TWRA aquires nearly 4,700 acres of Hatchie Bottom

A 7,457-acre tract of ecologically rich bottomland hardwood forest along the Hatchie River has been acquired by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), in partnership with The Nature Conservancy of Tennessee (TNC) and The Conservation Fund (TCF). The Hatchie Bottom acquisition represents a major milestone in Tennessee’s Conservation Legacy initiative and fulfills a longstanding priority in the Tennessee State Wildlife Action Plan to protect and preserve critical wildlife habitat. The property will be managed as a new Wildlife Management Area (WMA), and will also provide new opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, and outdoor recreation. The property encompasses one of the largest remaining bottomland hardwood forests under single ownership in the state. Its protection ensures the preservation of a priority habitat that includes swamps, sloughs, canebrakes, and oxbow lakes. These diverse ecosystems support over 100 species of fish, 35 species of mussels, and more than 250 species of birds, including the Swainson’s and cerulean warblers.