River of Riches

"Hey what's that river that runs through Birmingham called,” my Atlanta based girlfriend asked. A friend of a friend had read an article that made her think of me via my friend.

"Well, there's really only one that I know of," I commented, feeling sure she was speaking of the Cahaba.

"The one with all the eco diversity or something," my friend replies. The Cahaba indeed.

Our little Alabama jewel has graced the July (or is it August?) issue of the Smithsonian in an article entitled: The Cahaba: A River of Riches. Written by Michelle Nijhuis; photographs by Beth Maynor Young.  The tagline reads, "An unsung Alabama waterway is one of the most biologically diverse places in the nation, home to rare flora and fauna."

Thanks to this piece the river and its inhabitants are receiving some well needed press. I have fielded many a question via my friend regarding the Cahaba, it's story, it's ease of access for paddlers, wildlife watchers, and general outdoors people. There is an increase in awareness surrounding the river that stretches across state lines and has reached the Smithsonian readership. The Smithsonian has been in circulation since 1970 and now claims over seven million readers monthly. I am sad to say I do not read the Smithsonian; I am also sad to say that I learned more about the Cahaba River from that one article than six years of living in Birmingham. These six years were not spent in total separation from nature, quite the contrary. I volunteered to do canoe and kayak races with my mother; I hike with the Wild South groups occasionally, I've dragged many friends and unwilling boyfriends to anywhere in the southeast that catches my attention. My poor husband met my family for the first time ever in Oak Mountain State park because we wanted to hike that day. For me to be oblivious to the special nuances that surround the closest river to me is rather embarrassing. I knew the Cahaba had biodiversity, but I was clueless to the scale. I had no idea that it was the longest free flowing river in Alabama. Why is it called the Cahaba? What does that mean? Is it Native American? I didn't know that the Cahaba emptied into the Alabama...well, you get the picture.

The closest put-in is less than five miles from my house. It's safe to say that I will be getting more acquainted with the Cahaba in the near future. Until then I leave you with this: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/River-of-Riches.html

Happy Trails