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VIOLATIONS FOUND AT MOST CONSTRUCTION SITES eorgia was the fourth fastest-growing state in the country between July 2005 and July 2006, accord- Ging to the U.S. Census Bureau. This growth brought massive changes to the natural landscape through land disturbance activities---leveling and grading forests and fields. Every day in metro Atlanta, 54 acres of trees are destroyed, while another 28 acres are covered with hard impervious surfaces like roads, rooftops and parking lots. When these construction activities are not adequately controlled with best management practices (BMPs), they send tons of Photo by: Tom Wilson muddy water into the rivers and lakes that serve as our drinking water supplies and recreational areas. The envi- ronmental and economic cost to our communities and to This overflowing silt fence was poorly designed or not maintained, allowing muddy water to private property values can be staggering. flow into nearby streams. EPA Grant Supports Get the Dirt Out Project investigation through file analysis, observation and citizen complaints, deliberately focusing on sites with suspected Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper received a grant from stormwater problems. the U.S. EPA in 2005 to study the effectiveness of Georgia's GTDO partners visited more than 100 construction sites erosion control program---the centerpiece of which is a during the two-year study period, documenting compliance regulation called the General Stormwater Permit for and logging complaints with local and state regulatory Construction Activities (General Permit), implementing agencies. The project covered much of the state including federal and state stormwater control requirements. portions of the following river basins: Altamaha River, Through our Get the Dirt Out (GTDO) project, we have Etowah River, Canoochee River, Savannah River, and Upper been working for the past two years with watershed and Middle Chattahoochee River. (See Figure 1 on page 7.) groups to investigate Georgia's implementation of the Popular Dirt Workshops General Permit program. Focused on improving water quality, we developed educational materials and tools to In more than 30 workshops held around the state, GTDO document problems and evaluate the effectiveness of partners provided information to 500 citizens, developers BMPs intended to prevent the flow of muddy water from and local government officials about the purpose and construction sites. We identified construction sites for See Erosion Violations, page 7 EROSION FUNDS USED FOR OTHER STATE SERVICES eorgia employs a series of "user fees", for their intended purposes. One of these fees is least 80 more erosion inspectors in the state. paid by regulated parties such as devel- the user fee for land disturbing activities. our years after the initiation of the dirt fee, EPD Gopers, waste handlers, or tire dealers, to F less than half finance environmental cleanup, maintenance, Anyone disturbing more than one acre of land has of the 80 promised inspector education and enforcement. Often, these fees must pay a user fee to help support the costs of positions dedicated to the erosion and sedi- generate enough revenue to fully fund their des- administering Georgia's erosion control pro- ment program. In FY 2005 and FY 2006, the ignated duties; however, the fee monies are not gram, pursuant to legislation that passed in Georgia Legislature appropriated only $2.2 mil- mit applicant--- always allocated in full by the state legislature 2003. This fee is paid by the per lion of the $3.7 million collected for its intended the developer or landowner---at the rate of $80 use---the administration and enforcement of per acre of disturbed soil at a construction site. erosion control laws. Less Than Half of Promised Part of the problem lies in the Georgia Inspectors Hired Constitution, which prohibits the "dedication" of fees for a particular purpose. Instead, all fee If a city or county has been certified by the state money goes into the general state funds and EPD as a Local Issuing Authority (LIA) to review must be allocated back to a particular program and enforce erosion control practices, the fee is area by the legislature. Because the legislature split equally between the LIA and EPD. Where has not fully allocated the fee revenue, EPD is there is no LIA, EPD manages the soil and sedi- unable to hire adequate support staff or field ment control program and receives the total fee inspectors. With a lack of adequate funding revenue of $80 per acre. The intent of those support, EPD cannot effectively implement the who advocated and helped pass user fee legis- UCR Technical Programs Director Alice Champagne discusses erosion control at General Permit as required by federal law. a construction site with the project supervisor and a county inspector. lation was to raise sufficient funds to hire at Riverkeeper Staff Alexandra Adams REFLECTIONS Policy Director Sally Bethea On a warm Saturday afternoon in January, I put my kayak Last summer, UCR became involved in a river access Executive Director and Riverkeeper into the river at one of the new "step-down" ramps con- issue at Old Riverside Road in Roswell where paddlers structed in the past year at several park units in the and anglers had informally used a small access point for Birgit Bolton Chattahoochee River National many years. Abuse of the site by a commercial outfitter Programs Coordinator Recreation Area. led to its closure to all users by Fulton County, the property owner. UCR continues to support limited paddling and Alice Champagne / r a It reminded me, once again, how n v o angler access at this area and hopes that Roswell, Fulton i Technical Programs Director r t a u n fortunate we are to have perma- t i o t County, adjacent neighbors, and recreational users will be s H n q nently protected public land to o Bill Crawford t C able to come to an agreement that respects all stakehold- e l B a : access the river for paddling, fish- n Business Manager t i r ers and the river. d u e o r ing and boating in the 48-mile J c a o t t Magnus Christon n park that ends at the confluence o a Downstream River Coming to Life l h t P Special Events Director of Peachtree Creek in Atlanta. A Since the 1970s, many organizations, citizen activists and Below Peachtree Creek, the Chattahoochee remains far Mary O. Harrison less accessible. Apparently, this was the intention of state Development Associate elected officials have helped make our urban river park a reality. regulators who, decades ago, believed that the river Darcie Holcomb between Atlanta and West Point Lake would always be Headwaters Conservation Director Committed to River Access and Use too polluted for recreational use due to discharges of wastewater and polluted stormwater. Mary Manson As a relative newcomer, Upper Chattahoochee Receptionist Riverkeeper has been working since 1994 to get people For many years, the only usable boat ramp between Paces out on the river---as well as to walk, run or just sit beside it. Mill at Cobb Parkway and Highway 16 in Newnan---a dis- Elizabeth Nicholas Each year, we help organize the Back to the tance of 45 miles---was Georgia Power's private ramp at General Counsel Chattahoochee Race and Festival (see page 8) and a Run Plant McDonough. Generously, Georgia Power has D.J. Strickland for the River in October. Working with the National Park allowed UCR to launch our boat at this site to patrol the Service and the U.S. Geological Survey, we also monitor long-neglected section of the river. Development Director the quality of the water for recreational users, providing Harlan Trammell real-time data on the internet. Thanks to increasingly cleaner water below Atlanta and an Boat Captain investment in new local and state parks and new access In 2004, we worked with boaters, anglers and paddlers to points along the river, this section of the Chattahoochee is Board of Directors ensure that the entire length of the river park will remain coming back to life. UCR will continue to advocate safe open for all users who respect the river and each other. To ways for all recreational users to enjoy our river. Sonny Cohen encourage more use, we are offering a Chattahoochee Denise Donahue Challenger Series of paddling trips on the metro section of Mike Eckert the river led by gonzo kayaker Richard Grove. Bert Ellis Gary Gaines Billy Hall SUBARU RUN FOR THE RIVER NETS $5000! Richard Jacobson he setting for the third annual Subaru Run for the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper's efforts will help keep Ben Jordan River was a cold and blustery late October day in north Georgia's drinking water safe and clean for every- Kay Lee TGwinnett County. About 650 runners of all skill levels one." The post-race festival featured Subaru cars, food Jim McCaffrey came out to support UCR and participate in the race from the new Whole Foods Market in Duluth and, of Dr. Judy Meyer organized by ADventures LLC and sponsored by Subaru. course, race awards. The overall female champion was Elena Mola ADventures CEO Jeff Espy said, "We are proud to play a Donna Garcia with a time of 17:21. Michael Green was the part in protecting the Chattahoochee River. Our support of overall male champion with a time of 14:39. Steve O’Day J. Rutherford Seydel II, Chair David Shaffer AUTHOR AND RIVER RUNNER INSPIRES AT ANNUAL MEETING ward-winning author and photographer Tim Palmer gave a memorable lecture on his new book Rivers Our mission is to advocate A of America during UCR's annual membership and secure the protection meeting. Approximately 80 members and guests gathered and stewardship of the at midtown Atlanta's famed Margaret Mitchell House last Chattahoochee River, its tributaries and watershed.

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