Birds & Trees of the Coosawattee & Oostanaula Rivers

Observed by Bryan L. Nuse & Chris Skelton, during Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday of Paddle Georgia 2009.

Tuesday’s paddle included the lower stretch of the Coosawattee, which is mainly agricultural with limited riparian woods. Wednesday brought more pastureland as we joined the Conasauga and began the Oostanaula. By Thursday, however, adjacent uplands and bluffs became more common, as did larger tracts of riparian woodland. Note that birding & botanizing were not our primary occupations during our days paddling — these observations are casual and the abundance estimates in particular are very approximate.

For use on these lists, the following qualitative (and loose) index of abundance is defined:

A — Abundant — many encounters per river mile, on average

C — Common — a few encounters per river mile, on average

U — Uncommon — less than 1 encounter per river mile, on average

R — Rare — 1 (or less) to 2 encounters per day (where a day’s paddle is 14-17 river miles)

BIRDS– Great Blue Heron – U Green Heron – U Turkey Vulture – U Osprey – R [Bald Eagle ??] – R Red-shouldered Hawk – C Broad-winged Hawk – R Red-tailed Hawk – U Killdeer – R Mourning Dove – U Yellow-billed Cuckoo – U Chimney Swift – U Ruby-throated Hummingbird – U Belted Kingfisher – U Red-bellied Woodpecker – C Downy Woodpecker – U Pileated Woodpecker – U Acadian Flycatcher – U Eastern Phoebe – U Eastern Kingbird – U White-eyed Vireo – C Yellow-throated Vireo – R Red-eyed Vireo – C Blue Jay – R American Crow – C Fish Crow – U Cliff Swallow – C Barn Swallow – R Carolina Chickadee – A Tufted Titmouse – C Carolina Wren – A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – U Eastern Bluebird – U American Robin – U European Starling – U Northern Parula – R Prothonotary Warbler – R Louisiana Waterthrush – R Kentucky Warbler – U Common Yellowthroat – U Yellow-breasted Chat – U Summer Tanager – R Eastern Towhee – U Chipping Sparrow – R Field Sparrow – R Song Sparrow – R Northern Cardinal – C Blue Grosbeak – C Indigo Bunting – A Red-winged Blackbird – R Common Grackle – R Brown-headed Cowbird – C American Goldfinch – R

TREES– (and a few notable shrubs) Aceraceae_____________________ Silver Maple – A Boxelder – A Florida Maple – U Betulaceae_____________________ River Birch – C Caprifoliaceae_____________________ Black Elderberry – C Cupressaceae_____________________ Eastern Redcedar – U Fabaceae______________________ Sourwood – U Fagaceae_________________________ Bitternut Hickory – U Shagbark Hickory – C ——————— American Beech – U ——————— White Oak – U Swamp Chestnut Oak – U Chinkapin Oak – R Cherrybark Oak – R Southern Red Oak – R Northern Red Oak – U Shumard’s Oak – R Scarlet Oak – R Willow Oak – R Darlington Oak – R Water Oak – U Oleaceae_____________________ Green Ash – A Chinese Privet – A Pinaceae_____________________ Loblolly Pine – U Virginia Pine – U Platanaceae_____________________ Sycamore – A Simaroubaceae_____________________ Tree of Heaven – U Styracaceae_____________________ Carolina Silverbell – U Tiliaceae_____________________ American Basswood – C Ulmacaeae_____________________ American/Slippery Elm – C [uncertain ID, probably both present] Sugarberry – A

92…err…96 miles, 7 days, 1 great time

After an unplanned excursion in the wrong direction on Carters Lake, Bonnie Putney "corrected" her event T-shirt.

The planned paddle route this year was 92 miles, but thanks to a snafu of navigation and an interesting dose of group think, some amongst our 300 strong paddling posse logged an additional four miles of paddling, and that episode probably rendered the week’s best lesson, but more on that later…

A day after packing everyone home from Ellijay and Rome, it’s time to reminisce and celebrate what we’ve accomplished.

The numbers we will document. Years from now that will be the “official record” of the trip. Some 350 paddlers participated, including almost 300 that paddled all seven days. The most successful Paddle Georgia to date, paddlers generated more than $16,000 for Georgia River Network, Coosawattee Watershed Alliance and New Echota Rivers Alliance through our Canoe-a-thon.

But these numbers can’t tell the rest of the story. They’ll never account for the experiences logged, the lives changed, the friendships made, the lessons learned.

Leaps of Faith

The plunge! A rope swing offers diversion on the Coosawattee River.

My goal for the week was to find something to jump from every day–a rope swing, a cliff, a tree–anything that would make me feel like the 16-year-old boy jumping from the Palisades on the Chattahoochee where I first learned to love a river. Thankfully, the Coosawattee and Oostanaula did not disappoint. 

There is something primal about jumping from high places into water. It is more than just a simple rush of adrenalin. It’s leaping back to where we came from–water–and leaping into an uncertain future–trusting that something bigger than us will land us safely whereever we go. Every leap is a lesson in the proper prosecution of life.   

Amidst the shoals and rapids of the Upper Coosawattee, we found a deep hole with a rope swing and tree. I couldn’t pass it up, and soon, my daughter Ramsey, and her friend, Jessa, followed. They hesitated on the bark-covered brink of the leap, “This is so scary. I can’t do it.” But, with coaxing and faith in their fathers that the landing would be safe, they jumped, emerging from the surface of the river yelling, “that was so much fun. Can we do it again?”

And, that is how life is supposed to be lived. We cannot experience joy and exhiliration without first overcoming our fear. Nothing worthy of our time and attention comes without that leap of faith.

Alan Crawford manuvers through the whitewater of the Upper Coosawattee.

Among those on the trip this year was my friend, Alan Crawford, who I have come to know through his volunteerism at the Coosa River Basin Initiative. Alan grew into something of a rock star on the trip, interviewed by countless media types wanting to tell his story. Alan became the first paraplegic to participate in Paddle Georgia. On the river, you wouldn’t know Alan is a wheelchair user–the river levels the playing field for paras.

That said, the consequences of a spill in whitewater are amplified for paras. Able-bodied paddlers are told to get their feet up in the event of a capsize in rushing water to avoid a dangerous foot entrapment, but that simple manuver is difficult to apply to paras. As Alan joked, “If I capsize, you can change my name to “Bob”"

"The Crawford Crawler" in action. A specially-designed boat launch and friends helped Crawford enter and exit the river each day--even in locations with very steep banks and no boat ramps.

Throw in the challenges of getting on and off our shuttle buses, launching his kayak from less-than-desireable locations, and taking care of rudimentary daily chores in unfamiliar surroundings, and you have enough ingredients of the unknown to bake a pound cake of fear.

But, Alan, with the determination of a 10-year-old staring at a 15-foot plunge into the murky waters of the Coosawattee, leapt.

Crawford shows off a bass caught on the Coosawattee.

In his plunge, he found his own fortitude–stroking through the whitewater without a spill and paddling all 92 miles of the trip. He found friends like Rob Garber and Josh Noe–helping to lift him on to buses each morning and evening. He found a river–welcoming him with its refreshing water indifferent to his ailment. He even found some dance moves–joining the heel-kicking throngs of paddlers with his spins and turns during the Contra dance. He found fish and hooked them, and, seven days later, I think he’d overcome fear and found a little joy. 

Funny how a man that cannot leap showed us how to do it properly.

 

 

Lessons for the Directionally Challenged

Dan and Carol McNavish finish their traverse of Carters Lake at the damsite.

Day 2 of our trip dawned bright and clear, guaranteeing a steamy day of paddling across Carters Lake. A first for Paddle Georgia, the prospect of lake paddling had me concerned about motorboat traffic, strong winds and lightning storms. I never would have envisioned what proved to be the biggest challenge of the day.

We shoved off from the cove which most of our floatilla had paddled into the previous day and headed for the main river channel determined to lick the lake before the mid-day heat sapped us and afternoon thunderstorms arrived.

I had paddled this same course just a week earlier and knew it well–hang a right at the main channel, paddle around the next corner and enter the main body of the lake. Simple. But when we arrived at the main channel the entourage of canoes and kayaks was moving steadily east–to the left–not to the right.

Ramsey Cook and Jessa Goldman drift along in a tube behind our canoe.

I did a double take–looked right and for a split second thought I was entirely lost. Why was everyone headed into the sun? Did I miss something in my previous scouting trips? I inspected at my map again, and confirmed the unthinkable–dozens of boats were headed in the wrong direction. How many? And, had they reached the rapids where the river spills into the lake yet?

I yelled at the top of my lungs, “You’re going the wrong way!!!!” A few heads turned, the message was relayed up river and those within earshot righted their wayward wanderings. As I passed them paddling up river to collect everyone, the bleating of sheep and jokes about lemmings jumping off of cliffs rang from the vessels along with grumblings about maps, the lack of distance markers and the deficiency of directions.

Despite a wrong turn on Carters Lake, Dan McNavish still found time to find a shaved ice treat from a lakeside vendor.

Carol McNavish, in a speedy touring kayak, paddled nearly three miles up river turning back the tide of wrong-way paddlers. I followed in hot pursuit in my lumbering canoe. Together, we collected dozens of misguided adventurers.

In their defense, the lead boats in this snafu did not paddle this section of river the previous day, opting to use the six-mile take out on Day1. Having not seen the terrain the previous day, it’s easy to see how they strayed. The same cannot be said for the boats that followed:

“We argued about it. I thought we were going the wrong way.”

“We looked at the map, but everyone else was heading that way so we just followed.” 

“I was just following the herd. I figued they knew where they were going.”

At the front the leaders shrugged, “We weren’t sure if we were going right, but when we saw everyone follow us, we figured we were on the right path.”

And, from this came the trip’s most poignant lesson.

Dave & Jessa Goldman battle wind and motorboat wakes on Carters Lake.

Watching the paddlers trudge back across water they were seeing now for the third time, I was reminded of a nugget of wisdom attributed to Benjamin Franklin: “If everyone is thinking alike then no one is thinking.” In fact, world history is wrought with stories of charismatic leaders leading whole countries to ruin–see Adolf Hitler.

Of course, there are also stories of “group think” leading in more postive directions. In fact, the experts will tell you if you want to illicit certain behavior in people, the most effective way to achieve your goal is to show them other people doing the same.

Want people to recycle?–show them a neighbor taking his to the curb.

Want people to conserve water?–show them a friend installing a low flow toilet.

Want to clean up a river?–let your neighbors hear you on in the six o’clock news telling a legislator to pass a law protecting our rivers.

Let Go!!!! And let yourself take a leap of faith into creating stronger communities and cleaner rivers!

Change begins with individuals. Just as two wayward kayaks led an entire Navy astray so too can two strong voices change the course of our communites or our rivers.

This is a lesson that will sustain our efforts to keep Georgia’s rivers flowing clear and clean long after Paddle Georgia’s Canoe-a-thon money is spent on projects to clean up the Coosawattee and Oostanaula rivers.

Thanks to all of you who participated in Paddle Georgia 2009. I hope you return to your homes determined to make a difference in your community and in your watershed.  Generally, all it requires is thinking and leaping.

And, mark your calendars for Paddle Georgia 2010 June 19-25 on the Broad and Savannah rivers.

Joe Cook

June 28, 2009

And, now a parting shot…

GRN Executive Director Eaten by Kayak-Car Amalgam

After securing 300 paddlers safety across Carters Lake, Georgia River Network Executive Director April Ingle gets taken by man-eating kayak-car amalgam.

A Circumnavigation of Carters Lake

Carters Dam dwarfs paddlers. It is the tallest earthen dam east of the Mississippi.

Only 12 days remain before Paddle Georgia 2009 kicks off in Ellijay June 20. The Georgia River Network crew and I are feverishly working to get everything ready to go. Tonight, I am feverishly working, for I am burnt from head to toe–the consequences of a 15-mile kayak circumnavigation of Carters Lake. It seems the kayak paddling position exposes different parts of the body to the sun than does the canoe paddling position! And, it should also be noted that there is no escape from the sun in the big open water of Carters Lake.

That said, as lakes go, Carters is a beautiful one (so long as you don’t dwell on the beautiful whitewater and canyon that is buried beneath the 400-foot deep reservoir). The banks of the lake are undeveloped. There are no private docks and homes crowding the shore. The water is clear and inviting. The views are spectacular–to the northwest looms Ft. Mountain and the Cohutta Wilderness.

This tiny island on Carters Lake is home to two heron nests.

Today my route started at Carters Dam and our take out for Day 2. I paddled up lake to our Day 2 launch site and then back again, checking out the amenities–a marina store with AC and goodies, a beach with a shaved ice vendor and even flush toilets–a rarity for pit stops on Paddle Georgia.  I explored Flat Creek and Tails Creek, tributaries near the lake’s backwaters that gave glimpses of the type streams that filled this area prior to the impoundment of the river. I felt Liliputian in the shadows of the dam and the mountain that was blasted to make way for the turbines and powerhouse. I rocked with the motorboat waves. And, now, I am quite exhausted…both from the paddling and the sunburn.

The good news is that the jaunt across the lake should be enjoyable. It took me just three hours to make the seven mile paddle from Ridgeway Boat Ramp to Carters Dam–and this with a few stops along the way. This should give us plenty of time to explore the lake, swim along its shores, venture on to its islands, buy a soda at the marina and, perhaps, a shaved ice at the beach.

The Corps of Engineers' Harris Branch beach makes for a nice stop at mid-lake.

In general, river paddlers rarely venture on lakes–I think we are inherently lazy that way. Why work to get from point A to point B when the river can do it for you?  

The lake does no work for you–aside from piping electricity into your home. To move, you must paddle. I found the rhythm of the strokes and the rocking of the water almost hypnotic and when I closed my eyes I could feel myself nodding off. It reminded me of my family’s paddle down the Etowah when Ramsey was just three years old.

Through 160-miles of travel on that 26-day trip, Ramsey fell asleep in the canoe just once…on Lake Allatoona. On the river, there was always something to entertain. The landscape, the sun, the wind changed with each bend. On the lake there is only the monotony of miles of water–the landscape changes at a snail’s pace and our native river critters are few and far between.

Drifting down a river, you float on a living creature, snaking its way to the sea. Muscling your way across a lake feels like traveling across a corpse. But, maybe that’s just me–I’m partial to flowing rivers.

Tails Creek spills into the lake. Accessible via canoe and kayak, the mouth of Tails Creek gives us a glimpse of what this area looked like prior to the impoundment of the river.

We chose to paddle the length of the lake this year to illustrate what’s lost (and what’s gained) when we dam free-flowing rivers. I know river paddlers, especially whitewater enthusiasts, will balk at paddling the lake (that’s one reason I paddled solo today–”the lake?” they asked when I offered, “uhhh, I think I’ll pass.”) but part of the mission of Paddle Georgia is to show our rivers in all their various forms.

That’s the beauty of the paddling extended distances. For even in its pent-up form behind Carters Dam, the Coosawattee spills out across the land, swallowing hollows and draws and the acres of water is beautiful in its own right.

But, a word to the wise…if you are paddling tandem, make sure your partner doesn’t nod off to the rocking of the water.

In other news…

Helmets–Some 230 helmets have been ordered through our sponsor, The Outside World. As we venture down the Coosawattee June 20, we will, indeed, look like a Navy–all with matching hats.

Canoe-a-thon–More than $8000 has been raised through the Canoe-a-thon thus far; it’s shaping up to be a record year! Participants should know that the Canoe-a-thon grand prize this year is an Old Town Camper 15 with Royalex construction and a retail value of more than $1400. Take a look at it: http://www.oldtowncanoe.com/canoes/generalFamily/camper_15.html And if you haven’t started raising money yet, it’s not too late. Go to www.firstgiving.com/garivers and set up your fundraising page now!

Bald Eagle Sighting–On Saturday, June 6, during a scouting trip with Georgia Canoeing Association members on the Upper Coosawattee, our group was treated to a visitation by a bald eagle. We chased it down river on two occasions. It finally decided against further flight and held its ground in a tall pine while we drifted by admiring it. It seemed unimpressed with us.

See you June 20

Joe Cook

June 7, 2009

Upper Coosawattee From A Kid’s Perspective

Doc Stephens and Vincent Payne navigate a ledge near the mouth of Mountaintown Creek.

Today, we once again tackled the Upper Coosawattee and Day 1 of Paddle Georgia, scouting the best routes through the rapids and the most important places to station safety boats. For those of you who have already read your Paddler Info Packet, you’ll remember this as the section with Class II rapids that will have everyone wearing helmets in accordance with American Canoe Association insurance requirements.

My 10-year-old daughter Ramsey joined us for this trip–her first real whitewater experience–so she’s the guest blogger today. Take it away Ramsey.

Ramsey finds a seat in a riverside waterfall.

So my dad just explained what I did for my day. Whitewater paddling! Just so you know it is probably the scariest thing that you could do on the river but that’s what makes it fun. The awesome thing is that you think that you are going to flip. In the end you don’t ….. most of the time. If you flip there will be people that can help you get out of the water and save all of your stuff from floating downstream. If you’re wondering if we flipped, my dad and I almost did, but we didn’t! 

You’ll also probably see lots of snakes, but they aren’t venomous. We saw lots today, and if you scroll down you can see a photo of one. Some other cool things that you can find are balls–all kinds of balls. Soccer balls, basketballs, tennis balls…. my point is that you can use them because they’re still in good condition. One time my dad even found a football that was perfect.  Today, we found a perfect soccer ball.

Ramsey with her quarry--a still growing turtle--on Carters Lake.

Around the end of the trip there’s an awesome waterfall that you can sit on or slide down….. not from the very top though! In the last few miles I saw lots of different things.  One of those things was a baby turtle that we were able to catch and look at for a few minutes. The last three miles are on Carters Lake. It’s really relaxing because there aren’t any rapids or sounds with the exception of a few motorboats. The motorboats send off waves that make your boat rock back and fourth.

Anyways my conclusion is that it is the most fun paddle trip I’ve been on. My first paddle trip was when I was one-year-old so you can imagine how many I’ve been on. IT WAS AWESOME IN EVERY WAY THAT YOU CAN THINK OF.

Ramsey Cook, May 24, 2009

Indeed, Ramsey had a swell time today on the river, as did the rest of the gang: April Ingle, Peter Morgan, Vincent Payne, Doc Stephens, Larry Castillo and Bob Beaullieu.

The river was running at 1.8 feet which, to my way of thinking, would be about the ideal level for Paddle Georgia, so we’ll keep out fingers crossed for steady rain between now and June 20. And, as Ramsey apdtly put it, this is an awesome run. Experienced paddlers will have fun in the Coosawattee’s rapids; novices will to, but don’t be surprised if you take some swims.

A snake elicits a reaction from April Ingle.

The good news is that the largest rapid in the first six miles of the trip (a Class II that we’ve dubbed “American Flag Rapid”) is easily portaged. And,  for those that wish to bypass the more challenging rapids further downstream, we are offering a six-mile take out that provides an abbreviated, but just as enjoyable first day’s paddle.

Paddle Georgia is now less than a month away. We’re sold out, geared up and raring to go. See you in Ellijay next month!

Joe Cook

May 24, 2009

You Never Step in the Same River Twice

Richard Grove slides through one of the Upper Coosawattee's rapids.

Today, we scouted once again Day 1 of Paddle Georgia 2009 on the Coosawattee River. When last we set paddle in this river, it was flowing at 1.6 feet on the Ellijay gauge. Today, the river lapped at the 2.7 foot mark. Two inches of rain fell in the area Friday, swelling the river and washing out the technical rapids that kept us on our toes back in November.  Today, there was no diffculty finding routes through the shoals. Instead, we pointed nose downstream and rode out the waves. It’s true: you never step in the same river twice.

The run reinforced the need for all our paddlers to be prepared. Unlike previous Paddle Georgia journeys in which Class I rapids were the norm, the Coosawattee does throw Class II rapids at us. If your expereince on whitewater is limited, try making some runs on fast moving water this spring in preparation for PG Day 1.

Bella the dog hitches a ride down the Coosawattee's shoals.

To insure a safe trip, we’re taking two special precautions:

1. An alternative six-mile trip on Day 1 will be offered so that novice paddlers can avoid the biggest whitewater located between mile 6 and mile 9, yet still enjoy the beauty of this run while getting a taste of the white stuff.  

2. Due to ACA insurance requirements, everyone must wear a helmet on Day 1. This includes those taking out at the six-mile mark as there is one Class II rapid in that section.

For those wishing to take the six-mile take out, we’ll have a shuttle bus and a canoe trailer waiting for you. The trailer will take your boat to the Day 2 launch site, and the bus will return you to our campsite, Gilmer County High School, where you can relax, take part in a river festival being held in town that day, and take in one of a pair of interesting tours being offered by the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce.

Georgia River Network, through the help of our sponsor, The Outside World, will be offering a special group rate on helmets so that you may purchase or rent a helmet at a reasonable rate. Details on this offer will be included in registration packets which will be sent to you this week.

The highlight of the day, aside from the big waves, were the waterfalls.

High water provided paddle access to this waterfall on a Coosawattee tributary in the backwaters of Carters Lake.

High water and full tributaries provided access to several waterfalls a short paddle up a tributary  or a short hike up riverside trails.

Along the paddle route numerous tributaries offer a chance to see small waterfalls spill down to the river, and at the Ridgeway Boat Ramp (Day 1 take out), a Corps of Engineers trail leads about a half mile to a beautiful falls and swimming hole on Tails Creek. Hopefully, in June there will still be enough water flowing to enjoy these special places.

The Tumbling Waters Trail at Ridgeway Boat Ramp leads to this viewpoint of Tails Creek.

In other planning news…registration packets coming to you within the week will include a full slate of special tours that will be offered this year during Paddle Georgia. You’ll have the opportunity to visit apple orchards in Ellijay, organic farms in Ranger, historic sites in Calhoun and Rome and you’ll even have the opportunity to participate in an active archaeological dig.

On food…everyone’s favorite caterer, Satterfield’s from Macon, will bring their food to North Georgia for us, providing dinners and lunches. ..I know that many said they actually gained weight during Paddle Georgia last year, in large part thanks to Satterfield’s banana pudding and other delights.

Sponsor Kettle Chips returns for the second year. Kettle Chips are by far the best chips I’ve ever put in my mouth, and I’m not just saying that because they’re a sponsor! Looking forward to having them back in our lunches!

And, one more plug…the Coosa River Basin Initiative’s WATERFEST IX event takes place this weekend, April 17-18, at Ridge Ferry Park in Rome. The event includes a 13-mile paddle/race down the Oostanaula River, Georgia’s only Canoe and Kayak Tug-O-Wars, a live snake show, live music and the world’s largest portable aquarium. Learn more and register for one of the paddling events at www.coosa.org.

See you in June.

Joe Cook

April 11, 2009

Paddle Georgia and the Flint in National News!

Paddle GA on CNN.com

Paddle Georgia is on CNN.com today in a story by John Branch. The story is about Paddle Georgia as an environmentally and economically friendly vacation. We still have spots left, so if you are interested visit the Paddle Georgia website.

Read the story at http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/getaways/04/08/paddle.georgia.trip/index.html.

 

 

Flint River Named #2 Most Endangered River in America by American Rivers
For more information and to take action to support the Flint, visit http://www.americanrivers.org/our-work/protecting-rivers/endangered-rivers/2009/flint.html

The site has some great photos taken by Joe Cook, Paddle GA Coordinator.  Paddle Georgia was held on the Flint in 2008.

CNN.com covered this story in their science section at http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/04/07/rivers.endangered.list/index.html

 

Spring Sprung & Other News

April Ingle, Jennifer Wysocki and Ramsey Cook take a lunch break near Calhoun along the Oostanaula River.

Spring arrived March 21 and with it warmer weather for paddling. Today, we scouted another stretch of Paddle Georgia 2009, Day 5–a paddle soon-to-be known as the Mussel Minuet. Alas, the river was running full and fast and the sand and gravel bars where mussels are to be found were under several feet of water. But, the more cuddly mammals were out in full force. Among the sightings were…one otter, one muskrat, one loner beaver, a family of four beavers emerging from their river bank den and one groundhog.

As a mussel advocate (that would be someone who extols the virtues of the 27 mussel species in the Upper Coosa River Basin) and using the mussel as the Coosa River Basin Initiative’s “mascot” (we call ourselves “Musselheads”), I’m often asked why CRBI does not choose a more appealing “mascot”–a fish, at least…perhaps an otter, even a heron or kingfisher would do. But a slimy, shelled invertebrate that’s rarely seen alive by anyone but the biologists that study these creatures? Surely, there’s a better face for this basin?

My answer is this: if I could be another animal, I would be a mussel. Keep your soaring hawks, your lighting fast cheetahs, your swift swimming dolphins; if I could come back to this world as another creature it would be the mussel.

A mussel is in no particular hurry to get anything done. It sits all day long with its feet buried in the sand, soaking in the cool water, sipping its favorite cocktail. For a mussel, life is a beach…and if they are lucky they can outlive many humans.

Yes, the life of a mussel would be a welcome change from the harried life that us bipedals lead.

On this trip, we floated above the mussels, taking note of all the

Dasher the Dog gets a drink of the Oostanaula off Jennifer's face.

Oostanaula has to offer. The river alternately winds between stretches of low-lying floodplain occupied by cows, crops and sod farms to steep rock bluffs bristling with spring wildflowers (and occasionally topped by a riverfront home). We covered the 17-miles in a little more than five hours with enough time for a relaxing lunch, water fetch with Ramsey’s dog Dasher and a chilly swim for Jennifer and Ramsey (April and I had the good sense to keep our fannies dry!).

In other news…

The Deserving Design with Vern Yip show will air Saturday April 4 at 4:30 p.m. We’re throwing a little party at Old Havana Cigar Co. in Rome, Georgia to celebrate the debute. In addition to showing my house get “redesigned” the 30-minute HGTV program will also feature Paddle Georgia sailors April Ingle, Tim & James Watson and John Branch. You can join us for the event by RSVPing to jcook@coosa.org.

And, if you can’t make it to Rome for that event, join us April 17-18 for CRBI’S WATERFEST IX, our paddlesports and environmental education extravaganza. The event includes a 13-mile paddle on the Oostanaula, Georgia’s only canoe & kayak tug-o-wars, a live snake show, a concert by Andy “Offutt” Irwin and much more. You can learn more and register to participate at www.coosa.org.

Come Hell or High Water…We Hope

The Oostanaula spills into its floodplain in Rome during record rains in January.

In January, the Oostanaula River here in Rome spilled over its banks, flooding the city’s recreational path along the river where I like to jog. We Romans stood dumbfounded. It had been so long since rains like this hit North Georgia, we’d forgotten what a good flood looked like.

The flood washed away docks at city parks (some of the ones we hoped to use for Paddle Georgia), and, it seems, washed away memories of the ongoing drought that still grips the state. Despite these floods and more regular rainas of late, drought still has a hold on North Georgia.

Last week State Climatologist David Stooksbury predicted that the drought would continue this year, especially in Northeast Georgia where we’d originally planned to stage Paddle Georgia 2009 on the Broad and Savannah rivers.

A paddle trip down the bone dry Broad in August made us think twice about attempting Paddle Georgia on it. As on the Flint during Paddle Georgia 2008, we found ourselves dragging our boats over sandbars as much as paddling. That’s when we turned our attention to the Coosawattee and Oostanaula rivers of Northwest Georgia–where Carters Dam helps regulates flows, insuring to a certain degree adequate water levels.

With the exception of Day 1 where flow on the Upper Coosawattee is contigent solely upon rainfall, we should be assured of adeqaute water levels. In other words, Paddle Georgia shouldn’t become “Puddle Georgia” this year. That’s good news.

The bad news, we still haven’t had the drought breaker–steady, regular rains that raise groundwater and river levels to historic levels.

In fact, despite some record rains in January, Rome is almost six inches behind what is considered normal rainfall for this time of year.

What’s that mean for Paddle Georgia in June? Who knows! We may get a gullywasher on June 19, and the rivers could be at floodstage on June 20 when we begin our trip. However, a few things are pretty certain: Day 2 (on Carters Lake) will be free of aggravating encounters with sandbars, and Days 3-7 will  take place on rivers with a regulated flow. For better or worse, we are assured of at least 240 cubic feet per second flowing down the Coosawattee below the Carters Lake Re-regulation Dam.

In other news…our campsites are set thanks to some great hospitality from the folks in Ellijay, Calhoun and Rome. We’ll spend three nights at Gilmer County High School, three nights at Calhoun High School, one night at Armuchee High School and we’ll celebrate the River’s End at Heritage Park in Downtown Rome.

I also met recently with the good folks at the Corps of Engineers at Carters Lake who’ll be hosting us on Day 2. With their help we are arranging for a take out at the dam rather than a nearby boat ramp busy with powerboats. This should make for a more pleasant take out, and we get a great view of the highest earthen dam east of the Mississippi. It’s an impressive sight…and I think, some will find it a somewhat saddening sight. Paddling across a lake to discover the massive obstacle blocking the water’s path reminds us of the wild river that is lost beneath the lake. It puts us in the mood of James Dickey and Deliverance and teaches us a bit about how we use and abuse our rivers.

Joe Cook

March 4, 2009

REGISTRATION FOR PADDLE GEORGIA 2009 IS NOW OPEN!

Paddle Georgia 2009
Coosawattee and Oostanaula Rivers
Ellijay to Rome
June 20 -26, 2009
92 Miles, 7 Days, 1 Great Time!

Discover all the once in a lifetime fun and adventure in store for you on Paddle Georgia 2009 at http://www.garivers.org/paddle_georgia/pghome.html.

Register now online at: http://www.garivers.org/paddle_georgia/pgregister.html or by calling 706-549-4508 to request a printed registration form.

• Participation limited to first 300 thru-paddlers
• Paddle Georgia Lite (June 20-21 only) registrations taken after April 15 if spaces remain available.

Participate in canoeathon and create you own canoeathon webpage this year! Visit http://www.garivers.org/paddle_georgia/pgcanoeathon.html.

Remember those Halloween Darter jokes? The Halloween Darter is now officially a new species!

 

On Paddle Georgia 2008 on the Flint River we learned about the Halloween Darter (and heard all those Halloween Darter jokes). We were lucky to have Mary Freeman, who discovered the Halloween Darter, along with us on Paddle Georgia to teach us all about the Flint, especially the Halloween Darter. We heard the story of how, while surveying fishes in Georgia’s Flint River, Mary and her husband Bud noticed that a certain darter fish had a striking orange color in its fins–much different than the Blackbanded darter that is prominent in the southwest Georgia River. They had come across a new species: the Halloween darter or Percina crypta.

You may be surprised to learn, though, that it wasn’t until after Paddle Georgia that the Halloween Darter “officially” became a new species.

This is what Mary had to say about completing the process to get the Halloween Darter officially declared a new species: “Hearing folks who might never have heard of a “darter” before telling Halloween darter jokes was a bit of a surprise for me, especially on that first night that I arrived at the camp at Camp Thunder.   Bud and I had years ago figured out that this little darter was different than any other known to science, but frankly, finishing a species description is tedious stuff.  Spending a week on the Flint with people from so many different walks of life, evincing such interest and concern about the river and what lives in it – especially those paddlers who helped pull a seine and at least acted  enthused about seeing what came up in the net – really motivated me to put other projects aside and do this one thing that I could do for the Flint.  That is – put an official, scientifically recognized name on one of the river’s unique critters.”

“The Halloween darter is a great example of ‘cryptic biodiversity’ — species that have gone unrecognized because they look a lot like other species that are known,” explained Mary, an ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and the UGA Odum School of Ecology. “Ichthyologists have documented many new fish species in the southeastern U.S., showing that despite nearly 100 years of scientific study of fishes in this region, there are still surprises.”The newly discovered Halloween darter is less than five inches long and upon analysis, was found to have a host of differences from the Blackbanded darter. The fish is common to only a few areas of the Chattahoochee and Flint River systems because it requires habitats with swift water currents over rocky areas–shoals. Findings were reported in a recent issue of prominent zoological journal Zootaxa.

According to Mary, there are far fewer shoals today because of the rise of dams on rivers and streams, as well as the removal of rock shoals to improve rivers for navigation. The discovery of the Halloween darter has definite implications for conservation strategies.

“Keeping track of the status of the Halloween darter, along with other species that require shoal habitats in the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers, will provide information on how shoals as ecological systems are responding to changes in land use, water management and climate,” said Mary.

In addition to the Freemans, the research team included Noel Burkhead of the U.S. Geological Survey and Carrie Straight, a Ph.D. student at the UGA Odum School of Ecology.