| Oka Uba |
Caba Kaapa |
Cau-hau-ba |
Kahawba |
Cahawba |
These are the different spellings of the river known today as "The Cahaba River". The Cahaba River's name is thought to have come from the Choctaw Indians and means "water above" or "the river above". The beautiful river winds and twists for 191 miles from Trussville, Alabama to "Old Cahawba" where it enters the Alabama River near Selma, Alabama.
The first state capital of Alabama was located on the banks of the Cahaba River where it joins the Alabama River. The town is known now as "Old Cahawba".
Photo of the Cahaba River near the first capital of Alabama called Cahawba.
Courtesy of Paula Fancher |
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The two Indian tribes, the Choctaw tribe and the Creek Nation were the first Native American groups to live around the river. Many people say that the Cahaba River was the dividing line between the two groups. The Choctaws lived on the west side of the river and the Creeks lived to the east.
The river is known as one of the most biodiverse rivers in North America. There are 131 species of fish found only in the Cahaba River. If you take any river in North America mile by mile, this number is greater than any other river. There is a variety of wildlife.
What is Aquatic Biodiversity?
Aquatic biodiversity is the number of different forms of life living in a stream and the way they interact with each other. If the number of sensitive creatures decrease and the number of tolerant ones increase then the stream is not considered biodiverse.
Why is it important?
Aquatic biodiversity is important for maintaining balance in the environment so that aquatic life is protected for future generations. People depend on aquatic resources for economic and recreational reasons. |
The Cahaba watershed covers eight counties. It is divided into two sections, the Upper Cahaba and the Lower Cahaba. The Upper Cahaba has steep banks, high bluffs, and rocky shoals. The Lower Cahaba begins to flatten. In between these two regions lies a fall line. In Alabama, the fall line is where the
Appalachian Mountains end and the Coastal Plain begins. It divides the state into two regions, the uplands and lowlands. Sandbars can be seen in the lowlands instead of the rocky shoals of the uplands. The rocks in the area above the fall line are mostly made of sandstone and chert. The valleys are mostly limestone and shale. The water runoff during heavy rains causes problems with nonpoint source pollution.
A fall line marks the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet. It is easier to see a fall line when it crosses a river because there will usually be rapids or waterfalls. |
Forests and rocks are found along the river. Many species of plants and animals can be found, too. The most popular and unique is the Cahaba Lily. The Cahaba Lily is imperiled and can only be found in a few places in North America. More of the lilies can be found in the area around the refuge than anywhere else in North America. The lily needs a rocky stream bed, swift-flowing water, an open tree canopy, and a subtropical climate to live according to Dr. Larry Davenport, a local botanist. The lily blooms from mid-April to Mid-June and the only remaining are found in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.
People come from around the southeastern United States to see the Cahaba Lily during the months of April and May. Older people remember when the entire river was covered with the lilies. Now, there are not as many of them. Industry from cities to the north of the the site where the lilies bloom could be part of the problem. Photo courtesy of Judy Owings/Drawing by Sarah
Each year, hundreds of people visit the Cahaba River and the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge just to see the Cahaba Lily. There is even a festival called "The Cahaba Lily Festival" every May.
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The Bibb County Glades is an area of land on the Little Cahaba River, a tributary of The Cahaba River. It is home to sixty-one rare plant species. It is called "The Botanical Lost World" because of its many rare plants.
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The land around the river has changed since the time when the Native Americans camped on its banks. The main industry in the area was mining from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century. Mining changed the land that is now the refuge. Some of the long leaf pine were cut down for strip mining and some were used by timber companies that purchased most of the land after the mines closed. They were replaced with loblolly pine trees. There are many hardwood trees such as oaks and sweet gum trees, too. Coal "fines" can still be seen in the sandbars around the river. Pieces of coal can also be found in the river. This is because coal is very light and it washes into the water from the old piles of coal left by mining. The piles of coal are called "gob piles".
A chunk of coal
| When coal is broken into very small pieces it looks like black dust. These are "coal fines", or fine particles of coal. |
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The Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge (CRNWR)
Citations
Arello, G. (1998). Alabama: The River State. Birmingham: Natura Press.
Biodiversity and Ecosystems. Retrieved March 2007 from http://www.watercare.net/wll/bio-monitoring.html .
Haddock, R. (2007, February 20 - April 2 ). Phone interviews and emails on benthic macroinvertebrates, water temperature, habitat quality, macroinvertebrate populations, identification of macroinvertebrates, condition of Caffee Creek, the Cahaba River.
Fancher, P. (2006, October - April ). Personal interviews on The Cahaba River, history of the area, The Cahaba Lily.
Parker, J. (2007 March 26 ). Personal interview on acid mine drainage and history of coal mining in the area.
Cahaba River Society. Retrieved March 2007 from http://www.cahabariversociety.org/ .
Fact Sheet. America's National Wildlife Refuge System. Retrieved January 2007 from http://www.fws.gov/refuges/generalInterest/factSheets/ .
Share the Wonder of Alabama. Splendor in the spring. Retrieved March 2007 from http://www.800alabama.com/yooa/scenic/lilies.cfm
The Cahaba Lily. Retrieved March 2007 from http://www.cahabalily.com/ .
The Cahaba Lily. Retrieved March 2007 from http://www.cahabariver.net/lily.htm .
The Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge. Retrieved October 2006 from http://www.fws.gov/southeast/cahabariver .
The Cahaba River Watershed. Retrieved March 2007 from http://wsfa.iewatershed.com/index.php?pagename=ow_watershed_cahaba_river .
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. Educating for Conservation. Retrieved March 2007 from http://www.fws.gov/educators/ .
Wildlife Refuges and Parks. Retrieved March 2007 from http://gorp.away.com/gorp/resource/us_nwr/main.htm .
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