Река Конасауга: Природа Теннесси и Джорджии

River in Tennessee and Georgia
The Conasauga River is a river that runs through southeast Tennessee and northwest Georgia. The Conasauga River is 93 mile (150 km) long and drains into the Oostanaula River, a tributary of the Coosa River and part of the watershed of the Gulf of Mexico. The river is home to over 90 species of fish and 25 surviving species of freshwater mussels. Its watershed encompasses over in two states, multiple counties, and two ecologically different regions.

The Conasauga River is the most westerly trout water on public land in Georgia. It is the only river in Tennessee that is not a part of the Mississippi River watershed. The only road access to the Conasauga is found via Old GA 2, GA 2, and Carlton Petty Road. Access via foot trail is located on Forest Service road (FS) 64 in Betty Gap. Three other trails descend from the west off FS 17 to intersect the river trail. From south to north they are the Chestnut Lead, 2.0 mile (3 km), Tearbritches Trail, 4.0 mile (6 km), and Hickory Creek Trail, 3.0 mile (5 km). Primitive camping is allowed all along the river.

At the core of the Conasauga watershed is the Cohutta Wilderness, located in Fannin, Gilmer, and Murray counties in Georgia and Polk County in Tennessee. The United States Forest Service manages the area as part of the Chattahoochee National Forest and Cherokee National Forest. The preserve covers over and contains approximately 15 mile (24 km) of the Conasauga. The Conasauga River is home to more than 90 fish species, Among these is the endemic, endangered Conasauga logperch (Percina jenkinsi). Historically there were 42 species of freshwater mussels, however only 25 species still exist. It is estimated that only 1% of original population remains. The waters yield established populations of rainbow trout and brown trout, with rainbows up to and browns to The managed land is populated by white tailed deer, wild hogs, black bears, and smaller animals.