In a not-so-shallow effort to protect 27 acres of city-owned land, the City of Chattanooga has created the Shallowford Urban Ecological Preserve.
The preserve will protect a forested oxbow along South Chickamauga Creek and encompasses 1.3 miles of stream frontage, with the help of the city’s first-ever restrictive covenants. Think: Guidelines in place for how surrounding land can be developed or used as a way to maintain the natural areas.
These covenants specifically cover protection for natural features, erosion control, vegetation + wildlife management, signage restrictions, prohibition of property subdivisions, dumping restrictions, and controlled development.
“Early in my term, we conducted a review of city-owned land, and this act of preservation is the first big result of that effort,” said Mayor Tim Kelly.
History isn’t just made by signing documents though, the Parks and Outdoors Department is taking action. A Natural Resources team will soon assess the site to create a comprehensive management plan — so stay tuned for more news.
Fun fact: 220+ plant species and abundant wildlife have already been identified in the area.
