A River of Riches

A River of Riches. . , The Cahaba River is the longest free-flowing stretch of river in Alabama. It is 194 miles long and drains an area of 1,870 square miles. Recognized as one of "Alabama's Ten Natural Wonders," the Cahaba River has received attention from environmentalists throughout the nation. The Nature Conservancy considers it a hotspot of biodiversity. Unfortunately, the Cahaba River is at risk of losing its biodiversity because many of its mussels, snails, and fish are imperiled or threatened due to pollution and other effects of human activity. , Cahaba Lily's Twin , The Cahaba lily (Hymenocallis coronaria) is an aquatic flowering plant native to the major river systems of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. The lily requires a very specialized habitat, swift, flowing water over rocks and lots of sun-and thus is restricted to shoal areas at or above the fall line. Since Old Cahawba is located below the fall line and the water is much deeper here, the Cahaba Lily does not grow here at Old Cahawba. However, you may be able to find a plant that closely resembles the Cahaba Lily called the Northern Spider Lily or the Swamp Spider Lily (Hymenocallis occidentalis). It occurs naturally in floodplain and upland forests and on the banks of rivers and streams. , Fish , The Cahaba River has more fish species per mile than any other river of its size in North America. Approximately 135 fish species are known to live in the Cahaba River and its tributaries. Rare fish found in the Cahaba River include the Alabama sturgeon, Cahaba shiner, crystal darter, freckled darter, goldline darter, and frecklebelly madtom., Mussels , The Cahaba River system contains 36 known freshwater mussel species. Mussels are now gone from some reaches of the Cahaba River due to water quality problems associated with land development such as siltation and sedimentation. Other sections of the Cahaba River system hold very good populations of mussels, including some of the best remaining populations of rare species. Biologists at the Alabama Aquatic Biodiversity Center are helping to reestablish these threatened and endangered populations through propagation and restoration. , Snails , The Cahaba River is home to a very diverse and unique community of aquatic snails. Of the 31 snail species known or suspected to exist there, ten exist nowhere else in the world and nine other snails are found only in the Cahaba and Coosa drainages. Since there are no major dams on the Cahaba River, the snail populations have remained intact compared to those of many other rivers.