Did you know Horry County is home to South Carolina’s largest manufactured wire reef (MWR)?

Located in Murrells Inlet, the reef acts as a natural water filtration system and helps prevent erosion.

The Horry County Stormwater Department started building the reef in 2024, collaborating with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and receiving support from Loris High School’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter.

“We take oyster shells that have been recycled and put them in the MWRs in hopes to create a habitat for oysters,” explains Brent Carey, Watershed Planner for Horry County Stormwater.

In 2024, Team Horry successfully placed 200 MWRs into the inlet. This year, the Stormwater Department hopes to double the reef’s size by adding 200 more MWRs.

“We will be deploying these in Main Creek and some other different areas where we will be helping with the water quality, creating a habitat for all those fin fish, crustaceans, all that stuff we like to catch and eat and we will be helping with erosion as well,” says Kevin Swain, a biologist with SCDNR’s South Carolina Oyster Recycling and Enhancement Program (SCORE).

There are currently about 180 MWRs ready to be placed in Murrells Inlet. Earlier this winter, Loris High School FFA students built 78 baskets, and in February, members of the Stormwater Department built 101 more in a single day. The FFA students will return in March to help meet this year’s target.

Once the water conditions are favorable this spring, the baskets will be placed in the marsh near the existing reef. Once inhabited, this addition will bring the total number of gallons of water filtered by the reef each day to approximately 84 million. 

The oyster shells used for these baskets are recycled locally, meaning you can contribute to future MWRs.

“Our hopes are to have any oyster eaten in Horry County recycled and put back into Horry County,” says Carey.  

Residents can drop off oyster shells at the following recycling locations:

- 1860 21st Ave. N., Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
-  559 Sea Mountain Hwy, N. Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
-  1186 Highway 90, Conway, SC 29526

SCDNR is also working on expanding the number of recycling sites along the Grand Strand.

“It is important for us to recapture that oyster shell and then put it back out because oysters are one of the most sustainable fisheries in the world when you manage it properly,” explains Swain. 

Stay tuned for more updates on this eco-friendly initiative aimed at improving water quality, fighting erosion, and supporting marine life.