Conasauga River worthy of state’s top water honor

This summer, Environment Georgia and the Southern Environmental Law center filed a petition to protect the Conasauga River as an Outstanding National Resource Water, the highest level of protection identified in the Clean Water Act. If successful, our efforts would make the Conasauga River Georgia’s first river with this significant protection. Georgia is the only Southeastern state other than Mississippi that has yet to protect any of its most treasured waterways in this way.

“The Conasauga River deserves to be Georgia’s first Outstanding National Resource Water,” said Jennette Gayer, Environment Georgia advocate. “The headwaters of the Conasauga support one of the most bio-diverse river ecosystems in the country, plus it is a truly breathtaking part of our state to visit and enjoy.”

Filing the petition is the culmination of a year-long effort by Environment Georgia to research treasured rivers around the state, build local alliances with interested groups and businesses, mobilize broad, statewide public support, and publicize the issue in the media.

The Conasauga starts in the Chattahoochee National Forest and runs up to the Tennessee border where it loops briefly into Tennessee before running back into Georgia and down through Dalton. The Outstanding National Resource Water designation would begin at the headwaters of the river, which lie within the Cohutta Wilderness Area, and end before the Alaculsy Valley, a few miles before the Georgia-Tennessee state line.

Cool, clean waters support outstanding paddling and trout fishing and feed a downstream snorkeling hole where outdoor enthusiasts can sneak a peak at more than 90 different fish species and 25 species of freshwater mussels. Twelve of these fish and mussel species, including the Conasauga logperch, the amber darter and the blue shiner, are federally designated as endangered or threatened species.

Designation as an Outstanding National Resource Water provides protections against both point and non-point sources of pollution. Any new pipes discharging into the river would be prohibited. To curtail non-point pollution local governments will safeguard against polluted runoff by preserving buffer zones and practicing smart growth.

After a public hearing and comment period, the Board of the Department of Natural Resources will vote on whether or not protection will be granted for the Conasauga River. You can visit our Web site to send a comment to the Board in favor of protecting the Conasauga and to get updates on the campaign.