 The river is noteworthy for its unusual braided pattern; it has no well-defined channel but instead has multiple channels that start and disappear, maintaining a flow.The swamp is the home of the Francis Beidler Forest, a nature preserve containing over 1,800 acres of virgin cypress and tupelo forest owned and operated by the National Audubon Society.Some of the trees are over 1500 years in age, and the forest is the home of a number of rare or endangered species.