Twenty-Five Years Ago, Atlanta's Turner Foundation Provided a Seed
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Winter 2019 A publication of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CRK) Twenty-five years ago, Atlanta’s Turner Foundation provided a seed grant of $50,000 to a brand-new, nonprofit organization, now called Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CRK). Our mission—to restore and protect the dumped raw sewage into the river and the plan for new parks, hiking trails, boat ramps Chattahoochee River: a daunting task given streams flowing through neighborhoods. and bicycle paths; and developers are the filthy condition of the waterway below Comparing water quality data from the 1990s building live-work-play communities along the city of Atlanta, at that time, and the to the samples we collect today, we can the once-polluted river. massive volume of polluted stormwater that conclude that, following the major flowed, uncontrolled, into the river after investment by the city to overhaul its storm While much progress has been made, the every rainstorm. and sewer infrastructure, bacteria levels in greatest threat to the Chattahoochee River the Chattahoochee downstream of Atlanta system today is stormwater runoff from In the intervening years, you and thousands are 80% lower than they were three decades construction sites, industries, roads and of donors like you invested $28 million in ago. Former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin other impervious surfaces. In our role as the CRK, understanding that it would take has said that those investments yielded environmental lead in state-convened significant financial and volunteer resources “nearly $18 billion” in new public and private negotiations, we have used our field to accomplish our goals. In honor of CRK’s investment in the city. experience from 1200 site investigations to 25th anniversary, we compiled a record of strengthen and clarify environmental accomplishments and found that our actions regulations. As one example, the largest land- resulted in the expenditure of more than $2.1 "Today, we are extremely disturber in the state—the Georgia DOT— billion by government agencies, developers, proud to announce that every must now reduce the substantial impacts industries and landowners to help restore single dollar contributed has from runoff associated with its constructed the river, its lakes and tributaries. roads. In addition to significant policy resulted in at least $75 in improvements, CRK’s actions to date have measurable benefits to the Today, we are extremely proud to announce resulted in the investment of more than $27 that every single dollar contributed has people, communities and million in site-specific improvements to stop resulted in at least $75 in measurable benefits wildlife in the Chattahoochee polluted runoff from entering nearby to the people, communities and wildlife in River watershed." streams. the Chattahoochee River watershed. With - Juliet Cohen, Executive Director, the leadership of our board of directors and Chattahoochee Riverkeeper This spring, we will publish a report staff—and the help of thousands of members outlining 25 years of accomplishments. and volunteers—we have collectively Join us in celebrating our Silver Anniversary! transformed our most critical resource: the At chattahoochee.org, learn about the Relay lifeblood of the region and source of drinking An entire region has taken notice of these Down the Hooch, Youth Summit, and 25th water for more than five million people. clean water benefits and the Chattahoochee Anniversary Patron Dinner. Importantly, is viewed in a new light—as an amenity thank you for supporting us in this journey CRK’s earliest, and likely most-recognized rather than a drainage ditch for the city’s to protect and preserve our initiative, was our 1995 lawsuit against the waste. Local and state governments are Chattahoochee River. City of Atlanta to correct its failing sewer opening new riverside parks; community and stormwater systems which regularly groups are collaborating to develop a master Thank you for supporting us in this journey to protect and preserve our Chattahoochee River. STAFF REFLECTIONS TAMMY BATES LOOKING BACK ON OUTINGS MANAGER HANNAH BRADFORD THE PAST 25 YEARS WATERSHED PROTECTION SPECIALIST & NATURALIST LAURA BREYFOGLE WPLFC COORDINATOR When Chattahoochee Riverkeeper was DALE CALDWELL founded in 1994 by Rutherford and Laura HEADWATERS DIRECTOR Seydel, I was a freshman in high school. Sally JULIET COHEN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Bethea was just taking the reins as our first ERIK FYFE Riverkeeper as I was navigating the bullies and DIRECTOR OF PROGRAM INNOVATION cliques of a mid-90’s high school. Sally wasted HENRY JACOBS MIDDLE CHATTAHOOCHEE DIRECTOR no time hitting the headlines and I remember KEVIN JESELNIK seeing news about a pollution lawsuit against GENERAL COUNSEL the City of Atlanta the following year. I followed BECCA KLEIN DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR the story with interest as I loved to fish on the CHRIS MANGANIELLO Hooch, but really had no idea just how big of a WATER POLICY DIRECTOR deal the lawsuit was. CLAIRE MATHIS PSCIP FELLOW MICHAEL MEYER Over the next few years, the lawsuit and NEIGHBORHOOD WATER WATCH DIRECTOR resultant settlement churned on and I JULIA REGESKI COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER transitioned to life at the University of Georgia extraordinary river victories and have seen JESSICA STERLING to study Environmental Health Science. I the transformation of the Chattahoochee River TECHNICAL PROGRAMS DIRECTOR followed Sally’s work from afar and even took downstream of Atlanta. The Chattahoochee is HANNAH STEFANOFF HENRY BABSON WEST ATLANTA WATER FELLOW a trip on CRK’s floating classroom boat on now cleaner than it has been in decades and SUZETTE TAYLOR Lake Lanier with my UGA hydrology class. looking back on CRK’s incredible work over FINANCIAL MANAGER After graduation, CRK came up on my radar the past 25 years it is truly inspiring. I am JASON ULSETH RIVERKEEPER more and more as I climbed up the ranks in proud to be a member of this unbelievable HANNAH WARNER state government. In 2007, I found myself team, and I am excited for the next 25 years as HEADWATERS OUTREACH COORDINATOR sitting across from Sally in a job interview for we welcome our future river protection CHRISTINA YORK DATABASE MANAGER CRK's Watershed Protection Specialist guardians. position. BOARD OF DIRECTORS J. RUTHERFORD SEYDEL II, CHAIR I have now been on staff for almost half of the DAVE KIRKPATRICK, VICE-CHAIR organization’s 25 year history. I wasn’t there STEVE O’DAY, SECRETARY for the early success of the famous Atlanta DAVID SHAFFER, TREASURER suit, but I have been a part of some Jason Ulseth, RIVERKEEPER LEE CHADWICK REBECCA CRANFORD FELICIA DAVIS SARAH DEARMAN DENISE DONAHUE BERT ELLIS MARK GREATREX JESSICA GRIMES GERARD GUNTHERT BILLY HALL VICTOR HAYDEL RICHARD JACOBSON Faces of the Chattahoochee BRYAN JENKINS MARY ANNE LANIER DANIEL LOCKE JEFF MOKOTOFF JAMIE PRYOR MARY SCHREPFER LAURA SMITH CATHERINE WOODLING Our mission is to advocate and secure the protection and stewardship of the Chattahoochee River, its lakes, tributaries and watershed. ATLANTA OFFICE 3 PURITAN MILL PEGGY AMEND “The Chattahoochee gives me a place to 916 JOSEPH LOWERY BLVD. CRK volunteer and find peace and serenity in an otherwise ATLANTA, GA 30318 avid kayaker 404-352-9828 crazy world.” GAINESVILLE OFFICE 104 WASHINGTON STREET, S.E. GAINESVILLE, GA 30501 678-696-8866 Peggy Amend first started volunteering for CRK at the 2008 Back to the Chatt River Race and Festival. Since then she hasn’t stopped. From managing the timing for the River Race each year LAGRANGE OFFICE 35 LAFAYETTE SQUARE and picking up trash at cleanups, to helping guests at the annual Patron Dinner, Peggy has been LAGRANGE, GA 30240 a committed volunteer for 10 years! These days she is an avid kayaker, too, hitting the river 706-882-3701 whenever she can. What drives her? “The Chattahoochee gives me a place to find peace and WWW.CHATTAHOOCHEE.ORG serenity in an otherwise crazy world.” 2 RIVERCHAT CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVERKEEPER ON PATROL WITH CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVERKEEPER STEEL WIRE MANUFACTURER OUT OF COMPLIANCE CRK discovered that Koswire, a steel wire manufacturer located on Flowery Branch INDUSTRIAL MOTOR OIL SPILL upstream from Lake Lanier, is not following IN FLAT CREEK clean stormwater laws. During a site investigation, we found a number of alarming While collecting Neighborhood Water characteristics, including bright blue staining Watch samples, a headwaters intern on the surfaces adjacent to Koswire’s observed a sheen and odor in Flat building. The release of heavy metals such as Creek, which runs through midtown zinc, lead, arsenic and copper is a concern. Gainesville and into Lake Lanier. CRK After several attempts to communicate with immediately reported our Koswire went ignored, we filed a letter of observations to city employees so intent to sue within 60 days. they could track the suspected spill. Their actions led them to a motor oil spill from an industrial facility. We are now investigating the facility for illegal dumping through our Protecting Streams and Communities from Industrial Pollution program. DOG RIVER RESERVOIR EXPANSION RAISES QUESTIONS Douglas County seeks to significantly expand an existing water supply reservoir to address ILLEGAL LANDFILL IN SOUTH recurring dry and/or low flow conditions. FULTON COUNTY Without improvements, problems within the reservoir would be exacerbated by climate During the fall, we received several reports change. CRK’s chief concern—and reason for that an illegal landfill in south Fulton County not supporting the project—is the lack of a had caught fire. The fire burned for weeks and guaranteed instream flow requirement below created a public health hazard for nearby the new dam. It’s also worth noting this residents. We investigated the landfill and proposal represents more evidence that found numerous other violations, including Georgia communities recognize climate erosion control and stormwater runoff change is real and are adapting. problems. The Geogia EPD is leading the enforcement action and has issued an Administrative Order to the property owner, which will require a formal hearing before an Administrative Law Judge to address the problem.