Star Branch Headwaters in Lewis County now protected

TennGreen Land Conservancy and Swan Conservation Trust (SCT) has announced the permanent protection of 141 acres of land known as “Star Branch Headwaters” through a conservation easement. This primarily forested and wetland property is located in Lewis County near Summertown, and is adjacent to Big Swan Headwaters Preserve, a 1,358-acre treasure protected by the two partners in 2017. Conservation of Star Branch Headwaters enlarges the Preserve and ensures its woods, wetlands, and the rare plants that call it home will survive and thrive forever.

SCT secured a $75,000 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Small Grants Program. In April 2022, the NAWCA funds were put toward the acquisition of Star Branch Headwaters from Ms. Dobson. As part of the grant deliverables, SCT and TennGreen Land Conservancy worked together to place a conservation easement on the land, protecting its woods, waters, and wetlands in perpetuity. TennGreen Land Conservancy staff will visit the land annually to ensure the agreement’s terms are upheld.

Star Branch Headwaters gets its name from the Star Branch stream, which flows through the property for more than three-quarters of a mile. Waters on the land continue downstream into the protected Big Swan Headwaters Preserve, part of the Lower Duck River watershed. In addition to the streams, Star Branch Headwaters contains nearly an acre of a calcareous seep wetland. Waters from Star Branch Headwaters flow toward Highland Rim Parnassia Seepage fens—a wetland community known to provide habitat for Large-leaved Grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia grandifolia), two species of sedges (Carex leptalea and C. lurida), and the small-headed rush (Juncus brachycephalus).

Star Branch Headwaters is also close to The Farm—an intentional community established in the 1970s—which has set aside 1,000 acres of forest upstream of Big Swan Headwaters Preserve. If you are interested in learning more about protecting your land or becoming a conservation buyer, please contact TennGreen Land Conservancy’s experts at [email protected] or (615) 329-4441 today.