Meet the Altamaha Riverkeeper (ARK)
By Constance Riggins
As Riverkeeper Holland showed slides of marsh and river sites
filled with erosion and sediment runoff from construction sites
in McIntosh and Glynn County, one
of the things citizens witnessed was the effect of water pollution caused
by poor development practices.
In the Meet the Riverkeeper presentation on April 27 at the Senior
citizens Complex in Eulonia, Riverkeeper Holland explained, " Site selection for development
is critical because almost all of Southeast Georgia is made up of wetlands. In
the 1940's and 50's, wetlands were ditched and drained for planting timber. Now
the timber is being cut and the land is being filled for development. Once a
wetland is filled, the water has to go somewhere." According to Holland,
storm water runoff and sediment leaving construction sites is a major water
pollution problem flooding neighboring property and threatening the life in
rivers and
streams. Sediment, washing into bodies of water,
smothers tiny organisms and blocks sunlight to aquatic plants. Eroding
sediment can also carry heavy metals, pesticides, and other pollutants.
Wetlands act
as a filter for pollutants, as well as habitat to threatened species but
once filled
with dirt, wetlands no longer function as part of the natural ecosystem.
Citizens learned a wealth of information about the Altamaha River
Watershed such as: Georgia's coast is less than a hundred miles
long but it contains
one forth
of the salt marsh on the United States' Eastern coast. The small creeks and
streams that feed this bountiful estuarine ecosystem are part of the Altamaha
River Watershed.
It is one of the most productive estuary habitats in the country, providing
the nursery grounds for commercially and recreationally valuable fish and
food for
thousands of migratory birds. At least 120 species of rare or endangered
plants and animals live in the Altamaha River watershed - the largest
documented cluster
of globally imperiled plants and animals of any watershed in Georgia. The
watershed is dependant on a healthy supply of water to support
the ecosystem and a growing
population of citizens.
According to Holland, unfortunately our watershed and the biodiversity
it supports are at risk. Aerial photos and ground shots showed
beautiful sites with polluted
water, habitat degradation, and sick fish. Executive Director, Deborah Sheppard shared the history of the
organization, "The Altamaha Riverkeeper incorporated in l999 with
the mission to protect and restore the habitat, water quality,
and
flow of the mighty Altamaha River
from
its North Georgia headwaters- the Oconee, Ocmulgee, and Ohoopee Rivers -
to its estuary and delta system at the Atlantic Ocean. Founded
and based in Darien
Georgia,
ARK takes a proactive field-based approach to reduce water pollution."
The Altamaha Riverkeeper responds to citizen requests for assistance
in resolving water quality problems. In addition, ARK conducts
numerous education, outreach,
and advocacy activities throughout the watershed to involve more citizens
and improve the quality of decision-making regarding environmental resources. Sheppard says, "ARK works to protect coastal marshlands and the estuary
system using the federal and state laws and local planning and zoning. We also
work through, advocacy and education. Conservation of our watershed starts
at home, our quality of life depends on it."
ARK's work to protect Georgia's largest watershed is supported
by hundreds of people from throughout Georgia and around the county.
Sheppard encourages
everyone
who cares about protecting our river and marsh to become an ARK member
and support ARK's work to protect these priceless and irreplaceable
resources. "Our
community's economic future and our quality of life depend on protecting our
rivers and marshes," said Sheppard. Because what happens upstream affects water downstream, in addition
to coastal protection, the Altamaha Rivekeeper works in the entire
14,000 square mile
watershed. Working upstream in the Oconee, ARK's negotiations with SP Newsprint
in Dublin
lead the newsprint recycling company to install new equipment that reduced
its discharge in the river from up to 6 pounds of plastic daily to less than
.06/lb
per day. Sheppard says the Altamaha Riverkeeper will continue to work with
the company until the discharge of plastic is eliminated.
Last year, ARK's ongoing investigations and reports to the Environmental
Protection Division (EPD) led to increased state action to clean up discharge
problems
at the Macon, Brunswick, Eastman, and Dublin water treatment plants.
ARK is also continuing its work upstream in Jesup with Rayonier
to reduce the color and odor of their discharge into the Altamaha
River. According to Sheppard,
Rayonier is making significant investments in research and development to
reduce problems with their discharge but they have not yet achieved
the results necessary
to clean up their discharge. Sheppard says ARK will continue its negotiating,
monitoring, advocacy and legal action until the company succeeds in reducing
the negative impact of the plant's discharge.
In talking about ARK's work, Holland said, "It is a big
watershed but the river system is connected and water pollution
in one area affects people
in another
area. We must work together to protect the lifeblood of our environment,
our water; it is why we live here and why other people are moving
here."
The
applause at the presentation indicated the crowd of citizens agreed.
To learn more about the Altamaha Riverkeeper, visit its website at altamahariverkeeper.org.
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