Hatchie River Work Group Provided Insight on Tour
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s Sergeant Ed Gover and wildlife officer Bubba Spencer recently took several Hatchie River work group members on a boat tour to view different aspects of the river. The workgroup is looking at options for enrolling the Hatchie River on the National Wild and Scenic River System list. Currently, the Obed River is the only river in Tennessee designated as wild and scenic. Tennessee has approximately 61,075 miles of river, and the Obed is only 7/100th of 1 percent of Tennessee’s river miles.
The Hatchie River originates in northern Mississippi and is the longest free-flowing tributary of the lower Mississippi River, totaling 238 miles. It is the only river in Tennessee designated a state scenic river in its entirety. The river has considerable geographic, cultural, and historic significance. Two National Wildlife Refuge Areas preserve and protect over 21,000 acres of forested floodplain in Haywood, Lauderdale, and Tipton counties.
The ecosystem provides habitat for more than 100 species of fish, including 11 species of catfish, which is possibly the most of any North American River, 50 species of mammals, 35 species of mussels, 250 species of birds, along with many reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. The river’s historic significance includes national landmarks dating back to the Civil War era.
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