Sipsey River Swamp

As the Black Warrior flows south of Tuscaloosa it completely changes character as it enters the coastal plain, giving way to a wide meandering stream with swamps and oxbow lakes - great for hunting camps. The hunting camps also provide bird rookeries and a vast amount of habitat for non-game species. The Sipsey River is also known as the "Sipsey River Swamp," and is one of the more interesting rivers in the state. Its watershed is uniquely long and narrow. The river officially begins when the headwater tributaries of the New River and the Little New River converge right at the Marion and Fayette county line. The Sipsey River Swamp is one of the last wild free flowing swamp streams in Alabama and is estimated to contain at least 50,000 acres of bottomland hardwood wetlands, making it one of the largest wetlands within Alabama. (Ken Wills - pc) The river is 92 miles long and portions of its narrow watershed are found in Fayette, Tuscaloosa, Pickens, and Greene counties and very small portions in Winston, Marion, and Walker counties. The lower portion of the river forms the boundary line between Pickens and Greene counties. The Sipsey River Swamp contains a rich variety of terrain ranging from the low and almost permanently flooded old river channels or cutoffs to higher areas of the swamp which flood only in the winter and spring. These diverse environments have produced a rich variety of vegetation ranging form tupelo-bald cypress swamps to forest composed of species more commonly associated with uplands such as beech. (Ken Wills) There are 102 species of fish known from the Sipsey River, a remarkably diverse assemblage of fish species. Alabama's Forever Wild Program recently purchased approximately 3,500 acres of Sipsey River Swamp riparian lands within Tuscaloosa County, creating the watersheds first significant holding of publicly owned lands. Beginning up near Double Springs, AL near where the West Fork of the Sipsey River starts, the Sipsey River Swamp takes a different course through the Black Belt and almost impenetrable swamps to the Tombigbee River. Forever Wild recently purchased land along this river from a timber company, securing the protection of this unique place. Which means what you see now will be in better shape 50 years from now. Not often you can say that. (For more information, please visit Rivers of Alabama)