Lumber River

A preliminary natural heritage inventory of the river corridor was conducted in 1989. Twelve Natural Heritage Priority Areas were identified, containing high-quality natural communities or habitat for rare species. There are six natural community types represented in these 12 areas: sand and mud bar, coastal plain levee forest (blackwater subtype), cypress gum swamp (blackwater subtype), coastal plain bottomland hardwoods (blackwater subtype), pine savannah, and xeric sandhill scrub. Sixty percent or more of these areas are represented by coastal plain bottomland hardwoods, 20 percent by cypress gum swamp, and 15 percent by coastal plain levee forest.

One of the results of this wide variety of habitat types and substratum is that numerous rare and sensitive plants exist throughout the river corridor, particularly in the unique Natural Heritage Priority Areas. Among the rare and endangered plants is sarvis holly, a distinctive blackwater river plant that grows mainly along the river banks and is distributed along the river's entire length. This plant is on the state endangered species list as being "significantly rare" and is a candidate for the federal list of threatened or endangered plants. Comfortroot is another uncommon plant found along the river; comfortroot is a candidate for state listing. On the 700-acre Big Sandy Ridge located north of Fair Bluff, there are two significant species: woody goldenrod or chrysoma and threadleaf sundew. Woody goldenrod is listed as endangered by the state of North Carolina, and threadleaf sundew is listed as "significantly rare." Three final scarce plant species known to occur in the river corridor are Carolina bog mint, which is in the process of being listed by North Carolina as "threatened" and is a "species of concern" at the federal level; savannah yellow-eyed grass, which is a state candidate species; and southern bog button, which is listed by North Carolina as being "significantly rare."

The Lumber River is a popular fishing stream and receives considerable fishing pressure from anglers across the State. The river has historically provided excellent fishing for various sunfish, largemouth bass, catfishes, chain pickerel, and yellow perch. The river supports a diverse fish assemblage and a high-quality sport fishery, especially for redbreast sunfish and largemouth bass. Sampling conducted by the North Carolina Water Resources Commission categorizes the redbreast sunfish population in the Lumber River as a high-quality fishery; many southeastern anglers rate the Lumber River as the premier riverine sport fishery for bluegill, redbreast, and red-ear sunfish in the state. American shad, an anadromous species, has also been collected from the Lumber River.

The Lumber River supports two unique fish species designated of "special concern" by the state of North Carolina. These species are the pinewoods darter and the sandhills chub.

The Lumber River has regional recreational value for canoeing and sightseeing opportunities. The river offers visitors an opportunity to experience multi-day canoe trips on an unusually long and meandering blackwater river in a natural and uncrowded setting. The Lumber River is one of few rivers in the region that travels through two distinct physiographic regions—starting in the Sandhills Region and flowing through the Coastal Plain—providing a diverse canoeing setting. Currents and obstructions by fallen trees provide additional variety and offer navigability challenges.

The Lumber River's significance as a canoe trail was formally recognized in 1978 when the upper river was designated North Carolina's first recreational water trail. In 1981, this segment of the river was designated a National Water Trail, the first such trail in the southeastern United States. In 1984, the lower river was included in the list of National Canoe Trails.

The Lumber River also provides numerous recreation opportunities besides canoeing. Sandbars, fallen logs, overhanging branches, and an abundant food supply provide excellent habitat and structure for fish; fishing from the banks and from small boats is popular along most of the river. The species most frequently sought include sunfish (bluegill, warmouth, redbreast), largemouth bass, catfishes, pickerel, and yellow perch. Unusual deposits of fossils and sharks teeth provide a unique fossil hunting activity, although collecting is discouraged and is prohibited on state lands. Other recreation opportunities along the Lumber River include excellent wildlife observation, hiking, photography, and hunting.

The Lumber River State Park provides facilities for camping, nature study, hiking, and picnicking. Additional recreational facilities for picnicking, river access, hiking, and nature study are provided by local governments.

The river possesses a high level of scenic integrity (i.e., the landscape character is remarkably intact and natural in appearance) for most of its length. The river is predominately bottomland hardwood swamp, which is rare in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Only the upland pine forest areas of Pembroke, Lumberton, and Fair Bluff are comprised of significantly developed land. Though other rivers within the region, such as the Black, South, and Waccamaw, rival the Lumber's scenic attractiveness, the Lumber River is unique in providing scenic integrity over such a long reach.

The corridor contains some visual features which detract from the river's natural scenic attractiveness, primarily in the Pembroke, Lumberton, and Fair Bluff areas. Visual intrusions include homes and small businesses, a few canals, farms, and several bridge and power line crossings. Within the vicinity of Lumberton there is a dike, buildings to the water's edge, parks, one significant water intake structure, very short stretches of bank hardening and a small junkyard. However, the duration of these intrusions as the river is being traveled is very short; many of the intrusions, such as the dike, are well screened and/or set well back from the river; and many of the features, such as parks, are attractive in their own right. None of the intrusions significantly alter the river's overall scenic integrity or landscape character; only the junkyard is a significant visual detraction. The Lumber River does have a significant litter problem along much of its course.

Outside population centers, remnants of cypress logging railroad trestles hidden along the river and intermittent bridges are among the very infrequent reminders that man ever played a role in the bottomland swamp of the Lumber River. Violent winds from Hurricane Andrew have made parts of the river almost impassable due to tree blow-downs, contributing to the natural character and a sense of remoteness on the river. Expansive views through a baffle of cypress, Spanish moss, and cypress knees add to the river's swamp-like character. The slow-moving, tea-colored water reflects the vegetation of the surrounding banks, yet is clear enough to allow a glimpse of vigorous aquatic life. Light and dark contrast as sunlight filters through the dense forest canopy and dances on the smooth water surface. Colorful flowering plants and wildlife add variety of scenery.

Seasonal variation contributes to interesting color changes, including the burnt-orange colored leaves of the cypress and the red to yellow colors of the swamp red maple in the fall, as well as the bright red seed pods of the maple and the light green foliage of cypress in the early spring. These spectacular colors are accentuated by reflections on the dark water surface. In winter months, areas of the forest not visible in spring and summer open to deeper recesses of the forests and swamps.

In addition to the topographic and vegetative variation from the upland to swamp areas, variety of landform is provided by tight meanders, varying channel width, white sand point bars, low natural levees, islands, sloughs, and the backwaters of abandoned river channels. A few steep outcrops along the riverbank expose Coastal Plain formations and abundant marine fossils, providing additional scenic variation and complexity.

Other sensory perceptions contribute to the unique swamp like character of the Lumber River, such as the sounds of a variety of wildlife and insects. These include a surprising churning of the water surface by wood ducks taking flight, the crash of the beaver's tail at an approaching boat, or the rare grunt of an alligator. Cicadas, frogs, and birds add more variety to the recreational and aesthetic experience visitors enjoy. Smells of fragrant flowering plants such as the native wisteria add a pleasant touch to the aesthetic experience.

The Lumber River provides habitat for several species listed as threatened or endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The headwaters of the Lumber lie in the Sandhills Region, which is considered one of the best red-cockaded woodpecker habitats north of Florida; the red-cockaded woodpecker is listed as a federally endangered species. American alligators, a federally threatened species in the state of North Carolina, can be found in the river. Other species that are included in the federal listing of "Species of Special Concern" include Carolina crawfish, river frog, black vulture, Cooper's hawk, glossy ibis, snowy egret, golden-crowned kinglet, loggerhead shrike, Keen's bat, southeastern bat, Rafinesque's big-eared bat, and the star-nosed mole. The Lumber River is also home to an elipteo freshwater mussel which is currently being evaluated as a new genus.

The Lumber River functions as a corridor of dispersal for a diversity of species in addition to those having national significance listed above. Black bear have been documented as far west as Lumberton in Robeson County. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, with support from the National Wild Turkey Federation and private landowners, has stocked wild turkeys within its native habitat of the Lumber watershed. Bald eagles are found throughout the river basin. The riverine bottomland forested areas of the river are also important to a variety of species of neotropical migrant birds. Many of these species, which are provided with an exceptional habitat in the watershed of the Lumber, are declining and may receive federal listing in the future.