Tennessee protected 7,400 acres of ‘river swamp.’ The public will be able to visit.

The Nature Conservancy of Tennessee and partners acquired 7,400 acres of bottomland hardwood forest along the Hatchie River.

Bottomland hardwood forests are also known as “river swamps,” a type of wetland that plays a critical role in storing floodwater, improving water quality and housing biodiversity.

“The bottomland forests are so important to support some really unique habitats and species, some of them endangered and threatened,” said Laurel Creech, the Tennessee director of The Nature Conservancy.

Endemic species include 100 types of fish, 35 different mussels and 250 species of birds. Many of those species are unique to wetlands, Creech said.

The Hatchie River is located in southwestern Tennessee. It is the longest free-flowing tributary of the lower Mississippi River and contai