Reed Branch Wet Meadow

Why You Should Visit
This mountain seep community is a shrub-and-herb dominated wetland community, occurring in a shallow slope with shallow, acidic soils over bedrock. Water flowing over the rock makes for frequently saturated soil, with water "seeping" out of the soil.

Location
Towns County, near the Tennessee/Georgia border on the banks of Lake Chatuge

Size
9 acres

Conditions
Old field and bog

How to Prepare for Your Visit
Although The Nature Conservancy allows people to visit Reed Branch Wet Meadow, arrangements must be made in advance with the Georgia Field Office. Due to the extreme sensitivity of the mountain seep community, visits by individuals are not encouraged. However, visitors are welcome to join guided group trips held there. Contact Michelle Cable at (404) 253-7213 or mcable@tnc.org for more details and directions.

What to See: Plants
Reed Branch Wet Meadow is home to the only known population of the federally endangered green pitcherplant in Georgia. Contained within one acre of land, over 1,400 green pitcherplant clumps are flourishing in the boggy habitat. The mountain seep community the plants call home is thought to be even more unique than the pitcherplants themselves. One of the distinguishing features of this preserve is that it has a high number of plant species typical of the Coastal Plain bogs not usually found in north Georgia including sundews, colicroot and meadow-beauties.

What to See: Animals
Rare moths are associated with the pitcherplants found at this site.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
Reed Branch Wet Meadow contains the last example of a low mountain seepage bog community in the state, making it a protection priority for The Nature Conservancy.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
The Conservancy holds volunteer work parties at this site to control non-native invasive species like the Chinese privet, kudzu and multiflora rose. Stewardship staff members conduct an intensive annual monitoring of the pitcherplant population.