The Wolf River
is a complex ecosystem containing extensive forested wetlands and
rich alluvial soils. The river is 86 miles long and represents an
excellent example of the once vast floodplain forest ecosystem of
the Mississippi River.
Eighty percent of the original 24 million acres of forested
wetlands in the Mississippi River alluvial floodplain have already
been cleared or drained. The William B. Clark Conservation Area
contains approximately 500 acres of bottomland hardwood forest in
the Wolf River floodplain.
Why the Conservancy Selected This Site?
The preserve’s forest communities have developed in response to
many years of natural flooding and the absence of timber harvesting
in recent years. This region of the Wolf River represents an
exceptionally diverse ecosystem that contains important habitat for
birds, mammals, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. In addition to
providing habitat for many species, the William B. Clark
Conservation Area serves as an important area for improving water
quality, recycling nutrients, and moderating flood peaks of the
Wolf River during periods of extensive rainfall.
What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing?
The heart of the preserve was donated to The Nature Conservancy of
Tennessee in 1993 by Mr. William "Buck" Clark Jr. in honor of his
father. Since 1993, The Nature Conservancy has acquired other areas
in the Wolf River watershed. In the spring of 2001 a
boardwalk that runs for a third of a mile was completed along
the river.
Congratulations to bbhawk for being
FTF!