Though their parents and grandparents may have know the Conasauga and Oostanaula as a dumping ground for industrial and municipal waste, after a week on the river, this generation will remember the rivers a wet amusement ride.
Another Paddle Georgia is in the books, and as a resident of Rome where the trip ended, I can say that the event put an exclamation mark on my community’s renewed embrace of river recreation.
What Rome has experienced during the past two decades is a generational paradigm shift in how local residents perceive the three rivers flowing through the heart of their community.
Let me explain…
From the end of the Coosa’s steamboat era in the early 1900s through the 1950s, Rome’s rivers remained a focal point for local residents—a readily available recreational escape.
During the “Roaring 20s” there were motorboat races at the confluence of the Oostanaula and Etowah and Boy Scout excursions on paddlewheel houseboats up the Oostanaula. Into the 1950s, families camped regularly on the Oostanaula’s Whitmore Island, spending days fishing and living off the river.
A line of paddlers makes their way down the narrow and winding Conasauga during Paddle Georgia 2016.
But, those activities went out of style in the 1960s as the river became fouled by effluent from Dalton’s burgeoning carpet mills. The Conasauga and Oostanaula became so polluted that Romans turned their backs to them. Those residents that came of age along these rivers between 1960 and 1990 learned that they were unfit for swimming and fishing.
In a column by Roger Aycock published in the Jan. 6, 1974 issue of the Rome News-Tribune, the local historian wrote: “Pollution from civic and industrial sources have largely destroyed the once idyllic pursuit of river fishing and camping…Still, the old potential for sport and pleasure remains. With the completion of sewage disposal projects…some portion of that pleasure in our outdoor life may be available again—if not to our generation, which has permitted its decline, then perhaps to our children, who may restore it.”
Aycock’s words were prophetic. The Clean Water Act forced change. Municipal and industrial facilities cleaned up their sewage and wastewater. Citizen advocates formed groups like the Coosa River Basin Initiative.
Jessie Morris of Peachtree City has a close encounter with a southern pocketbook mussel on the Conasauga River.
As we have on so many of our recent Paddle Georgia adventures, we discovered a river revived.
Briana Smith, a participant from Rome and recipient of one of Georgia River Network’s educator scholarships, told us her parents warned her away from the Oostanaula as a child, but after several days on the river, she said she wouldn’t hesitate to bring her students on the river.
Russ Delozier, a Paddle Lite participant from Dalton, was similarly effected. Though he’s lived in area for years, it was his first excursion on the Conasauga. He wrote to us after the trip, saying, “Here in Dalton and Chatsworth, we’ve been blessed with fabulous water resources. But due to, in some cases, unawareness and in others ignorance or even indifference, the communities as a whole have taken those precious (and limited) resources for granted. So I’m glad to say, your well organized efforts in the Paddle Georgia program have had a needed impact on me.”
For decades, the Conasauga in Dalton was known as the dumping ground for the city’s economic engine—not a place to visit for fun on the water. In fact, it wasn’t until the last five years that the first developed access to the river was established, and even today, there are only two public boat launches along the river’s entire 93-mile length.
Taylor Harrison of Carrollton drifts down the Oostanaula. There was as much swimming and drifting as there was paddling during Paddle Georgia 2016.
What we discovered on our journey was that the Conasauga and Oostanaula are places worthy of our paddles, fishing poles and swimming trunks, and those who live in Chatsworth, Dalton, Calhoun and Rome took notice.
A day after our journey ended in Rome, a headline in the Rome News-Tribune announced, “Rome’s Rivers Growing in Popularity.”
This river revival has been decades in the making. The children of Roger Aycock’s generation have, in fact, restored our rivers, and Paddle Georgia’s journey through the upper Coosa River basin, has emphatically announced to Coosa River communities: “Welcome back to our rivers!”
Joe Cook, Paddle Georgia Coordinator
June 29, 2016
And, a few additional parting shots…
Carol McNavish of Houston, Texas gives a peck to an Alabama hogsucker held by Upper Coosa Riverkeeper Amos Tuck. The hogsucker did not turn into Prince Charming; he was released back to the Oostanaula without further incident.
Ben Owens of Rome gets a “back massage” during a break along the Conasauga River.
The river that once carried carpet waste now cools paddlers. Chris Lewis, Ellen Cardin, Amos Tuck, Barbara Lamb and Chad Johnfroe luxuriate in a Conasauga River shoal.
Refugees crossing the river to the promised land or Paddle Georgia participants reaching a take out location? Thanks to the dozens–nay hundreds–of volunteers who pitched in to aid fellow paddlers, move boats, load gear trucks, etc. You are what makes Paddle Georgia so special!
A city of colorful tents and hammocks dotted the track and bleachers, and the gym floor was filled wall to wall with waking paddlers. It never ceases to amaze me how early paddlers start their day on Paddle Georgia – ¾ were up by 5:30 AM enjoying a freshly brewed cup-a-joe at Café Campesino. However, I’ve come to realize that folks are up -bright eyed and bushy tailed – 
before sunrise for good reason with afternoon temps rising into the mid 90’s, these early birds do catch the worm, being able to enjoy the cool morning breeze and wildlife that also ventures out to forage this time of day.
People are always looking out for each other, lending a hand with hauling gear and boats, offering extra water or sunscreen to those who forgot theirs, and yes offering to hold Aviva when we were carrying our canoe, eating, or pretty much any time (although I think there might have been a little ‘Give me that BABY!’ syndrome going on <:0).
The floods from the winter had scoured the banks eroding the sediment underneath trees exposing their gnarly web of roots and leaving caves for animals to reside in. You could also see how high the water levels had reached by the logs that had become lodge high in the tree branches above! I was struck by the sedimentary layers of rock sandwiched at odd angles along the river bank- some with fossils.
perfect for landing your boat and getting out for lunch or a swim.
After a delicious dinner provided by Coosa River Basin Initiative we gave out prizes for best volunteer, foot tan, oldest and youngest participant, and told more Logperch jokes. Hugs and goodbyes were shared and Joe Cook revealed that our Paddle Georgia 2017 will be on the Etowah!
Respect, responsibility, and resilience: the Paddle Georgia Youth Program (PGYP) participants hold the ‘three Rs’ in high regard, and displayed all of these characteristics on today’s 21-mile trek. We kicked off right at the confluence of the Conasauga and Coosawattee Rivers, and the swift current welcomed us onto the Oostanaula. Pretty awesome to think we will travel the entire length of this river over the next few days…
Learn more about this fantastic group at 
Day 3 of Paddle GA saw the Paddle Light paddlers gone, and the shortest day of our trip: 10 miles. If you could order a day to paddle today would have been the day. Blue skies, light breeze and warm temperatures, perfect… We all paddled slowly, enjoying the day, playing on sandbars,…. looking for trash. Yes, it was TRASH DAY!
This did not seem like a big deal a month ago, but after paddling Saturday and Sunday and seeing tires everywhere I started to be concerned. Other Paddle Georgia cleanup events turned into tire rodeos, over 300 on the Ocoee alone.
many were fish habitat and a few were so buried in dirt removing them would hurt the river more then help it. I think things happen for a reason so no tire removal on this trip. We did find and remove a TV, dumpsters, toilets, toys filled with dirt, a microwave, rubber tubes, scary dolls and the usual bottles and can debris. We filled the dumpster (THANK YOU REPUBLIC SERVICES) and it felt good.
Georgia has a fund to help with tire cleanups and other environmental concerns.
Please help them continue this fight and contact your local representatives and let them know you want this fund to go the purpose it’s intended.
(temperature and people-wise); Thank you strainer busters and Georgia Canoe Association for easing us through the rock dam chute and tree jam strainers on the river. Safety first makes fun better. Bonny saw a Conasauga Log Perch!
What can we do about this? CRBI and Georgia River Network support programs to educate about our rivers, and to advocate for better laws and protections for our waterways. Educational programs for kids and adults, programs like Paddle Georgia and GRN’s hidden gem paddles, water monitoring and river cleanups, get folks out on and in the rivers for hand-on experience. Advocacy through legislative lobbying, to (when necessary), Clean Water Act lawsuits or settlements are often the best, and sometimes the only, defense against polluters and harmful practices. How can you help?
