In September 2022, TennGreen Land Conservancy partnered with Joy and Bill Morgan to conserve their 32-acre property along the Obed River in Cumberland County, Tennessee. Obed Point marks TennGreen’s fourteenth project in Cumberland County and expands upon more than eleven thousand acres conserved by TennGreen in the area.
Containing approximately half a mile of frontage along the Obed River, Obed Point falls within the Obed River Focal Area, identified as a priority in TennGreen’s 2019 Strategic Land Conservation Plan. This Focal Area was identified due to the high-priority aquatic and terrestrial habitat present within the region. Waters along Obed Point flow approximately three miles upstream of the beginning of the Obed Wild & Scenic River. Designated as a “Wild and Scenic” river in October 1976—Tennessee’s only river with this designation—the National Park Service manages the Obed Wild & Scenic River. There are six public access areas for kayaking, rafting, and whitewater paddling along the Obed Wild & Scenic River. However, many sections along the Obed River are whitewater or not for novice paddlers. In addition to its 1976 “Wild and Scenic” designation, in October 2017, the Obed Wild & Scenic River was further designated as an International Dark Sky Association International Dark Sky Park, one of two National Park Service tracts in Tennessee with this designation.
The Obed Point’s conservation easement ensures the property will not be further developed, timber harvested, or any mineral extracted. Restricting these activities protects the significant water quality of the Obed and limits light pollution allowing for continued dark skies. Obed Point lies within the Catoosa/Emory Conservation Opportunity Area identified in Tennessee’s State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). This area is known for containing some of Tennessee’s largest connected forested lands and high aquatic diversity. Protection of forested river tracts like Obed Point aligns with goals identified in the SWAP, including increasing forested acres and river miles permanently protected to benefit rare species.
From Bill Morgan, the landowner:
“My wife and I love our property and are in awe of its unique natural beauty. Because of this, we chose to preserve its many remarkable features with a conservation easement in hopes that the land will pass on to future generations of owners who will love and maintain it as we do.
Among its many attributes, the land is widely covered by a dense, essentially undisturbed forest of tall oak and hickory trees. As the forest proceeds down a progressively descending slope, it changes to one dominated by hemlocks and umbrella magnolias. Shortly after that, a very abrupt drop-off exposes a solid, nearly vertical 100 ft. tall sandstone wall that encompasses most of the property’s lower end and provides a sandy beach for both Scott Creek and the Obed River. These two streams form the property’s northern and eastern boundaries and, with the colorful changes in the sandstone and shelters produced by jut-outs from the wall, make this region one of the property’s most unusual and unique features.
We first became aware of TennGreen Land Conservancy and its expertise in protecting our state’s waterways and habitats after a presentation by Christie Henderson, TennGreen’s Director of Land Conservation. During the conservation easement process, we especially enjoyed walking our property with Kristen Hanratty, TennGreen’s Conservation Project Manager, who facilitated the timely completion of the easement on our land. We encourage others considering an easement to work with TennGreen Land Conservancy!”
Do you own land along the Obed River? Contact TennGreen’s experts now at land@tenngreen.org or (615) 329-4441 ext. 108 to learn about your conservation options!