The perfect example of a true southern river: the Altamaha. Slow-moving waters flow effortlessly through some of the South's last remaining hardwood bottomlands, cypress swamps, historic rice fields and tidal marshes. More than 20 million years old, the Altamaha River, unhampered by dams, travels from its confluence in Wheeler County to its coastal terminus near Darien. As the second largest river basin on the Atlantic Seaboard, the Altamaha drains more than one quarter of Georgia's land surface, including half of Atlanta and all of Macon. With more than 100,000 gallons of water expelled into the Atlantic Ocean every second, the Altamaha is "Georgia's Mightiest River."
History in the Making
The waters of the Altamaha have woven quite a history since man first appeared in its basin 11,000 years ago. Settlers from all corners of the globe have set foot along the Altamaha, leaving tokens of their culture and life surrounding the river. The river has carried dugout cypress canoes bearing flint and oyster shells, Spanish galleons with missionaries, and plantation boats.
By the nineteenth century, rafts were used to transport lumber for shipbuilding and to carry cotton and tobacco downriver. In the year 1819, the first steamboat traveled up the Altamaha, ushering in a new era. The historic settlements, plantations, forts, trails and archeological mounds along the Altamaha proclaim the river's rich heritage.
A Natural Treasure
Winding for 137 miles, the great Altamaha is a wetland wilderness. Crossed only five times by roads and twice by rail lines, the Altamaha's natural beauty is largely undisturbed. The soils, plants and trees of its floodplain filter and extract chemicals and pollutants, while the banks of the river, accentuated by a multitude of creeks, sloughs and oxbow lakes, are refuges for alligators, wood ducks and wild turkey.
At least 125 species of rare or endangered plants and animals exist along the Altamaha River. Birds such as the bald eagle and swallow-tailed kite, soar above its banks. The shortnose sturgeon and the manatee swim through the Altamaha's lazy meanders. The gopher tortoise and the eastern indigo snake coexist among its sand ridges, and the sandbars and sloughs are home to seven species of pearly mussels that live nowhere else in the world.
Among species native to the river basin perhaps the most fascinating case is Franklinia alatamaha. Named in honor of Benjamin Franklin and the Altamaha River, the rare flowering shrub was originally discovered in 1765 by naturalist and artist William Bartram. Although he is the only person known to have seen and described the plant in its natural state, some think it may still survive within the depths of the Altamaha ecosystem. A wealth of rare plant populations has been found along the Altamaha and more await discovery. Radford's dicerandra grows nowhere on earth but along the Altamaha's sand ridges. The only known Georgia population of the Florida corkwood thrives in the Altamaha basin.
The Nature Conservancy and the River
The Nature Conservancy has been working for the protection of the Altamaha River for more than 20 years. In 1969, The Nature Conservancy joined with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to purchase Wolf and Egg islands, located at the river's mouth, for eventual inclusion in the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. In 1972, The Nature Conservancy secured two more properties: a pristine 750-acre sandhill hammock that supports the largest population of the rare Georgia plume; and Lewis Island, a 5,633-acre swamp with majestic 1,000-year-old cypress trees, some measuring more than 17 feet in diameter. Then, in 1977, a 1,300-acre tract extending along the Altamaha corridor, known as "The Narrows", was donated to The Nature Conservancy and has become a popular destination for canoeists and wildlife enthusiasts.
Not Just Bits and Pieces
The unique richness and ecological value of the river have prompted The Nature Conservancy of Georgia to make this region a top conservation priority. However, instead of protecting just bits and pieces of the river, The Nature Conservancy is working on an extensive plan to protect the entire ecosystem as a bioreserve. A bioreserve is a landscape, usually large in size with naturally functioning ecological processes, containing outstanding examples of ecosystems, natural communities and species which are endangered or inadequately protected.'The Altamaha River system will be a flagship bioreserve for Georgia.
The "Whole" Concept
To implement the bioreserve concept and guide The Nature Conservancy of Georgia in its protection initiatives along the Altamaha River, an ecological inventory, using a geographic information system and satellite imagery, will organize and analyze biological and socioeconomic data within the Altamaha basin. Supported by field inventory, computer analysis will identify and classify natural communities. Such intense research is necessary to understand the diversity and value of the Altamaha River ecosystem.
Major funding for the inventory and technical equipment was provided by the Woodruff Foundation with additional support from Georgia Power Company.
Saving Wildlife and Wildlands
By the year 2000, the world could lose one plant or animal species every hour of every day. A world stripped of biological diversity is a diminished world.
To combat this escalating loss of wildlife and wild lands, The Nature Conservancy was founded. The Nature Conservancy has protected 153,000 acres around the state, including 48,000 acres along the coast. Efforts are being pursued to continue this work. Cooperation with private landowners, federal, state and local governments and corporations has created partnerships with the common goal of preserving traditional land uses while maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.
The Altamaha River and its surrounding lands represent one of America's most notable natural resources. The ecological health of the Altamaha is critical to the economic health of the region. Uplands support evergreen oaks and pines sustaining forestry and agriculture. The basin's waterways host aquatic communities which are the basis for local fisheries. Recreational functions of the river include sport fishing for tarpon, bass and sea trout. Canoeing, kayaking and other types of boating, hunting, camping and photography are also popular.
Despite The Nature Conservancy's successes there are still many areas in need of protection. The Altamaha's bottomland hardwoods, sand ridges, hammocks and bluffs are outstanding examples of the diverse natural habitats remaining in the south. Migratory birds fly above centuries old cypress and fish and shellfish feed and spawn in the dynamic reaches of the river's floodplain. The Altamaha River promises to be a conservation priority for The Nature Conservancy of Georgia over the next several decades.