Big Trees Forest Preserve

boxturtle ARTICLES AND TRAIL INFORMATION

Conserving the Chattahoochee Watershed

Backcountry Trail System

The Big Trees Forest Preserve initially focused on developing its first 10 acre acquisition fronting Roswell Road with approximately 2/3 mile of footpaths and a handicapped-accessible trail. Later, 20 additional acres across Powers Branch on the back of the preserve was purchased and subsequently developed with a trail system to provide more opportunities for forest education and scenic, recreational walks.

The "Backcountry Trail System" consists of three trails: (1) Backcountry Trail; (2) Spring Hollow Trial; (3) the Jackson Overlook Trail. These trails total slightly less than one mile in distance. They are for foot travel only and are easy to walk with no steep grades.

The Backcountry Trail is the longest trail (3/4 mile), forming an elongated oval around the back 20 acres of the preserve. This scenic trail features a cliff above cascading Powers Branch gorge. It also passes the fern-lined banks of Trowbridge Branch. The trail is fully canopied with a middle-aged hardwood and softwood forest amidst an under story of dogwoods, sourwoods, large colonies of native azaleas, blueberries, sparkleberries and various wildflowers.

The Backcountry Trail topography is hilly with interesting trail features, such as large trees, small rock outcrops, springs and streams. The trail gradually gains a total elevation of 120' from a low of 920' to a high of 1,040' above sea level. This is equivalent to gradually climbing a twelve story building.

The Backcountry Trail also passes near two historical features on the Trowbridge Branch side of the preserve. One of these is the long-abandoned "Bull Sluice railroad" bed. Constructed in 1902, it was used for only two years exclusively for hauling material to construct the Morgan Falls hydroelectric dam on the nearby Chattahoochee River. The Trail also passes near the former "Roswell Road", a wagon trail used in the 1800s before the present Roswell Road was build in approximately 1902.

The Spring Hollow Trail connects the Backcountry Trail to the Powers Branch Trail, passing a small spring. The Jackson Overlook Trail connects the Backcountry Trail to a large observation deck overlooking Trowbridge Branch and follows the "old Roswell Road" a short distance before climbing onto a section of the Bull Sluice R/R bed at a former trestle site.

It then continues switch backing up the hill to the overlook deck overlooking Trowbridge Branch. This deck was provided by Frank Jackson for the benefit of his customers and Forest users.

The fundamental purpose of the Backcountry Trail System is to provide a scenic pathway of opportunity to understanding forest dynamics. Learning about flood control, watershed protection, aquifer recharging, water and air purification, soil retention, temperature moderation, habitat enrichment, passive recreation, visual, mental and spiritual decompression, natural succession, forest resource management, and other compelling reasons for appreciating forests values are well exemplified in this convenient and beautiful, woodland setting.

The construction of the Backcountry Trail system was provided through a grant from the USDI National Park Service's Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program in 1997.

Use the self-guided brochure for a trail description of the front 10 acres and its relation to the Powers Branch Watershed.

Nature Trail Guide

The following information is from the NATURE TRAIL GUIDE brochure available at the information box near the entrance of Big Trees Forest.

As you walk along the nature trails, you can use this brochure to explain the 15-stop, self-guided watershed education tour which reads as follows:

This nature trail shows you how human impact can have postive and negative effects on water quality and the forest community.

You may be surprised at how your actions can change nature. Enjoy a pleasurable walk along Powers Branch, a tributary of the Chattahoochee River. This urban forest full of beauty and wonder is your backyard.

Stop #1. RETURN THE FOREST TO HEALTH.
You are standing at the site of a former cotton farm that was originally settled in 1866. Notice the terraces that were created on the land in the 1920's to help control soil erosion. Farming caused the disapperance of many native plants in this area. In an effort to restore and heal the watershed that supplies the Chattahoochee River, Big Trees Forest Preserve carefully manages this forest, assisting it in returning to its original health.

Stop #2. REGENERATION IMPROVES WATER QUALTIY.
The Depression in front of you is the site of the original Roswell Road, abandoned in 1902 when the present day road was built. Dirt roads erode, continually depositing unnatural levels of silt and soil in nearby streams. Because the forest has been allowed to evolve naturally, this former dirt road is covered with leaves and humus, which hold soil in place and halt erosion.

Stop #3. NATIVE PLANTS STABILIZE THE SOIL.
This is a native plant and wildflower educational meadow developed and maintained by the Huntcliff Garden Club and the North Fulton Master Gardners, Big Trees Forest volunteers. A natural opening in the canopy allows light to shine through, nourishing these plants that stabilize soil and keep streams clear. Gardening with native plants is a great way to have a positive impact on water quality.

Stop #4. MANY STREAMS MAKE UP A WATERSHED.
A watershed is an area bordered by ridges and drained by a stream or river. The stream below you is Powers Branch, which drains the local watershed. Rainfall from the surrounding neighborhood flows into it, feeding the Chattahoochee River. Along with that rain comes a number of unwanted human impacts - litter, chemicals, and eroded soil - that lower water quality.

Stop #5. EXOTIC PLANTS THREATEN FOREST HEALTH.
This is the original homestead. To your right is the largest white oak in the forest. The early owners planted a variety of invasive, exotic plants such as English Ivy, vinca, Chinese privet, and Japanese honeysuckle. They have since crowded out native plants that provided biodiversity and food for wildlife. In order to help protect watershed health and forest habitat, native plants should be maintained and replanted if possible.

Stop #6. A STREAM IS HEALTHIER THAN A CULVERT.
Roswell Road once forded the creek here, and a railroad ran on the terrace on the opposite side of the stream. As recently as 1989, this forest was slated for development, with this stream being scheduled to be diverted through a culvert under 20 feet of dirt and asphalt. John Ripley Forbes, founder of the Southeast Land Preservation Trust, started a drive to save this forest that same year. As a result, rainfall now drips off trees and is absorbed into the surrounding soil, so that a peaceful forest survives damaging impacts.

Stop #7. FISH NEED CLEAN WATER.
Look closely for small bream at the water's edge. In the early 1990's, this stream showed no signs of life. In 1997, when construction upstream concluded, the stream slowly flushed itself of eroded soil and poisons and returned to life. Eventually, the fish you see, as well as salamanders, crayfish, insects, and snails made their way upstream into the cleaner, healthier water.

You may wonder why the water has a blue cast in some places. The discoloration is a result of petroleum residues that collect on pavement and flow into the stream with rainwater. This runoff pollutes the water that animals, fish, and people drink.

Stop #8. FALLEN TREES HELP SLOW THE STREAM.
The two trees stretching across the stream here are victims of unnaturally fast rain runoff from parking lots and roads upstream. The rushing floodwaters eroded the streambank, causing it to collapse. Leaving the trees in the stream helps slow storm runoff, which can help prevent further bank erosion downstream.

Stop #9. STRONG BANKS PREVENT EROSION.
Across the stream, an Eagle Scout built this rock "retaining" wall that saved the trees and bank from further erosion. This is a positive human impact. As you walk the next 150 feet of stream, note how the unprotected banks have been worn away by floodwaters. They are scoured free of plants that provide soil protection.

Stop #10. RESTORING STREAMBANKS BENEFITS WILDLIFE TOO.
Volunteers have planted the native azaleas in front of you to help strengthen and restore the streambanks. Additonally, this vegetated area and the brush piles behind you serve as homes for wildlife like small birds and rodents. They also control recreational traffic, keeping the trail narrow and helping prevent further erosion.

Stop #11. TREES HOLD THE WATERSHED TOGETHER.
Across the stream, tree roots are working hard at holding rocks and dirt in place. Without these roots, this section of bank would fall prey to the same runoff that scoured the banks downstream. Trees and plants are important throughout the forest in helping prevent soil erosion.

Stop #12. PARKING LOTS DON'T ABSORB WATER OR LITTER.
This spillway drains a parking lot. When rain comes, it rushes down like a whitewater stream instead of being absorbed by the ground and gradually released. This action flushes debris on the parking lot into Powers Branch. Look closely and you may notice bits of trash and cigarette butts about to enter the stream. Consider the effect that hundreds of watersheds with hundreds of parking lots have on the water quality of the Chattahoochee River.

Stop #13. HIGH WATER NEEDS A PLACE TO GO.
These massive rocks rolled into the streambed as a result of developing the parking lot and sewer line on the terrace above you. They narrow the stream channel causing floodwaters to back up and overflow during heavy rain. This further erodes the banks and path you are standing on, which fills the stream with additional soil and silt, ruining aquatic habitat and lowering water quality. A rock retainer wall is built upstream to help deflect floodwaters from the trail.

Stop #14. NATURAL RUNOFF IS SLOW AND GRADUAL.
Below you is a natural spring. Look downstream and notice the plants growing in its path. Water absorbed into the soil above the hillside is gradually being released into the stream, the way nature intended. This provides stream plants and creatures with plenty of water during dry spells and involves minimal erosion.

Stop #15. PASSIVE RECREATION MAKES NO IMPACT.
Have a seat on this natural rock bench and admire the large native azalea in front of you. Listen to the water and the birds around you. Feel the spirit of the forest as you relax and reflect. This is the peaceful atmosphere that Big Trees Forest Preserve seeks to preserve; a visual, mental, and spiritual refuge. This type of relaxed recreation is good for the soul of the individual and promotes a high-quality watershed and forest environment.

We hope you've enjoyed the Big Trees Forest Preserve Nature Trail. In essence, you've seen that your backyard is a big as the watershed that your personal actions influence. You've seen how human impacts like development, recreation, and pollution can hurt water quality. You've also seen how people can have a beneficial impact on water quality through proper stewardship and management. Continue following the trail and return to your backyard.

This brochure was written and designed by Rob Porter, University of Georgia, and developed and provided by the USFS Chattahoochee National Forest through a grant from the USDA Forest Service Southern Region.

Conserving the Chattahoochee River Watershed

Enclosed in this brochure is a list of things you can do to help clean up and maintain the Chattahoochee River Watershed - your backyard.

This brochure is available in the information box located near the entrance of Big Trees Forest and reads as follows:

A watershed is all the land that drains into a river, including the smaller streams that feed the river. Currently, pollution, recreational overuse, and excess erosion threaten water quality in the Chattahoochee River Watershed. You may depend on the Chattahoochee for your drinking water.

The forest and the river are also part of the backyard where you play. You probably spend a great deal of time taking care of your own backyard. Now imagine taking care of a backyard one-tenth the size of Georgia.

The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Chattahoochee National Forest, and Big Trees Forest Preserve ask you to conserve the Chattahoochee River and its watershed.

THE PROBLEM

POLLUTED WATER
Just Add Chemicals, Trash, and Dirt.
Clean water is a limited resource. The Chattahoochee River is an extremely valuable resource that supplies the drinking water for communities throughout its watershed.

Runoff from parking lots, storm drains, and overused recreation areas all contribute to the pollution of the river. As a river fills with excess soil, pools that hold fish are filled in. As pools disappear and pollution enters the stream, fish may become unfit to eat and possibly die.

You don't want to swim, canoe, or fish in an unhealthy river. So remember - if you dump it in at Helen, Georgia, you may drink it in Atlanta, Georgia!

TREE LOSS
Trees Hold The Watershed Together.
Think of the roots of a tree as a giant strainer. Roots hold soil, rocks and small pieces of vegetation together as rainwater rushes over and through them. Trees are especially important near streams where they hold the banks together.

Look at the upper most Chattahoochee River after a storm. The water is still quite clear because trees in the watershed prevent erosion. Hanging lanterns on trees and carving on tree bark invites insects and disease, which can kill trees.

SOIL COMPACTION
Turning the Forest Into a Parking Lot.
Any time a number of people walk, ride their bikes, or camp in the same spot, it squeezes the soil into a hard, cementlike surface. That's soil compaction. This prevents water from soaking into the surface of the soil and causes it to run off quickly into streams and rivers. This rushing water quickly strips banks of their soil, rocks, and trees. The result is erosion and a river that is muddy.

RECREATION OVERUSE
Loving the Forest to Death
A greater number of people recreate (camp, fish, hike, play, etc.) near the Chattahoochee River and its tributaries every year. Camping too close to a stream damages the vegetation that holds the streambank together. Skipping switchbacks on a trail creates a trough for water to run straight down a hillside. Practices like these cause erosion, which fills the streams with unnatural levels of sand and soil.

LITTER
One Little Can Won't Make Any Difference.
Imigine if you drop a soft drink can in the river. No big deal, right? Imagine 100 yards downstream someone else does the same, followed by another. Eventually you have a river full of cans and other trash. This is the plight that the Chattahoochee faces right now!

MAINTAINING YOUR BACKYARD
LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD
Big Trees Forest Preserve seeks to protect the quality of Powers Branch Creek to help ensure good water quality in the Chattahoochee River and to provide you with a tranquil setting for enjoying the outdoors.

What you may not realize is that your actions upstream from the preserve affect the forest and the Chattahoochee River Watershed as well. For this reason, Big Trees Forest Preserve needs the help of the entire neighborhood in protecting the area. Here are some ways you can help at home.

- Keep parking lots and driveways free of litter and cigarette butts. They will eventualy wash into storm drains and into the stream. Fish often eat small bits of trash.

- Dumping of car fluids such as antifreeze or motor oil leads to severely polluted water. During heavy rains, these chemicals concentrate in the stream and can result in a "kill-off" of aquatic species. Fix any leaks you may have in your car and recycle used car fluids as will.

Plant plenty of trees, shrubs, and flowers in your yard. Not only are these attractive, they help to stabilize the soil, preventing runoff from depositing sediment in the creek.

Whenever possible, use previously developed surfaces if you must pave an area because paving has many negative consequences. Water is prevented from soaking into the soil. This causes flash flooding in the creeks, which strips banks of soil and vegetation.

MAINTAINING YOUR BACKYARD
BIG TREES FOREST PRESERVE USERS
Big Trees Forest Preserve provides you with a quiet outdoor setting in an urban environment and helps ensure quality water in the Chattahoochee River Watershed. Without this urban forest, you might be forced to travel a great distance to enjoy the peace and solitude you will find at Big Trees Forest Preserve.

Ironically, recreation activity often has negative effects on a natural resource. Fortunately, Big Trees Forest manages these uses to keep the area clean and beautiful. Here are some ways you can help them manage the preserve.

- Put your pets on a leash to prevent them from harassing wildlife.

- Always remove dog defecation from trails.

- Keep pets from digging on or off the trails. This creates holes that hold water and eventually lead to erosion channels and harm vegetation.

- Stay on the trails. Short-cutting switchbacks causes erosion. Going off the trail to avoid puddles or tree limbs widens the trail. Playing on cliffs or steep banks is dangerous, causes erosion and destroys vegetation.

- Respect the trees and flowering plants. Picking flowers may prevent the reproduction of rare plants and deprive others of their beauty. Pulling limbs off trees may kill them.

- Building dams in the creek and altering the stream crossings prevents the natural flow of the stream. This allows sediment to build up, reducing the aquatic habitat of many species and creating muddy areas. It can also cause soil erosion on stream banks.

- Bicycles, motorized vehicles, and joging disrupt the solitude of Big Trees Forest. Please respect the quiet atmosphere of this special area and the experience of other forest visitors.

- Always use the main entrance. Never enter through the Forest border. This causes informal trails, trail system confusion, plant destruction, erosion and unnecessary maintenance.

THE SOLUTION

MANAGEMENT
Protecting Your Resource.
The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the Big Trees Forest Preserve are helping lead the fight to protect the Chattahoochee River Watershed.

Large tracts of forest are being managed to provide you with clean drinking water. Fishing and hunting areas, hiking trails, and campsites are on National Forests to provide you with outdoor fun that will not harm the environment.

The Forest Service and Big Trees Forest Preserve are working together, dedicated to protecting the Chattahoochee River Watershed and providing you with recreational opportunities.

YOUR EFFORT COUNTS!
Management of this resource is both an individual and agency effort. Neither the Forest Service nor Big Trees Forest Preserve can do it alone. We need your help. That's right - you are the key person in the effort to restore and protect the Chattahoochee River Watershed.

It's your choice to be responsible and help improve the quality of this priceless resource. The Forest Service and Big Trees Forest want you as a partner. The choice not to litter and to recreate responsibly is yours!

RESPONSIBLE USE
Hand-In-Hand with Freedom.
As Americans, we are all owners of this precious watershed and forest resource. Our freedom to use it is a reflection of the democratic principles that make our country great.

Along with this freedom comes a responsibility to care for the natural resources that we all need and enjoy and to leave a legacy for future generations.

Think for a moment about the problems the Chattahoochee River Watershed faces. How many do you contribute to? Do you want pollution and recreational overuse in your backyard?

We hope these thoughts in this brochure will help you in considering how you can help clean up the Chattahoochee River Watershed - your backyard.

May you find conservation enlightenment in your visit to the Forest.

Big Trees Forest Self-Guided Tour Makes "The Atlanta Connection".

Big Trees Forest Preserve, in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Chattahoochee National Forest, Fulton County Parks and Recreation Department, Fulton County Environment Division, and The Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, is promoting a newly developed, self-guided watershed tour program at Big Trees Forest Preserve.

This educational program focuses on the Powers Branch watershed within Big Trees Forest and its relation to the Upper Chattahoochee River watershed. It further focuses on the people whose lives are affected by the health of these watersheds and their water quality.

There are two types of brochures explaining this watershed education program in the information box located near the Big Trees Forest entrance. One of the brochures is also a 15-stop, self-guided tour TRAIL GUIDE. The Trail Guide relates the dynamics of the Big Trees Forest to the Powers Branch watershed as an outdoor classroom. Both brochures show how personal actions have a positive or negative influence on our Chattahoochee River drinking and recreational water quality.

The theme of the Chattahoochee River watershed education program is, "How Big Is Your Backyard?". The tour reveals how personal actions reach far beyond one's own backyard. The tour also explores how human impacts like development, recreation, and pollution can degrade water quality. It further suggests ways to have a beneficial impact on water quality through proper stewardship and management.

The USFS Chattahoochee National Forest initiated this watershed education program in response to rapid population growth and land development within the metro Atlanta region which is affecting the management of the Chattahoochee National Forest (CNF).

More and more, people from the metro Atlanta area are using the CNF. The result is overuse of recreation sites, increased traffic and watershed pollution. Also, the Chattahoochee River watershed between the CNF and Atlanta is suffering from rapid development and increased usage.

One of the primary challenges to the community is to minimize the impact these changes are having on the Upper Chattahoochee River watershed, which begins within the CNF and ultimately affects the drinking and recreational water quality in the metro Atlanta area.

Linking the CNF with the metro Atlanta region using the Chattahoochee River Corridor and the Big Trees Forest Preserve creates "The Atlanta Connection".

This project provides an opportunity for the USFS Chattahoochee National Forest, Big Trees Forest Preserve, Fulton County Parks and Recreation Department, Fulton County Environment Division, and The Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper to expand their leadership roles in watershed health and restoration, sustainable forest management and recreation in a metropolitan region.

Low Gap campsite (located along a stream in the Upper Chattahoochee River watershed in the CNF) and Big Trees Forest Preserve (located along a section of Powers Branch stream in urbanized Sandy Springs) were identified as sites for living classrooms fostering environmental stewardship, "no trace ethics", and natural resource education.

The Low Gap camping and recreation site has been renovated to correct soil compaction problems, denuded stream banks have been revegetated, and hazard trees have been removed. Similar self-guided tour and watershed education brochures have also been developed for the Low Gap recreation area.

These conservation, education and interpretive programs have been developed by the USFS Chattahoochee National Forest with a grant from the USDA Forest Service Southern Region, using the Chattahoochee River watershed as the common theme. The CNF Chattooga Ranger District also provided the black locust tree sections used within the Big Trees Forest for the numbered posts on its 15 stop, self-guided tour.

We hope you enjoy this highly informative program and take the opportunity to visit both sites. Learn just how big your backyard really is and how your personal actions affect the quality of the Chattahoochee River watershed.

For more information on the upper Chattahoochee River outdoor living classroom at Low Gap, contact the Chattooga Ranger District in Clarkesville, GA, at 706-754-6221.