Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge
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The Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge is a
National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge System is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the system of public lands and waters set aside to c ...
located in central
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
, along the
Cahaba River The Cahaba River is the longest substantially free-flowing river in Alabama and is among the most scenic and biologically diverse rivers in the United States. It is a major tributary of the Alabama River and part of the larger Mobile River basin. ...
downstream from
Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
. The refuge was established on September 25, 2002. Additional purchases were approved that will potentially increase the size of the refuge to 7,300 acres (29.5 km²). Additional negotiations propose an expansion to a potential , most of which currently belongs to private landowners. The facility is unstaffed, but is administered by the
Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located in eastern Alabama, near Anniston, Alabama on the former site of Fort McClellan. It takes its name from some of the last remaining mountain longleaf pine (''Pinus ...
in
Anniston, Alabama Anniston is the county seat of Calhoun County in Alabama and is one of two urban centers/principal cities of and included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 23,106. Acco ...
. The refuge extends from just north of the
confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
of the
Little Cahaba Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt * ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film *The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...
and Cahaba Rivers to the Piper Bridge in Bibb county, approximately five miles east of
West Blocton, Alabama West Blocton is a town in Bibb County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 1,217. The current mayor is Daniel Sims. History It was built on land once owned by Uriah Smith, near the company town Blocton. Many of its no ...
. Approximately 3.5 miles (6 km) of the Cahaba River flow through the refuge. The refuge lies at the far southwestern end of the Appalachian mountain chain.


Wildlife

Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge is a critical habitat for the endangered
Cahaba shiner The Cahaba shiner (''Notropis cahabae'') is a rare species of cyprinid fish. It is endemic to Alabama in the United States, where it is limited to the Cahaba River. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States. This fish was ...
,
goldline darter The goldline darter (''Percina aurolineata'') is a small species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is found in t ...
,
round rocksnail ''Leptoxis ampla'', common name the round rocksnail, is a species of freshwater snail with a gill and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusc in the family Pleuroceridae. This species is endemic to the United States, specifically the stat ...
, and
cylindrical lioplax The cylindrical lioplax, scientific name ''Lioplax cyclostomaformis'', is a species of freshwater snail with gills and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Viviparidae. This species is endemic to the United States. Descr ...
. There are also 64 other rare plant and animal species within its borders. It is home to ''
Hymenocallis coronaria ''Hymenocallis coronaria'', commonly known as the Cahaba lily, shoal lily, or shoals spider-lily, is an aquatic, perennial flowering plant species of the genus ''Hymenocallis''. It is endemic to the Southeastern United States, being found only ...
'', a threatened plant species known in Alabama as the Cahaba lily. Its abundant presence here is one of the reasons for the creation of the refuge.Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge
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Facilities

The refuge provides opportunities for fishing, canoeing, hiking, photography, and wildlife observation.


See also

*
List of National Wildlife Refuges As of 2022, there are 588 National Wildlife Refuges in the United States, with the addition of the Green River National Wildlife Refuge. Refuges that have boundaries in multiple states are listed only in the state where the main visitor entrance i ...


References


External links


Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge homepage

Recreation.gov overview
{{authority control Cahaba River Protected areas of Bibb County, Alabama National Wildlife Refuges in Alabama Protected areas established in 2002 2002 establishments in Alabama