Spring 2014 A publication of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CRK) RiverCHAT www.chattahoochee.org Let the river celebration begin! e’re taking a trip down memory of meetings with paddlers, fisherman, lane this year, as Chattahoochee scientists, water experts and environmen- WRiverkeeper turns 20. tal advocates to develop a strategic plan and geographic focus for the organization. In the coming months, we will recall the Without a doubt, the prime motivating victories, the challenges and most impor- force behind the new organization was tantly the stories about the people who its co-founders — Rutherford and Laura have helped us along the way. Turner Seydel. Celebrate this milestone with us at events Biggest challenge planned to inspire our river family and friends — from Sweep the Hooch in April Before we could tackle other threats to the and River Revival in May, to the River Race Chattahoochee, which supplies drinking and Festival in June and our Anniversary water for nearly four million Georgians, Gala in October. See www.chattahoochee. we knew that we had to force the river’s org for details. biggest polluter to comply with the federal Clean Water Act. Cleaning up neighbor- At the beginning hoods and restoring downstream commu- nities was paramount. The riverkeeper concept seems obvious today, like many things in hindsight. But, For decades, the city of Atlanta had al- when John Cronin became the Hudson lowed raw sewage to enter the river and Riverkeeper in 1983, he started a brand- tributaries from its failing sewer system, new model of environmental advocacy which had not been maintained properly — one empowered by the enforcement of since the 1970s. clean water laws, a focus on ecological health and a network of informed and pas- It is easy to forget that 20 years ago city sionate citizens. streams regularly were filled with toilet paper, condoms and even fecal matter Waterkeepers around the world — now after the smallest storm and sometimes more than 200 — protect their local water- during dry weather. Peachtree Creek, ways by confronting pollution and other Proctor Creek, Tanyard Creek, Nancy threats in the courts, the media and the Creek, Utoy Creek and dozens more were political system. See www.waterkeeper.org. among those affected. Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (formerly Today, these streams and the Chatta- known as Upper Chattahoochee River- hoochee River downstream of Atlanta are keeper) officially began its river duties in dramatically cleaner, thanks largely to March 1994 when Sally Bethea was hired the waterkeeper model of environmental as the organization’s founding director In the beginning: Sally Bethea, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper's founding executive advocacy and a group of citizens who director; and co-founders J. Rutherford Seydel and Laura Turner Seydel. and riverkeeper. A grant from the Turner demanded clean water for everyone. Foundation made this possible. Let’s celebrate this victory and so many Inside This Issue CRK’s birth was preceded by nearly a year more as CRK turns 20! Jamie Pryor knows the worth of water. Page 4 Georgia Water Coalition leads under the Gold Dome. Page 6 Hog waste flows through a state park into the river. Page 7 STAFF Sally Bethea Executive Director and Riverkeeper Reflections Tammy Bates Outings Manager wenty years ago, few Now, it is time to tackle the Juliet Cohen paddlers would have detritus that has washed General Counsel Tconsidered taking a into the Chattahoochee from Laura Hartt weekend trip down the our urban environment. Water Policy Director Chattahoochee River imme- Duncan Hughes diately below Atlanta. It was Polishing a hidden gem Headwaters Outreach Coordinator simply too polluted. Bonnie Jackson Last November, CRK orga- Operations Manager Chronic spills of raw sewage nized a two-day paddle and Henry Jacobs from the city’s long-neglect- cleanup trip on the 13-mile Regional Outreach Coordinator ed sewer system made the river section from Georgia Keena S. Johnson river unsafe for public rec- Power’s Plant McDonough Development Associate reation much of the time — to Campbellton Road Becca Klein and it was nearly impossible (Highway 166) in South Development Director to find public access points Fulton County. Michael Meyer to launch a boat. Watershed Protection Specialist We started in a light rain, Jessica Sterling Off-limits by design but the skies soon cleared Watershed Protection Specialist and our group enjoyed a glorious weekend of paddling Jason Ulseth As the first riverkeeper for the Chattahoochee, begin- and camping on Buzzard Roost Island with permission Technical Programs Director ning my post in 1994, I learned that the lack of access of its owner Fulton County. Because of the island’s Joy L. Woodson to the river below the confluence of Peachtree Creek archeological significance as part of an Indian trading Communications Director in Atlanta was by design. route and the boundary between the Creeks and Cher- Christina York okees, the county allows very limited public access. Database Manager Rather than take action to clean up the Chattahoochee using its regulatory authority, the Georgia Environ- With trash baskets on our kayaks and several BOARD OF DIRECTORS mental Protection Division (EPD) decided to keep the canoes to hold most of the debris, we worked our Rebecca Cranford river off-limits with no new boat ramps or parks. The way downstream, pulling everything imaginable from Sarah Dearman 65-mile stretch of river from Atlanta to West Point Lake the riverbank, including a water-soaked artificial put- Denise Donahue — flowing downstream through South Fulton, Cobb, ting green. The work was exhausting and extremely Gary Gaines Douglas, Coweta and Heard counties — was kept rewarding; our group of 12 paddlers pulled nearly two Billy Hall largely invisible to the general public. tons of trash out of the river with the help of volunteer Victor Haydel Matt Robinson and his motorboat. Hugo Hernandez Thanks to a successful legal strategy led by Chat- Bill Hoffman tahoochee Riverkeeper, the water in this section is By the time you read this newsletter, we will have Christine Hung dramatically cleaner today. returned to Buzzard Roost in early March, this time Richard Jacobson focusing on tire removal. Join us at one of our clean- Even as boaters and fishermen are finding a ‘new’ river Dave Kirkpatrick ups in 2014. See www.chattahoochee.org for dates and to enjoy downstream of Atlanta, massive trash flotillas Steve O’Day to register. and plastic caught in riverbank vegetation spoil an Jamie Pryor otherwise scenic vista. David Shaffer Charles Smith Executive Director and Riverkeeper Catherine Woodling J. Rutherford Seydel II, Chair Our mission is to advocate and secure the Watershed Moment protection and stewardship of the Chattahoochee River, its tributaries and watershed. Not long ago, in the Johnson Ferry Unit of the Chatta- ATLANTA OFFICE hoochee River National Recreation Area, I encountered two 3 Puritan Mill wide-eyed children pulling their parents along in search of 916 Joseph Lowery Blvd. the beaver pond. I directed them to the largest one and also Atlanta, GA 30318 showed them where I’d seen a beaver swimming in the river 404-352-9828 the week before. This reminded me of how easy it is to view GAINESVILLE OFFICE wildlife in our river park. Without really trying, I seasonally 615 F Oak Street Suite 1000 see beaver, muskrat, deer, fox, coyotes, possums, raccoons, Gainesville, GA 30501 cormorants, kingfishers, sandhill cranes, an occasional bald 770-531-1064 eagle, and various species of ducks, hawks and owls. There LAGRANGE OFFICE are noisy great blue heron rookeries and even noisier chorus 35 Lafayette Square frog serenades. Last spring, I watched a box turtle lay her Wislon Photo courtesy of Tom LaGrange GA 30240 eggs in a place where her hatchlings could live their life with- Red-eared Slider, Island Ford 706-882-3701 out encountering cars or lawnmowers. We are truly blessed www.chattahoochee.org to have such a rich slice of nature in Atlanta’s backyard. — Alan Toney, Sandy Springs www.getthedirtout.org What’s your “Watershed Moment”? Email your hi-res color image of the river, and about 100 words about its inspiration, to [email protected]. 2 River CHAT Rainy year washes nutrients into Lake Lanier During the 2013 growing season (April-October), CRK On Patrol collected monthly water samples at 10 locations on Lake For further details on CRK’s investigations and enforcement actions, go to Lanier and tested them for chlorophyll a as part of our www.chattahoochee.org/on-patrol. Lake Lanier Clean Water Campaign. Chlorophyll a levels are used to determine the amount of algal growth in the lake and are an important indicator of PROTECTING STREAMS, COMMUNITIES lake health. Our results were much higher than the previ- ous year due to greater rainfall and stormwater runoff Chattahoochee Riverkeeper has been hard at work into the lake. We observed chlorophyll a levels higher this past year, protecting streams and communities than the state water quality standard at two locations. from industrial stormwater pollution, and we have This confirmed the need for an expedited cleanup plan. good news to report. CRK will continue Lake Lanier testing in 2014. Addition- ally, we are pleased to announce that a similar monitor- To date, we have helped 25 industries comply with ing program will be conducted on West Point Lake. clean water regulations that require the use of best management practices to keep contaminants from flowing off their sites and into nearby waterways when it rains. Because 2013 was one of the wettest years in Georgia’s history, our timing to initiate this Illegal sewer connections new CRK program could not have been better. in Proctor Creek 100 industries in four years Data collected in recent years through CRK’s Neighborhood Our goal is to help at least 100 industrial facilities Water Watch Program revealed come into compliance with Georgia’s Industrial very high E.