By Alabama Public Radio
Bibb County AL – The Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge would double in size under a bill approved yesterday by the US House. The measure is sponsored by Congressman Spencer Bachus. It would add 36-hundred acres to the refuge, including about three-and-a-half miles of the Cahaba River in Bibb County. The river flows for almost 200 miles and is considered Alabama's longest free-flowing stream. The refuge is best known for its stands of flamboyant lilies that bloom in May. It is also home to numerous snails, mussels and 131 species of fish, including some that are extremely rare or federally protected. The Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge was established in September 2002.