Enhance Ecological Connectivity

The Chattahoochee River connects both people and wildlife, allowing for movement of aquatic and terrestrial species and enabling them to withstand disturbance. In fragmented landscapes, natural systems lose key components and then their attendant values, a process accelerated by climate change. Despite its abundant tree cover, urban development of Metro Atlanta has dissected habitat into patches. Along the mainstem of the River, Morgan Falls Dam and Buford Dam are barriers to movement for aquatic species.

Where vegetative buffers and forest cover exist, the Greenway Study should aim to protect these key resources and reduce fragmentation of contiguous vegetated areas. Where forest cover is lacking, particularly in the more urban portions of the study area, the Greenway Study can identify opportunities where trail planning could reestablish green connections between isolated ecological communities. In these ways, the Chattahoochee Greenway represents an opportunity to restore landscape connectivity.