Rome’s waterways support an abundance of wildlife, some found nowhere else in the world

The life-giving waters from 16 counties flow into the Coosa River.

Rome sits in the cradle of the Upper Coosa River Basin. Five thousand square miles of land drain their rainfall into our waterways. It’s not surprising then, that Rome’s waterways have become a habitat for a fascinating variety of birds, mammals, reptiles and mollusks, some found nowhere else in the world.

Joe Cook, executive director and river keeper with the Coosa River Basin Initiative, said local residents have no idea of the abundance of wildlife that depend on our rivers for survival.

CRBI monitors and protects area waterways such as rivers and creeks, and does advocacy work as well as education and restoration.

Staff and volunteers often travel to the state capitol to lobby for laws that protect the Coosa basin and go to schools to educate students water about pollution.

They also train citizens to do water testing and organize cleanups.

Birds, bass and beavers

The larger mammals that inhabit our waterways include the industrious beaver and muskrats. While beavers are fairly common, Cook said, one creature Rome residents might not think lives in our rivers, is the otter.

Though rare, he said, the North American River Otter calls Rome rivers its home. The elusive carnivore feeds mainly on fish, insects, frogs and crustaceans.

A host of snakes and reptiles also inhabit the rivers and creeks of Rome. The River Cooter, a common type of pond turtle, is fairly large (up to 12 inches) and is often observed basking on rocks and logs along the banks or in rivers.

“Whenever you look out into the rivers or lakes around Rome, and particularly when you’re walking over the Fifth Avenue bridge,” Cook said, “you can see River Cooters sitting up on rocks or logs getting some sun.”

Aside from common River Cooters, our waterways are also inhabited by the infamous snapping turtle as well as the soft-shell turtle.

Another river resident commonly seen around Rome is the majestic Great Blue Heron. It is the largest North American heron and can be found patrolling fresh and saltwater marshes, mangrove swamps, lake edges and shorelines for their favorite prey: small fish.

A striking figure in the Rome skies that also depends on the river is the Osprey. A raptor, the Osprey is also called the fish hawk or fish eagle because it feeds almost exclusively on fish, swooping down and skimming the water’s surface with its massive talons and scooping up unsuspecting fish.

Other winged residents include the kingfisher, green herons and of course, ducks.

The mammals, birds and reptiles all prey on fish which abound in our river system.

“The biggest predator in the river is the striped bass,” Cook said. “It’s the biggest fish you’ll find here. A lot of people don’t know that the bass spawn in downtown Rome. They come from Weiss Lake and release their eggs, mostly up the Oostanaula and the Coosa.”

The striped bass shares these waters with another infamous fish, however, the gar.

The elongated, heavily armored gar bears long jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth. Because their swim bladders can function as lungs, most gar surface periodically to take a gulp of air when the oxygen in the water is low. As a result they are extremely hardy and survive where other fish species might not.

Another fish nagivating our rivers is the fabled lake sturgeon. Cook said the species is being reintroduced to our rivers after having its numbers threatened in the past. Don’t move a mussel

Perhaps the most fascinating creatures in Rome waterways are its most unassuming.

Thousands of mussels cluster along the riverbed filtering the water for their food.

Cook said the mussels are a good indicator of water quality and they clean our waters of bacteria and algae.

Our waters teem with a variety of the shelled creatures that bear such intriguing names as washboard, pistol grip, Alabama orb, Southern pocketbook, Southern maple leaf, fragile paper shell and three-horned wartyback.

A great majority of Rome’s mussels were once found in the Oostanaula, Cook added.

“But declining water quality, dams and overharvesting have decimated the populations in that river. On the Etowah you’ll find mussels in some of the tributaries but no native mussel species in the river itself.”

Our rivers support 25 different species of freshwater snails, 28 different species of freshwater mussels, 114 different species of fish, and 18 different species of crayfish. Of those, six species of fish are federally protected as are six species of mussels and one federally protected species of snail.

Cook said many Romans don’t realize the natural treasures our rivers hold.

“We’ve got 30 endemic aquatic species in the Upper Coosa River Basin,” he said. “That means that we’ve got fish, crayfish, mussels and snails that are found nowhere else in the world. We’re considered North America’s most biologically diverse river system. We have more endemic species than the entire Mississippi drainage.” River Revelry

To raise awareness for our rivers and waterways, CRBI is hosting its River Revelry Biodiversity Bash on Aug. 23.

The event takes place on the banks of the Coosa at Heritage Park in downtown Rome from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Activities include a River of Light with 1000 candles flowing together at the river’s confluence as well as boat rides on the Roman Holiday, canoe barrel racing, games, live music and silent and live auctions.

Ticket price includes complimentary beer and wine as well as a barbecue dinner.

Tickets are $40 each for individuals or $35 each for groups of two or more and can be purchased online at www.coosa.org or by calling or visiting the CRBI office on Broad Street at 706-232-2724.