CHAPTER IV: WILDLIFE HABITATS FOR MISSISSIPPI’S SGCN,
THREATS AND CONSERVATION ACTIONS^155prings form when groundwater resurfaces after flowing laterally over less permeable substrates, S
which place the water table above the spring. Cracks or sloping impermeable strata tend to direct the
flow towards the spring head. Springs were important watering points for early settlers but also have
ecological importance, especially by providing a moist environment for amphibians. Today, some
springs produce commercial spring water. Spring seeps often contain rare plants and may be the only
wetlands available to local animal populations during droughts. Larger spring-fed wetlands are
considered in swamp, bog or other wetland categories within this document. Spring seeps occur
throughout the state and are categorized into hardwood or pine seeps.
This type includes two subtypes: 7.1 Hardwood Seeps and 7.2 Pine Seeps.
GENERAL CONDITION
Seeps occur throughout Mississippi but are infrequently found in the blackland and interior flatwoods
regions of the state. They are more abundant in regions with steep terrain such as the Loess Hills,
Tennessee River hills, and the rolling hills of the longleaf pine region. The number of seeps in
Mississippi is unknown and no study of their condition is available. The Mississippi NHP has
documented a limited number of spring seeps. Some seeps are destroyed during highway construction
by cutting through the vein that provides moisture or by intentionally capping with impermeable
materials in efforts to preserve the roadbed. Surrounding land uses will affect the condition of spring
seeps. In one instance for example, a seep which supplied moisture to a highly diverse bog was
destroyed by the removal of sand and gravel from a nearby hill. Surface and gully erosion will reduce
moisture availability to springs by changing subsurface flow patterns. In some instances seeps are less
likely to be impacted by humans, as the nature of the saturated soils makes it difficult to carry out
standard logging practices or imprudent to construct buildings within the seepage zone.
Additional efforts are needed to insure that spring seeps remain a vital part of wildlife habitat in
Mississippi.