Black Warrior confluence conserved

366 Acres at Black Warrior River Confluence with Mulberry and Locust Forks Conserved through Freshwater Land Trust

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 19, 2024

Contacts:
Rebekah Correia, FLT Outreach and Communications Director, [email protected]
Liz Sims, FLT Land Conservation Director, [email protected]
Rusha Smith, FLT Executive Director, [email protected]
(205) 417-2777

Freshwater Land Trust (FLT) is thrilled to announce the acquisition of 366 acres on a peninsula situated at the confluence of the Mulberry Fork, Locust Fork, and Black Warrior River. The land, located in west Jefferson County, is covered in a forest of pines, sweetgum, and white oaks, with minimal invasive species on it. Great blue herons and great egrets can be seen hunting at the water’s edges surrounding the forest. This property is a prime candidate for FLT’s habitat restoration work to improve forest composition and increase species diversity.

Protecting the Black Warrior River basin is critically important. This watershed is home to over a million residents, is a major source of drinking water for many cities, including Birmingham, Bessemer, Cullman, Jasper, Oneonta, and Tuscaloosa, and supports over 180 freshwater species, including fish, mussels, turtles, and snails, 11 of which are listed as federally endangered or threatened.

“Preservation of the Mulberry and Locust forks’ confluence has long been a goal of mine because it is such a special place at the formation of the Black Warrior River,” said Nelson Brooke, Black Warrior Riverkeeper. “After the Mulberry Fork flows 122 miles and the Locust Fork flows 158 miles through the Cumberland Plateau, they converge to form the Black Warrior River, which then flows for 168 miles from the tail end of the Appalachian Mountains and through the East Gulf Coastal Plain before emptying into the Tombigbee River.”

FLT’s original 258.74-acre acquisition of this property came about as the result of a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) obligation included in a mutually agreeable consent decree between Black Warrior Riverkeeper and Drummond Company regarding the closed Maxine Mine location near the property. Additionally, Drummond Company voluntarily agreed to contribute the remaining 107.32 contiguous acres of the parcel to FLT, totaling 366 acres of ecologically significant land that will be permanently preserved by the land trust.

“Freshwater Land Trust has a strong track record of implementing SEPs, and we are very excited to acquire and protect such an environmentally valuable property on the Black Warrior River,” stated Liz Sims, FLT’s Land Conservation Director, “We believe this is a great outcome for everyone involved.” With this addition, FLT has conserved 1,962 acres in the Black Warrior River watershed to date.

Photos:

Confluence of Locust Fork (left) and Mulberry Fork (right)

Forested ridge on the west side of the property

Heron and egret rookery

Property outline

###

Freshwater Land Trust connects, conserves, and cares for land throughout Central Alabama, which currently totals over 11,000 acres in 13 counties. Through varied partnerships with governments, corporations, landowners, and community groups, FLT has preserved land critical to the protection of Alabama waterways and created outdoor recreational opportunities for communities since 1996. FLT was the first land trust in Alabama to be nationally accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, and it has retained that accreditation, thereby meeting national standards of excellence, upholding public trust, and ensuring conservation efforts are permanent.

Black Warrior Riverkeeper’s mission is to protect and restore the Black Warrior River and its tributaries. They are a membership-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting clean water for the sake of public health, recreation, and wildlife habitat throughout the Black Warrior River watershed in Alabama.

Drummond Company, based in Birmingham, Alabama, is a leading producer of high-quality coal and coal-related products, with a legacy of over 85 years of mining expertise. Drummond supports numerous community programs and initiatives aimed at improving education, healthcare, and economic development.