Southwest Atlanta’s Tatum Lakes to become city’s newest nature preserve
For residents in southwest Atlanta, Tatum Lakes is one of the neighborhood’s best-kept secrets.
The more than 50 acres of urban forest sit along Boulder Park Drive and are home to old-growth white oak, pine and hickory trees that tower over two man-made lakes, wetlands and even a small waterfall.
It’s a favorite spot for local fishers but has sat untouched and under threat of development until now.
The city of Atlanta recently purchased the property for around $1.5 million to transform it into a publicly accessible park and the city’s newest nature preserve.
“As a kid growing up in Adamsville, I passed these lakes every day going to school ... recreation centers for afterschool activities and pretty much anyplace I was headed to or from,” Mayor Andre Dickens said.
“Acquiring the Tatum Lakes Nature Preserve ensures this green space will be protected for generations to enjoy.”
The project, aimed at protecting Atlanta’s dwindling tree canopy, is an example of targeted investment in a historically underserved neighborhood.
Dickens “Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative” is the hallmark of his second term in office and — if fully funded — could spark generational change across areas of the city that have suffered from Atlanta’s rapid growth instead of benefiting from it, the mayor has said.
Dickens wants to extend all eight of the city’s tax allocation districts — also known as TADs — to generate more than $5 billion to fund major infrastructure investments across several underserved neighborhoods.
To generate that amount of revenue, the mayor’s plan will need approval from the Atlanta City Council, Atlanta schools and Fulton County government — all of which have expressed some level of skepticism.
A list of the plan’s priority projects, first reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, earmarks more than $1.4 billion for green space improvements.
While the Tatum Lakes property was purchased through the city’s Tree Trust Fund — paid into by developers who remove trees within the city — Dickens warns that projects like it may not happen without extending all of the TADs, most of which are set to expire in 2030.
“It matters where we put our parks and hospitals,” Dickens said at his recent State of the City address. “It matters where we build new transit, it matters where we spend our money.”
Protecting forest and community
For years, Tatum Lakes has been on the city’s list of forested areas that face the highest risk of development. But negotiations with the landowner fell through in the past. That was until talks of a sale to The Conservation Fund rekindled and the purchase was finalized in 2025.
“It was a huge win for us, as it was such a big property that we’ve been after for so long,” said Roberta Moore, senior field representative for The Conservation Fund, a nonprofit that helps purchase at-risk land.
“It is amazing the fact that that forest is still there, and the trees and the forest are just good shape as they are,” she said.
Tatum Lakes is sandwiched between Herbert Greene Nature Preserve and Wilson Mill Park in southwest Atlanta. Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Justin Cutler said the lake-filled forest could connect the two and create miles of new walking opportunities for residents.
“It’s really about how are you creating health infrastructure so people who are farthest from health opportunities have the opportunity to walk or play ball and do what they need to do to live longer, healthier lives,” Cutler said. “That’s why parks are so critical.”
If the city hadn’t purchased the land, it was likely on track for housing development — a future that would have taken away recreational opportunities for locals who have been enjoying the land for years.
“They have used this space historically for generations,” Cutler said. “Now it can be a place where people can come and share their memories with their kids and fish and do the things they like doing in this spot.”
According to a property analysis produced by Trees Atlanta, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the city’s tree canopy, invasive species removal and maintenance over the next five years will only cost about $218,000. Invasive vines and shrubs cover about 80% of the forest.
It’s a small price tag to safeguard one of Atlanta’s remaining urban forests as the city expands and the effects of climate change intensify.
The Atlanta City Council passed an amendment to the city’s tree protection ordinance in 2016 that allowed Tree Trust Fund dollars to be used not only to plant new trees but also buy land.
The change has led to the purchase and protection of more than 500 acres of forest since, Moore said.
“It’s about trying to protect our mature forests where we still have them to be part of our ecological fabric as the ‘city in the forest,” she said.
About the Author
Riley Bunch is a reporter on the local government team at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution covering Atlanta City Hall. She covers the mayor and Atlanta City Council while also keeping an eye on the city’s diverse neighborhoods.
