Williams Bluff
© Malcolm Hodges |
Why You Should Visit
Bounded on the west by the Chattahoochee River near Blakely, this preserve is a combination of sandy uplands, bluffs and floodplain forests. Special features of the area include longleaf pine-wiregrass sandhill communities, isolated limesink wetlands and spring runs. Other natural communities include old-growth bluff forests dominated by beech and magnolia and extensive, mature, bottomland swamps.
Location
Near Blakely and the Chattahoochee River
Size
889 acres
Conditions
Sandy uplands, bluffs and floodplain forests
How to Prepare for Your Visit
The public may visit the preserve on a limited basis, although The Nature Conservancy must be notified of any intended trip. Contact Michelle Cable at (404) 253-7213 or mcable@tnc.org for further details and directions.
What to See: Plants
Rare plants on the preserve include cutleaf harvest-lice, trailing bean-vine, and mimic trillium.
What to See: Animals
© Keith Lazelle |
Williams Bluff protects populations of several rare animals, including the gopher tortoise, Bachman's sparrow, Apalachicola dusky salamander, and the bald eagle.
Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
The Conservancy accepted the donation of this property because of its pristine nature and location along the lower Chattahoochee River, a protection priority in both Georgia and Alabama.
What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
The Nature Conservancy named the preserve in memory of the donor's late husband, Mr. John Williams, an avid hunter and conservationist.
Management activities by staff and volunteers include prescribed burns to maintain and restore longleaf pine communities, identification and control of exotic species, erosion control at the bluffs, roads and ravines and boundary marking. Additional inventories are being conducted to investigate the possible presence of rare species such as Curtiss loosestrife and rare mussels and fish.
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