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Altamaha
Riverkeeper and Coastkeeper, Inc.
P. O. Box 2642, 105 First Street W
Darien, Georgia 31305
Phone: 912-437-8164
Fax: 912-437-8765
stewards@altamahariverkeeper.org
http://www.altamahariverkeeper.org
Watershed Information
Basin: Altamaha River
Streams: The Altamaha River watershed including the Oconee, Ocmulgee and the
Ohoopee and their many tributaries.
Size of Watershed: 14,000 square miles
Contact:
Ms. Deborah Sheppard, Executive Director
Phone: 912-437-8164
Email: debshep@darientel.net
Mission:
The Altamaha Riverkeeper is working to restore and preserve the habitat, water
quality and flow of the mighty Altamaha - from its headwaters in the Oconee,
the Ocmulgee and the Ohoopee to its terminus at the Atlantic Coast.
Activities:
Education, advocacy, water monitoring through site visits, clean-ups and legal
action, when necessary.
Issues:
The enforcement of local state and federal laws to protect water quality and
flow, for example, Clean Water Act violations, sedimentation and erosion
violations, violations of Best Management Practices in forestry, legal and
illegal discharge of sewage.
Successes:
With the help of others... First time ever public hearing on Rayonier's NPDES
discharge permit. Appealing of Rayonier's NPDES discharge permit, and appeal
of three Coastal Marshland Protection Committee Decisions James Holland's
recent awards from the Garden Club of Georgia, Georgia Wildlife Federation
and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Over 350 sites visits
to evaluate problems, participate in numerous educational programs, including
science fairs, fairs and festivals, and frequently featured in numerous newspaper
stories, consulted by the media for information and opinions throughout the
watershed, featured in GPTV video.
Assistance Provided by the Group:
Working together on problems identified in the watershed.
Participation in Monitoring: Yes
Advocacy Organization: Yes
Paid Staff: 5
Number of Paying Members: 1000
Non-Profit Status: 501c3
Founded: 1999
Apalachee Monitoring
and Watershed Alliance
Jim Weaver
jimweaver1390@yahoo.com
Watershed Information
Basin: Oconee River/ Apalachee River
Athens Grow Green Coalition
P.O. Box 1085
Athens, Georgia 30603
Phone: 706-227-0422
Fax: n/a
moderator@athensgrowgreen.com
http://www.athensgrowgreen.com
Watershed Information
Basin: Oconee River
Streams: Oconee
Contact:
Ms. Beth Gavrilles, Secretary
Phone: 706-227-0422
Mission:
The mission of the Athens Grow Green Coalition is to promote responsible community
development and growth management policies and practices that protect natural
resources, prevent sprawl, maintain a healthy economy, and preserve a high
quality of life for all in the Athens region.
Activities:
Public education and lobbying on land use and environmental issues, and voter
information on local candidates' environmental records.
Issues:
Growth management and land use.
Successes:
We campaigned successfully to convince the Athens-Clarke County Commission
to pass a 75 foot riparian buffer ordinance covering most perennial streams
in the fall of 2000; we assisted in developing new conservation subdivision
regulations that are more protective of open space and sensitive environmental
areas in 2003; we lobbied successfully to extend 75-foot buffer protection
to all perennial and intermittent streams in 2004.
Assistance Provided by the Group:
We campaigned successfully to convince the Athens-Clarke County Commission
to pass a 75 foot riparian buffer ordinance covering most perennial streams
in the fall of 2000; we assisted in developing new conservation subdivision
regulations that are more protective of open space and sensitive environmental
areas in 2003; we lobbied successfully to extend 75-foot buffer protection
to all perennial and intermittent streams in 2004.
Participation in Monitoring: No
Advocacy Organization: Yes
Paid Staff: 0
Number of Paying Members: 150
Founded: 2000
Broad River Watershed Association
Sam Linhart
P. O. Box 661
Danielsville, Georgia 30633-0661
Phone: 706-795-2184
board@brwa.org
http://www.brwa.org
Watershed Information
Basin: Savannah River
Streams: Broad River, including mainstem and all tributaries
Mission:
To preserve the Broad River as a free-flowing river system and to support land
use compatible with the maintenance of water quality, scenic rural character,
and the preservation of sensitive natural and historic areas and wildlife
habitat.
Activities:
Land protection through conservation easements; education and outreach through
public forums, adopt-a-stream monitoring (in collaboration with local schools),
and river clean-ups.
Issues:
Unplanned or poorly planned development that degrades water quality, wildlife
habitat, scenic values, and sensitive natural or historic areas. Water supply
development that involves stream impoundment. Riparian disturbance by roads,
clearing, mining, and construction.
Successes:
December 2001: Acquisition of >135 acres of hardwood forest in the headwaters
of the Broad River system; this land will be protected in perpetuity through
a conservation easement. September 2001: Funding award from the North American
Wetlands Conservation program, with matching funds from the Georgia Power Company,
to protect riparian wetlands in the Broad River system through land aquisition
and conservation easements.
Assistance Provided by the Group:
By developing and holding conservation easements, we collaborate with land
owners to ensure perpetual protection of sensitive lands from development
activities that would degrade the Broad River or its tributaries.
Participation in Monitoring: Yes
Advocacy Organization: No
Paid Staff: 0
Non-Profit Status: 501c3
Founded: 1991
Burnt Fork Watershed Alliance, Inc.
Ms. Carol Hayes, Chairperson
2665 Spicer Lane
Decatur, Georgia 30033
Phone: 404-320-9187
Fax: 404-325-9117
http://www.geocities.com/burntforkwa
Watershed Information
Basin: Chattahoochee River
Streams: Burnt Fork Creek
Size of Watershed: The Burnt Fork Watershed encompasses an area of approximately
5 square miles in Dekalb County, Georgia that is, for the most part, bordered
by LaVista Road and Lawrenceville Highway from Tucker to near Emory University
in Decatur. Water from Burnt Fork Watershed drains into Burnt Fork Creek which
flows through the business districts and neighborhoods of Northeast Dekalb
County. The Burnt Fork Watershed is 1 of the 27 sub-watersheds that make up
the Peachtree/Nancy Creek watersheds.
Mission:
The Burnt Fork Watershed Alliance seeks to bring citizens and businesses together
in constructive conversation and action to create a future in which the health
of the environment and economy are protected. We recognize that the economic
viability and environmental integrity of the Burnt Fork Watershed are interwoven.
Activities:
Education, Monitoring, Creek Clean-Ups
Issues:
Impervious surfaces, flooding, erosion, CSX rail line, potential construction
of Athens/Atlanta Commuter Rail
Successes:
Received a $5,000 grant from the State of Georgia
Participation in Monitoring: Yes
Advocacy Organization: Yes
Paid Staff: 0
Non-Profit Status: Apply Soon
Founded: 1999
Center for a Sustainable
Coast
Mr. David Kyler, Executive Director
221 Mallory Street, Suite B
Saint Simons Island, Georgia 31522
Phone: 912-638-3612
Fax: 912-638-3615
susdev@gate.net
http://www.sustainablecoast.org
Watershed Information
Basin: Georgia - Coastal
Size of Watershed: 36,000 square miles
Phone: 912-638-3612
Email: susdev@gate.net
Mission:
The Center works to protect the public interest in critical issues affecting
coastal Georgia's growth, economy, and environment.
Activities:
education, technical assistance, advocacy, support and dissemination of research,
legal action as needed (litigation)
Issues:
1. ditching and draining wetlands, and other disturbances of flow conditions
2. point source pollution from various land-based activities.
3. non-point source pollution from forestry, agriculture, and urban development
4. air deposition from coal-burning power plants
5. rapid rise in demand for consumptive uses of water (e.g. power plants)
6. threats to natural resources and ecosystems, including those that support
nature-based businesses, which have an estimated 40,000 jobs (one out of five)
in this region.
Successes:
Publicity about water quality issues affecting productivity of coastal waters,
adversely affecting nature-based businesses such as commercial fishing & seafood
processing-- based on water quality petition sent to EPD/DNR.
Assistance Provided by the Group:
editing and technical writing, mailing to 1300 individuals on our mailing lists,
networking via Internet, posting messages/announcements and links on our
website, posting information in our quarterly newsletter providing comment
on and assisting in campaigns and public information/events,
Participation in Monitoring: No
Advocacy Organization: Yes
Paid Staff: 1.5
Non-Profit Status: 501c3
Founded: 1997
Central
Georgia Rivers Partnership
Frank Peterman
The Wilderness Society
112 Krog Street, Ste. 26
Decatur, GA 30307
Phone: 404-872-9453
frank_peterman@tws.org
Watershed Information
Basin: Altamaha, Oconee and Ocmulgee Rivers
Mission:
To protect priority resource areas within and around
the corridors of the Ocmulgee, Oconee, and Altamaha
Rivers.
Founded: 2005
Chamblee Community Wildlife Habitat Association
Kay Packard, Coordinator, Chamblee Community Habitat Committee
3773 Captain Drive
Chamblee, Georgia 30341
Phone: 770-451-6079
Fax: 770-234-9058
Email: kpackard@bellsouth.net
Watershed Information
Basin: Chattahoochee
Streams: Unnamed stream beginning under GM Doraville
Plant and ending in Nancy Creek at Chamblee Methodist
Church.
Size of Watershed: About 4 miles.
Activities:
We've had one clean-up - last October, but plan to do this more often. Will
have one in the spring - the Environmental Club at Chamblee High School wants
to get involved. Eventually would like to do the Adopt-A-Stream program in
the area.
Issues:
Pollution and trash for the commercial area our stream flows through before
reaching our neighborhood.
Successes:
Right now we are working on the Community Habitat Program with National Wildlife
Federation. Our Chamblee Community Program has been chosen as a field trip
for the National Wildlife Federation's Annual Meeting in March. They will
do a 2-hour project at Chamblee High School as part of the trip. The watershed
program came about as one of the projects connected with our Habitat Program.
There are now only 3 in the nation - would love to be number 4! The mayor
is proclaiming March 9 as Chamblee Community Habitat Day, with a Proclamation
being presented to Mark Van Putten, President of NWF. I expected just 4-5
people at our first stream clean-up - we had 30, including most of a girl
scout troop, and got out about 1,000 pounds of trash! Most pleased with the
results of our first clean-up!
Participation in Monitoring: No
Advocacy Organization: No
Paid Staff: 0
Number of Paying Members: 0
Non-Profit Status: 501c3
Founded: 1998
Chattahoochee Cold Water Fishery Foundation
Chris
Scalley, President
710 Riverside Road
Roswell, Georgia 30075
Phone: 770-650-8630
Cell: 770-597-8096
http://www.riverthroughatlanta.com
http://www.chattahoocheefoodwebs.org
Watershed Information
Basin: Chattahoochee River
Streams: Monitor exclusively on the main stem of the tailwaters.
Size of Watershed: 45 miles
Mission:
To preserve the Chattahoochee tailwater fishery through benthic macro invertebrate
collections to monitor water quality and restore riparian zones within the
river corridor.
Activities:
Hester Dendy substrate and Surbor samplers. We have volunteers analyze the
contents of these and document diversity.
Issues:
Non point and thermal pollution along with point source which is mostly related
to waste water treatment facilities.
Successes:
We are creating a dialog for the protection of the "undisturbed buffer" along
the main stem of the river. MRPA was a law created to protect this vital riparian
zone, but there is no enforcement by cities and counties. We plan to hold them
accountable for this negligence.
Assistance Provided by the Group:
We provide data for the DNR and NPS for their invertebrate studies.
Participation in Monitoring: Yes
Advocacy Organization: Yes
Non-Profit Status: 501c3
Founded: 1998
Chattahoochee
Hill Country Conservancy
Christine McCauley
10950 Hutcheson Ferry Rd.
Palmetto, GA 30268
Phone: 770-463-1548
Fax: 770-463-2965
Email: chatt@chatthillcountry.org
http://www.chatthillcountry.org
Watershed Information
Basin: Chattahoochee River
Mission:
The Chattahoochee Hill Country Conservancy is a nonprofit organization working
to implement a sustainable land use plan that protects the ecological health
and quality of life in a 65,000 acre area of south Fulton, northwestern Coweta,
eastern Carroll and eastern Douglas counties. The Chattahoochee Hill Country
does this by acquiring land for greenspace preservation and through the implementation
of innovative land use tools.
Chattahoochee RiverWatch
PO Box 1492
1100 Broadway
Columbus, Georgia 31902
Phone: 706-317-4837
Fax: 706-576-6542
Bill Edwards, Executive Director - EdwrWll@aol.com
Watershed Information
Basin: Chattahoochee River
Streams: All entering tributaries from both the Georgia and Alabama sides of
the river
Size of Watershed: 200 linear miles along the river
Mission:
Protection, preservation, and restoration of the Chattahoochee River
Issues:
pollution from all sources
Successes:
Engaged in breaching of Eagle-Phenix Dam and City Mill Dam on Chattahoochee,
Sponsor lecture series on natural history of middle Chattahoochee, Sponsor
Explorer Scout Post comprised of high school students interested in environmental
sciences, Actively monitoring quality of streams feeding Chattahoochee with
particular emphasis on Bull Creek, Mulberry Creek and Holland Creek.
Assistance Provided by the Group:
networking, education, water quality monitoring
Participation in Monitoring: Yes
Advocacy Organization: Yes
Paid Staff: 2
Non-Profit Status: 501c3
Founded: 1992
Chattooga Conservancy
Mr. Buzz Williams, Executive Director
PO Box 2008
Clayton, Georgia 30525
Phone: 706-782-6097
Fax: 706-782-6098
info@chattoogariver.org
http://www.chattoogariver.org
Watershed Information
Basin: Chattooga River
Streams: The Chattooga River watershed.
Size of Watershed: 200,000 acres
Mission:
To promote good land stewardship in the Chattooga watershed.
Activities:
All of the above, plus direct action.
Issues:
Public lands 70% (forest fragmentation, habitat destruction, roadless areas
and wild lands degradation, . Private 30% (road building and development,
sedimentation and water quality).
Successes:
Organized Citizens for Rabun's Heritage that has successfully stalled a 115
kilovolt powerline through Rabun Co. The issue has generated a County Ordinance
against the project and has brought the issue or unrestricted power of eminent
domain authority to the state legislature.
Assistance Provided by the Group:
Citizen organizing
Participation in Monitoring: Yes
Advocacy Organization: Yes
Paid Staff: 4
Number of Paying Members: 1000
Non-Profit Status: 501c3
Founded: 1991
Conasauga River Alliance
Mr. Frank Sagona
125 Red Bud Rd., NE
Suite 7
Calhoun, GA 30701
Phone: 706-625-7044
Fax: (706) 965-2698
fjsagona@aol.com
http://www.conasaugariver.net
Watershed Information
Basin: Coosa River
Streams: All tributaries within the upper stretches of the watershed.
Size of Watershed: 500,000 acres
Mission:
Maintain a clean and beautiful Conasauga river
- forever.
Activities:
restoration, conservation, outreach, networking
Issues:
Habitat loss, resource usage, endangered species
Successes:
Our broad network and on the ground demonstrations
Assistance Provided by the Group:
Technical and financial assistance for best management practices.
Participation in Monitoring: Yes
Advocacy Organization: Yes
Paid Staff: 1
Non-Profit Status: 501c3
Founded: 1997
Coosa River Basin Initiative
Joe Cook
408 Broad Street
Rome, Georgia 30161
Phone: 706-232-2724
Fax: 706-235-9066
jcook@coosa.org
http://www.coosa.org
Watershed Information
Basin: Coosa River
Streams: Conasauga, Coosawattee, Oostanaula, Etowah, Chattooga and Coosa Rivers
Size of Watershed: 4,579 square miles in Georgia
Mission:
To inform and empower citizens so that they may become active in creating a
cleaner, healthier, and economically viable Coosa River Basin.
Activities:
Advocacy, Monitoring, Education, Restoration and cleanups
Issues:
Non Point Source pollution, NPDES Permit violations and renewals, and PCB contamination
Successes:
Sponsored the successful ACT Mountains to Sea Expedition, Stopped carpet manufacturers
from dumping indigo dye in the Chattooga River, trained and educated citizens
to monitor waterways throughout the upper basin, restored a quarter mile
section of Silver Creek, empowered citizens to effect the ongoing ACT water
allocation negotiations, PCB contamination and threats of the chemical weapons
incinerator in Anniston, Alabama, and participated in a lawsuit forcing the
EPA to set Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) of pollutants for impaired waterways.
Assistance Provided by the Group:
We organize volunteer opportunities through clean-ups and restoration
projects, give presentations to school groups and civic organizations
about environmental issues, organize campaigns against polluters,
act as a watchdog for government environmental policies and provide
ways for people to act.
Participation in Monitoring: Yes
Advocacy Organization: Yes
Paid Staff: 1
Number of Paying Members: 220
Non-Profit Status: 501c3
Founded: 1992
Coosawattee Watershed Alliance
Scott McBride
PO Box 542
Ellijay, GA 30539
Cell: 706.669.4274
Email Scott McBride
Watershed Information
Basin: Coosa River
Environment Georgia
Ms. Jennette
Gayer
741 Piedmont Ave. NE, 2nd Floor
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
Phone: 404-892-3573
Fax: 404-892-5201
www.EnvironmentGeorgia.org
Mission:
We all want clean air, clean water and green spaces. But it takes independent
research and tough-minded advocacy to win concrete results for our environment,
especially when powerful interests stand in the way of environmental progress.
That's the idea behind Environment Georgia. We focus exclusively on protecting
Georgia's air, water and green spaces. We speak out and take action at the local,
state and national levels to improve the quality of our environment and our lives.
Founded: 2006
Etowah
Scenic River
Coosa River (Etowah)
http://www.etowahscenicriver.org
Watershed Information
Basin: Coosa River
Mission:
The Etowah Scenic River Committee's goal is to work with a wide range of local
and regional organizations, groups and institutions to enable designated
sections of the Amicalola and Etowah Rivers in Dawson County, Georgia to
be designated as part of the Georgia Scenic Rivers System. This process will
start by circulating a petition to be presented to the Dawson County Commission
requesting them to submit a formal request to the Georgia Department of Natural
Resources to conduct a Study leading to the adoption of these rivers as part
of the Georgia Scenic Rivers System.
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