A 768-acre swath of wetlands east of Collierville was purchased for conservation by the Wolf River Conservancy (WRC) and Ducks Unlimited, Inc. (DU) last week.
The land lies in the recharge zone for the Memphis Sand Aquifer. Protecting these areas are important to re-supply the ground water Mid-South communities rely on for commercial, agricultural, and residential uses.
The new land purchase connects two other pieces of property already protected as wildlife management areas by the state of Tennessee. This newly connected property now includes 5,800 acres. Those acres include wetlands, wildlife habitat, and acreage available for outdoor recreation, including 14 miles of the Wolf River, which will be protected.
“The wetlands, the river, and the adjacency to state-protected lands make this tract an extraordinarily important conservation opportunity,” said WRC executive director Erik Houston. “We are extremely proud that the Wolf River Conservancy and DU were able to secure this property.”
The “multi-million-dollar” land deal came together in days, not years, leaders said. They did not give an exact price. The family that owned the property had a deal with a timber company, but reached out to the WRC to see if it was interested.
That call came on a recent Friday and the family wanted an answer by the following Monday. This began, “a scramble drill in the name of wetlands conservation.”
“Strong partnerships make conservation happen,” said Darin Blunck, DU’s Chief Financial Officer. “We’re pleased that DU was in a position to provide backing for this project with a loan from First Horizon Bank.”