Flat Tub Addition Rich in Wildlife, Recreation

FLAT TUB ADDITION RICH IN WILDLIFE, HABITAT AND RECREATION

A conservation-minded partnership has preserved 2,700 acres of wildlife habitat in southeast Georgia’s Jeff Davis County, opening to the public a place valued for its recreational opportunities and rare species.

The tract acquired last year by Georgia DNR and added to Flat Tub Wildlife Management Area joins nearly 18,000 acres conserved along this stretch of the Ocmulgee River. The lineup features Horse Creek Wildlife Management Area and Broxton Rocks, described as one of Georgia’s natural wonders.

Combined with historic Hazlehurst nearby and Towns Bluff Park on the Altamaha River, the addition to Flat Tub WMA will help draw visitors, particularly for recreation such as hunting, fishing, canoeing and hiking, according to Jeff Davis County Commission Chairman Ray Wooten.

Flat Tub and Broxton Rocks Forest, owned by the Georgia Forestry Commission, and 1,650-acre Broxton Rocks Preserve, owned by The Nature Conservancy, are home to more than 525 plant and animal species, 29 of them rare, including gopher tortoises, our state reptile. Botanists consider the plant community one of Georgia’s richest.

On the newly acquired tract, large patches of native groundcover endemic to endangered longleaf pine forests hold promise for restoration efforts benefiting a variety of wildlife species. Boat ramps also feed into the Georgia River Network’s 200-mile Ocmulgee Water Trail.

The DNR bought the Jeff Davis tract in two parts from The Conservation Fund in 2013. Partners also included the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which provided a grant, and the Knobloch Family Foundation.

The DNR and The Conservation Fund worked in partnership for years to acquire the site. Pitcherplant bogs, diverse wildlife and prime examples of Altamaha grit – a sandstone outcrop connected to rare plant and animal communities – all contribute to the property’s uniqueness.

 

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