The Nickajack Naturalist

68 Acres May be Added to Hiwassee Refuge

                                                                          From Nooga.com

  The Land Trust for Tennessee and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency are working to raise money to purchase a 68 acre tract of land to add to the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge.  Read more.

Sandhill cranes at the Hiwassee Refuge. 

Rail Trail Planned in Walker County, GA

                                                                    From The Chattanoogan.com

  Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell said a public trail is planned along the entire length of the old Durham Railroad that went from the Durham coal mining community on Lookout Mountain to coke ovens at Chickamauga, GA.   Read more.    

The Great Eastern Trail's Chattanooga Connection

Lookout Mountain, Moccasin Bend, and Walden's Ridge as viewed from Sunset Rock.

                                                                       From Get Out Chattanooga     

  Plans call for the Great Eastern Trail to wind more than 1,800 miles from Alabama to New York.  That is, if organizers can figure out how to get the scenic trail through the Scenic City.   Read more.    

 

Exploring Long Island Creek

 Here are some photos from a recent paddle outing on Jackson County, Alabama's Long Island Creek.  For a map of the Jackson County Wildlife Management Areas, click here.  Long Island Creek is part of the Raccoon Creek WMA and though unlabeled, is at the right, or north, end of the map.  The launch ramp is on county road 676, immediately after turning off county road 91.

  Sand Mountain serves as a backdrop to Long Island Creek, which has several large areas of open, shallow water.

  Long Island Creek is a great place for observing and photographing wildlife.

  Vegetation covers large areas of water.

  Cananda geese are just some of the wildlife seen.  Kingfishers, ospreys, and muskrats are also common.

  An osprey watching us paddle by.

  Gar are commonly seen in the shallow water.

  The main creek channel narrows and continues a ways back into a gulf in Sand Mountain.

  Blooming underwater vegetation.

  Long Island Creek is one of my favorite places to canoe, with its variety of environments, from large open lakes to narow creek channel, an abundance and diversity of wildlife, and mostly shallow water, which means I don't have to worry about a lot of motorboat traffic.

Bob Butters