River Monitoring and Clean-Up

The importance of North Georgia's rivers and streams is hard to overestimate.  With the increase of population in the area and the current drought conditions, they are increasingly under stress and need our help.

Lumpkin Coalition has implemented a committee to address water issues in North Georgia.  Activities include monitoring the health of local waterways, advocating for water quality and responsible use of our water resources, and assisting in the organization of and participation in river clean-ups, among other projects.

River Monitoring

More volunteers are urgently needed for river monitoring in Lumpkin County.  If you live along or near a waterway and are interested in helping to protect our vital water resources, please contact us  we conduct training classes and would love to have you join us!

Lumpkin Coalition supports the goals of Georgia Adopt-a-Stream, a volunteer water quality monitoring program, to: (1) increase public awareness of the State’s nonpoint source pollution and water quality issues, (2) provide citizens with the tools and training to evaluate and protect their local waterways, (3) encourage partnerships between citizens and their local government, and (4) collect quality baseline water quality data.  To accomplish these goals, Georgia Adopt-A-Stream encourages individuals and communities to monitor and/or improve sections of streams, wetlands, lakes or estuaries and provides the necessary manuals, training, and technical support to interested groups. 

A number of LC volunteers have received the initial monitoring training.  With individuals taking responsibility for specific points along the Chestatee, Etowah, and Yahoola waterways in Lumpkin County, special test kits and procedures are used to collect water quality data, such as pH, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, and other factors.  When testing is done on a regularly scheduled basis, such a monitoring program can indicate significant changes in water quality over time, help identify the causes of any deterioration, and enable cooperative efforts for improvement.

River Clean-Up

Rivers Alive is Georgia's annual volunteer waterway cleanup event that targets all waterways in the State including streams, rivers, lakes, beaches, and wetlands. The mission of Rivers Alive is to create awareness of and involvement in the preservation of Georgia's water resources.  Held annually each October, Rivers Alive is sponsored by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division's Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Program and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs' Keep Georgia Beautiful Program, in cooperation with Help the Hooch.

For the fifth year, Lumpkin Coalition sponsored a cleanup of the Etowah and Chestatee Rivers as part of the Rivers Alive effort for clean and healthy rivers.  Volunteers of all ages -- paddlers as well as land-based teams -- participate in the day-long event, clean up tons of refuse and debris, and have fun in the process.  Watch for the date for this year and come join in!

Let Your Voice Be Heard

To find out the current status of water-related legislation go to the Georgia Water Coalition website or the Georgia Conservation Voters website.

Become informed about environmental legislation and receive alerts by joining the Georgia Environmental Action Network (GEAN) here.

Select this link to identify your legislators and obtain their contact information.

Articles from Archives

• Original Proposal for Ongoing Monthly Monitoring of Water Quality

• Chestatee, Etowah, and Yahoola Clean-Up

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