Chattahoochee River Conservancy

Shoal Lily Restoration

We stand knee deep in the rushing creek, the water pulling at our feet, sunlight warming our backs as we bend over clusters of tall green stalks. We spread out across the water, our empty bags soon to be filled with green treasures: shoal lily seeds.

The shoal spider lily (Hymenocallis coronaria) goes by many names, but is native in only a handful of places: Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. In some places, this aquatic plant is known as the Cahaba lily; in others, the shortened moniker “shoal lily” suffices. Regardless, the plant is a rare gem with, unfortunately, an uncertain future.

The aquatic shoal lily requires a specific habitat to survive: shallow, swiftly moving water, rocky soil (hence the “shoal” in its name), and lots of sunlight. While the Chattahoochee River once held one of the world’s largest populations of this plant, man-made alterations affected the river’s natural flow so severely that entire populations were wiped out, until the sight of a shoal lily on the river became a rare thing.

An important part of the river’s natural ecosystem, the shoal lily offers many benefits including purifying the water, channeling water flow, attracting pollinators, slowing erosion, and providing habitat for young fish, shellfish, and microorganisms which all also play important roles. On top of that, the shoal lily’s stunning white blooms, occurring between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day each year, are a breathtaking sight to behold, bringing in tourists and botany lovers from all over.

The shoal lily has been under consideration for the Endangered Species Act due to its diminishing populations and threatened future. And while not much can be done to restore a population in a body of water which doesn’t provide a sustainable habitat, dam removals have raised hope that populations can be restored and our river can once again thrive in its original state.

In 2010, after two dams were removed on the 2.5 mile whitewater stretch of the Chattahoochee River, multiple groups in the area began discussing the potential for a restoration program to see the return of the native shoal lily in our area. John Turner and Whitewater Express collaborated with Chattahoochee River Conservancy, a local nonprofit working to protect the future of our watershed, to begin the work. Nearly Native Nursery soon became a partner, taking on the important work of germination and cultivation until the healthy plants were ready to be transported to the Chattahoochee River.

Shoal lily seeds are collected in late spring and early summer from an established population in a creek with permission from the landowner. After collection, the seeds are taken to Nearly Native Nursery where a germination tub is set up to simulate the natural processes they would experience in the creek. After germination, the seeds with their sprouted radicles are tucked into pots of soil where they’ll quietly grow over winter until the following summer, when they’ll be transported to the whitewater stretch of the Chattahoochee River. A group of Chattahoochee River Conservancy staff, along with Whitewater Express representatives and Nearly Native Nursery owners Jim and Debi Rodgers all set out on a whitewater rafting excursion to access planting spots along the river. Full gear and intense paddling are required – the effort is not just in the planting, but in accessing the spots on the river where the shoal lilies have the best chance at survival. A day of planting shoal lilies is tiring, sweaty, but fulfilling work.

What has affectionately become known as “Planting Day” is a day of celebration, scouting planting sites, digging down into the rocky soil, and carefully transferring the plants to their new home. As our rafts float away from the newly established shoal lilies, we send them a wish for good luck and happy growth, knowing that our efforts and hard work will take time to flourish.

The cycle’s culmination occurs when, one warm day in May, we look out across the river and see our first glimpse of a proud, white bloom, and utter a whisper, or maybe a shout of “Thank you” to all who invested in and understood the value of one little plant on that expanse of flowing water.

Restoring a plant species is an ongoing process, with plant populations taking years to reach a self-sustaining state. Since 2015, Chattahoochee River Conservancy has planted more than 10,000 shoal lilies in the 2.5 mile stretch of the Chattahoochee River that meanders through downtown Columbus. Each spring, CRC takes a group of staff and volunteers to assess the success of the project by counting shoal lilies. This year, the group counted 1,453 thriving shoal lilies on the planting route, an exciting testament to the hard work of all of the invested groups. The long-term goal count is 2-3 thousand plants, at which point the CRC will continue to monitor the plants but will halt their planting work.

The shoal lilies face many challenges as they grow here in Columbus, the main ones being the fluctuation of the water level, public disturbance, and man-made alterations to the river’s natural state and water quality. Thousands are planted with the understanding that only a percentage will take root, establish, and thrive.

Today, the native shoal lily has returned home to Columbus thanks to the hard work of the Chattahoochee River Conservancy, Whitewater Express, Nearly Native Nursery, and the many donors and volunteers who have supported the program. Today, the Chattahoochee River is healthier than it was ten years ago, and we intend to continue to move forward in the direction of progress.

A healthy community and a healthy watershed go hand in hand, and the Chattahoochee River Conservancy is committed to their ongoing work to see this community and river thrive.

The CRC is a nonprofit 501c3 headquartered in Columbus, and their work is funded by the generosity of the community. To learn more and support their work, visit chattriver.org.

By Natalie Downey