Three Rivers Land Trust has conserved a 170-acre property of the McCallum family in Moore County.

The property has mature hardwood forest and significant frontage along McLendons Creek. The North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund provided funding for the conservation.

The property is about 3 miles upstream from a section of McLendons Creek listed as part of a Natural Heritage Area known as the Deep River Below High Falls Aquatic Habitat. The section of McLendons Creek has an exceptional rating.

The federally endangered Cape Fear shiner (Notropis mekistocholas) has been documented in the creek. Also found in the aquatic habitat is the Eastern Creekshell (Villosa delumbis), a state significant rare species.

Natural Heritage Program botanists documented that a Piedmont Levee Forest (beech subtype) along with Mesic Mixed Hardwood Forest, Piedmont Bottomland Forest, Piedmont Swamp Forest and Floodplain Pools exist on the tract. The N.C. Natural Heritage Program recognized a section of this easement as natural heritage area known as McLendons Creek Bottomland.

“We are glad to have worked with the McCallum family on conserving their significant property along McLendons Creek,” said Three Rivers Executive Director Travis Morehead. “This tract is important on a number of levels, as it provides for habitat for rare species and conserves a forested riparian buffer that also protects water quality.”

There are other conserved lands across the creek from the property, as well as downstream.

To learn more about how to support Three Rivers Land Trust or how to conserve property in the region, contact Crystal Cockman at 704-647-0302 or crystal@threeriverslandtrust.org.