The Nature Conservancy recently announced its efforts to protect 1,117 acres along the Altamaha River in Long County, known as the the Morgan Lake tract, according to a news release on the conservancy’s website.With the addition of Morgan Lake, The Nature Conservancy and many partners have protected more than 140,000 acres in the Altamaha River basin. The Morgan Lake tract represents a critical link between the state’s Griffin Ridge Wildlife Management Area and the protected corridor stretching along the river for more than 40 miles, from the Townsend Wildlife Management Area to the Wolf and Egg Island National Wildlife Refuge in the Altamaha delta. The wetland forests of Morgan Lake are made up of a wide range of native tree species including bald cypress and swamp tupelo.