The Nature Conservancy in Georgia - Savannah River Basin

Savannah River Basin

Geography
Beginning in the Blue Ridge Mountains of north Georgia where the Seneca and Tugaloo rivers meet, the Savannah River flows for more than 300 miles to the Atlantic Ocean, encompassing more than 10,577 square miles. Dividing the states of South Carolina and Georgia, the Savannah River flows through three geographically distinct ecoregions, beginning its meandering path in the Blue Ridge, flowing through the rich soils of the Piedmont, and ending in the Coastal Plain where it forms a braided network of tidal creeks emptying into the Atlantic Ocean.

Rare Species and Natural Communities
The Savannah River Basin is home to more than 75 species of rare plants and animals, including 18 species of fishes tracked by the Georgia and South Carolina Heritage programs as species of concern. Most notable is the robust redhorse (Moxostoma robustum), previously believed to be extinct but recently documented in the middle section of the river.

Blackwater tributaries are of exceptional biological significance, providing outstanding habitat for a high number of vertebrate and invertebrate species. In total, more than 110 fish species have been documented in the Savannah River Basin. Shoal habitat is also found in the upper reaches of the basin and provides habitat for the rare shoals spiderlily (Hymenocallis coronaria). Towering cypress and tupelo arise from bottomland forests that stretch for miles on either side of the river, providing habitat for the majestic swallow-tailed kite (Eleanoides forficatus). High bluffs along the river mark the location of Indian villages, such as Shell Bluff and Yuchii, as well as the location of many rare plants typically found much further north in the Piedmont and Southern Blue Ridge ecoregions. Along the eastern side of the river are vast, unbroken tracts of longleaf pine forest. Numerous rare orchid species are found here, including wild cocoa (Pteroglossapis ecristata) and giant spiral ladies-tresses (Spiranthes longilabris). Scattered small, isolated wetland communities such as Carolina bays and cypress domes are found throughout the area. What these communities lack in size, they make up for in diversity. Not only are they home to rare plants such as Boykin’s lobelia (Lobelia boykinii) and pondberry (Lindera mellissifolia), but they provide important breeding grounds for a variety of rare amphibian species such as the flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma cingulatum) and the striped newt (Notophthalamus perstriatus).

What The Nature Conservancy Is Doing
The Savannah River Basin is a conservation priority for the Conservancy. Since the river straddles Georgia and South Carolina, Conservancy staff from both states are working together to protect the biological diversity of the river system through land protection and sound science. One priority project is a scientific endeavor to answer the question "how much water does a river need." Working with more than 40 federal, state and local partners, and well as academic researchers and other NGO's, the Conservancy is developing a prescription for river health. This effort is part of a national partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, entitled the Sustainable Rivers Project. The collaboration between the Conservancy and the Corps seeks to re-operate dams for environmental benefit, while preserving important human uses.

To learn more about the Conservancy's on-going efforts to protect the Savannah River Basin, download a copy of the Savannah River Basin fact sheet.