildlife in the area nestled between the Horry County Mitigation Bank and Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve. And SCDNR said smoke from prescribed burns could cause issues for a hospital on that site.
Hearing the community鈥檚 concerns, combined with McLeod Health expanding down the road and CMC securing a different location for the hospital鈥檚 expansion on the corner of Highways 90 and 22, CMC worked to hand the land over to a good steward.
鈥淲e had several developers interested in purchasing it,鈥 Argo said. 鈥淏ut we had been in some conversations with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and with the guidance and leadership from our board and our community, along with Senator [Greg] Hembree鈥檚 help, really pushed us to find a win-win for our community.鈥
(2) comments
I hope/pray the Carolina Bays off Water Tower Road are preserved too! No more construction between Bells Lake & Barefoot Resort
Communities. Keep Long Bay Rd & Champion Blvd <35mph!
Positive news for a change instead of the doom of another sprawl of housing for an area that can鈥檛 handle it as it is.
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