The Coosa Watershed is the largest and most biodiverse subwatershed of the Mobile River Basin in terms of the number of fish, mussel and snail species. (State of Rivers) Choccolocco Creek lies within this Northeast Alabama and supports 70 fish species and 21 taxa of snail. This watershed may support the largest number of endangered and threatened species found in any Alabama waterway of comparable size.

Recent snail surveys found 10 species and the endangered Tulotoma snail, making this creek the most diverse Coosa tributary in Alabama for gastropods. (Pierson and Bogan) The Alabama Land Trust is engaged in a project in this watershed to protect the undeveloped nature and relatively natural habitat and ecosystems which represent high quality examples of intact terrestrial and aquatic wildlife habitat.

The objective of this project is to create a terrestrial conservation corridor and to protect the open space and historically significant areas for the enjoyment of the general public. We are making great strides:

- we have helped organize and implement several stream bank restorations;

- over four miles of stream bed were protected along Choccolocco Creek in 2007; and

- over two miles of stream banks were protected along the Coosa in 2007.

We are continuing to work with landowners and concerned citizens to protect and restore more of these important riparian corridors. To date, over 450 acres have been placed into permanent protection along Choccolocco Creek via donation of conservation easements or purchase of the properties in fee simple. Four hundred of those acres are flood plains critical to the protection of the stream banks, stormwater mitigation and water quality protection. Negotiations are under way on another almost 400 acres.