Adopt-a-stream, Vol. 5, no. 5 (Sept./Oct. 1998)

GEORGIA
Adopt-A-Stream
Volume 5, Number 5, September / October 1998
Michele Droszcz and Harold Harbert, Editors

Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division

Fifth Annual Adopt-A-Stream Conference "From Cold Water Streams to Black Water Swamps"
October 24, 1998 Columbus, Georgia
The theme of this year's conference, "From Cold Water Streams To Black Water Swamps," reflects
Georgia Adopt-A-Steam goals to expand volunteer monitoring to streams, lakes and wetlands and to address water quality issues specific to the different regions of the state. Sessions will be offered on regional water quality issues and on advanced monitoring activities. Student Position Papers will be judged by a distinguished panel of Georgia educators and water quality professionals. We'll also present our 5th Annual Adopt-A-Stream Awards--we are still accepting nominations for deserving volunteers! Nominate a group or individual by October 5, 1998.
The Keynote Speaker is Dr. James Kundell of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the
University of Georgia. Dr. Kundell is professor of environmental policy in the Institute of Ecology and the science advisor to the Georgia General Assembly. He has served as chairman of numerous statewide environmental committees and has sat on several Georgia legislative committees. His speech will focus on water quality management at the watershed level.
Great Field Trips! Space is Limited So Register Early!
Pre-registration is required to sign up for the following field trips. There is no charge for these trips. 1. Georgia Power Hydro Mill (Limited to 25 - tour time 1.5 hours) 2. MEAD Sustainable Forest (Limited to 20 - tour time 2.5 hours) 3. Environmental Tour of Fort Benning (Limited to 20 - tour time 3 hours) 4. State of the Art Advanced Demonstration Facility - Columbus Waterworks (Limited to 25 - tour time 1.5 hours)
The following field trips are self-guided. Pre-registration is not required. The Coca-Cola Space Science Center (tour time 1 hour) Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center (tour time 1.5 hours) Pine Mountain/Warm Springs (tour time 3 hours plus) Columbus Museum/Chattahoochee Exhibit (tour time 1 hour) Columbus River Walk (tour time 1 hour) Civil War Naval Museum (tour time 1 hour)

1998 Georgia Adopt-A-Stream 5th Annual Conference
From Cold Water Streams to Black Water Swamps

GW&PCA

Central GA

Student Sessions

North GA

South GA

Coastal GA

Adopt-A-Stream

8-8:55 9-9:30 9:45-10:40 Session 1
10:40-10:55

Project WET

Columbus Waterworks Wet Weather Project

REGISTRATION Exhibit Area Open in Davidson Student Center

WELCOME

Keynote Speaker In Fine Arts Hall

Profile of a N.GA Stream/ Profile of a S. GA Stream

The Okeefenokee Coastal Management Plan / The Coastal Ark

Introduction to Adopt-A-Stream, Wetland, Lake

BREAK

Refreshments in Davidson Student Center

11:00-11:55 Session 2

Project WET and Project WILD

Cultural/Social History of the Fall line /State of the Lower Chattahoochee River

Starting an AAS Community Program

What You May Find in a South Georgia Wetland

Nonpoint Source Pollution Impacts on GA's Estuaries / Salt Water Intrusion on The Floridan Aquifer

What Can You Do With Biological and Chemical Data?

12:00-12:50 Student Papers

LUNCH

Meet and Eat With Regional Training Center Directors

1:00 - 1:50

Youth Career Track

Panel Discussion in Davidson Student Center Auditorium

2:00 - 2:30

Awards and Closing Remarks in Davidson Student Center Auditorium

2:35 - 3:30 Session 3

Leave for Field Trip

Sustainable Ag. BMP's and Water Quality Monitoring

Identifying Wetland Plants

Using GPS/GIS

Streambank

Leave for Field Trips

Restoration: How To . .

NOTE: The GW&PCA Youth Track will be visiting Oxbow Meadows
Registration includes lunch, refreshment breaks and a Georgia Adopt-A-Stream t-shirt--all for the low price of $25!
Student registration is only $20. Students should call Arleen Brown with GW&PCA for conference sponsorship at 912750-4444 ext 323. The registration brochure will be mailed to all our Adopt-A-Stream newsletter recipients by midSeptember, so hold tight and we'll get them out to you!! If you have any questions please call 404-656-0099.
More Conference News!! Georgia Water and Pollution Control Association (GW&PCA) provides the Youth
Track for students to participate in Project WET and Project WILD activities. Interested students will have a chance to present papers on wetlands or nonpoint source pollution to a panel of water quality professionals. The students will interact with water quality professionals to learn more about career opportunities.
Water Resources Maps for Atlanta Area Residents
A large (24" X 36") poster with information and a map of water resources in the Atlanta region is now available. The poster contains a map of water bodies, drainage areas, water intakes, combined sewer overflows, and waste water treatment facilities in the Atlanta Metropolitan area on one side and discussions of a variety of water related topics (e.g., the waer cycle, major river systems, wetlands, water conservation, wastewater treatment, nonpoint source pollution management, storm water pollution control, water supply watersheds) on the other side. Single copies of this poster may be obtained by calling the Georgia Environmental Protection Division Customer Assistance Program toll-free at 1-888-EPD-5947 (in Atlanta 404-657-5947). Multiple copies may be obtained by calling Daphne

Woods at the Atlanta Regional Commission at 404-364-2566.

Rome Expands AAS Program

More good news from Rome! On August 25, 1998 the Georgia

by Martha Little, Rome AAS Coordinator

Soil and Water Conservation Commission awarded the Rome

The Rome chapter of Adopt-A-Stream is focusing its efforts on water education on a grand scale. With the

Middle School a $4,000 Partners for Wildlife Program grant to help develop the school's wetland project. Way to go Rome!

help of funding from the City of Rome Water and

Sewage Department, we are developing a system of environmental education (focused on water) in local schools. The

backbone of this program will be an Environmental Education Resources Center in the Rome/Floyd County Regional

Library. It is our hope that teachers will visit this center and check out the texts, videos, and activity books we will provide

for their classes. We are also compiling a booklet that lists local field trip and classroom speaker information for the

convenience of the teachers. We will, of course, continue to encourage teachers to take advantage of the Adopt-A-Stream

program as the ideal water education program.

We have recently updated our web page to include the above information, along with descriptions of other environmental

activities in the Rome area and an online water quality data entry form. Please visit our site at

www.roman.net/~kmilam/envhist.htm. If you have any other questions, contact

Martha Little at 706-236-4406 or envhist@roman.net.

Georgia River Clean Up Week October 10-18, 1998
The Seventh Annual Georgia River Clean Up Week is just around the corner, but it's not too late to get involved! We've received a positive response from those interested in helping out, but we are still looking for clean up organizers. River Clean Up Organizers perform an important role serving as local contacts for individuals interested in helping clean up streams, lakes, and wetlands in their communities. If you'd like to serve as a River Clean Up Organizer, call 1-888-3735947 or 404-657-5947 in Atlanta, and we will send you an organizer packet.
The organizer packet contains important information on what you'll need to ensure your clean up activities run smoothly and safely. If you are interested in participating as a volunteer give us a call in late September and we'll put you in touch with a River Clean Up Organizers in your area.
We've had mixed success looking for state wide sponsors to provide trash bags, plastic gloves, and other paraphernalia to help facilitate our river clean up activities. Few organizations have offered state wide sponsorship; however, there is reason to believe that many places, such as your local groceries, hardware or department stores, will provide support to groups on a local level. Give them a call and make an inquiry! Most are more than happy to contribute to a good cause.

River Clean Up Week Activities Sponsored by Community Adopt-A-Stream Programs
4th Annual Help-the-Hooch & Watershed Festival, held in the Columbus, Georgia area, will once again
sponsor this year's largest river clean up. They expect over 3000 volunteers from Georgia and Alabama to help clean up the Chattahoochee River and to celebrate at their Watershed Festival. For more information call William Kent at 706-649-3490, Rebecca Butts at 706-649-3431, or Dr. Becky Champion at 706-687-4090.
Conasauga Watershed, in conjunction with the Keep Dalton/Whitfield Beautiful Association, is sponsoring river
clean up activities on the Conasauga River on Saturday Oct. 17th, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.. They promise t-shirts, educational programs, and food and drinks for all volunteers. To participate call John Lugthart at 706-272-2485.
Alpharetta Project Ripple will focus its river clean up activities to the Big Creek and Foekiller Creek on Oct. 17th,
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. They will be offering a hot dog party and refreshments to all volunteers. For more information call 770-442-9057.
Upper Chattahoochee River Keeper and the Sautee Nacoochee Community Association has organized a river
clean up at the head waters of the Chattahoochee River on October 10th. For more information contact Katherine

Baer at 770-538-2619.
DeKalb County Adopt-A-Stream has organized river clean up activities at Davidson Arabia on Oct.10th and
Lullwater Creek on Oct. 17th. Call Patricia White or Nicole Vachon at 404-508-7603.
Gwinnett County Adopt-A-Stream will conduct river clean ups on October 10th and 17th. Contact Michael
O'Shield for more information at 770-822-7157.
Walton Clean & Beautiful and Apalachee Water Works will be cleaning up a section of the Apalachee River. Call
Dan Parsons for more information at 770-267-9411.
Water Quality Monitoring Program Goes "Online"
The Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper program proudly announces that volunteers can now enter their data online directly into a water quality database, at www.streamdata.org. To receive access to the database you must fill out a questionnaire form available from Dana Poole at 404-352-9828 ext.17. Way to go UCRK!
Adopt-A-Stream Calendar of Events
The following are trainings and workshops which educate citizens about wetland and stream monitoring. There will be a special Biological Train the Trainer course being offered in Bainbridge, Georgia. This is a great opportunity for those in the southwest region of the state to get TTT certified! Please call to register. Space is limited!

What Level I / Chemical Workshop Adopt-A-Wetland Workshop Biological Workshop Community Watershed Workshop Biological Workshop Biological Train the Trainer Level I / Chemical Workshop Level I / Chemical Workshop Biological Workshop Level I / Chemical Workshop Level I / Chemical Workshop

When Sept. 5 Sept. 12 Sept. 12 Sept. 15 Sept. 19 Sept. 19 Sept. 26 Oct. 3 Oct. 17 Nov. 2 Nov. 7

Where

To Register

Chattahoochee Nature Ctr. 404-656-0069

GWF Alcovy Site

404-656-0099

Davidson Arabia.

404-656-0069

Outdoor Activity Ctr.

404-330-6980

Cochran Mill Nature Ctr.

404-656-0069

Bainbridge, GA

404-656-0099

Fernbank Science Ctr.

404-656-0069

Newman Wetland Ctr.

404-656-0069

Fernbank Science Ctr.

404-656-0069

Woodward Academy

404-656-0069

Dunwoody Nature Ctr.

404-656-0069

Don't forget, Georgia Adopt-A-Stream requires that you must get recertified every year so that your data is QA/QC! Sign up for a workshop now!

The Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Newsletter is published six times per year. For more information about the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream program or to contribute to the newsletter, call or write to:
Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Environmental Protection Division 7 ML King Dr. SW, Suite 643 Atlanta, GA 30334 404-656-0069

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