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Ocmulgee River integral part of Altamaha watershed

March 24, 2010
By Walton Wood | Special to The Sun News

Walton Wood

Despite being more than 200 miles from Darien, where the Altamaha River empties into the Atlantic Ocean, Houston County plays a significant role in the productivity of the estuary along the south Georgia coast.

According to Altamaha Riverkeeper documents and newsletters, “Georgia’s coast is less than 100 miles long, but it contains one-third of the entire salt marsh on the eastern coast of the United States. The watershed’s rivers, creeks and streams feed the bountiful estuarine ecosystem that provides the nursery grounds for commercially and recreationally valuable fish and food for thousands of migratory birds.

“Thousands of residents depend on the Altamaha River Watershed for recreation, food and drinking water.”

Our own Ocmulgee River, an integral part of the Altamaha watershed, is formed as the outflow of Jackson Lake where the Alcovy, South and Yellow Rivers merge.

In the Houston County area, major tributaries to the Ocmulgee are Tobesofkee Creek, Echeconnee Creek, Sandy Run Creek, Mossy Creek, Big Indian Creek, Flat Creek and a multitude of lesser creeks and streams in our neighboring counties and municipalities.

Given the large number of creeks and streams that flow into the Ocmulgee in our area, it is easy to realize any pollution that gets into these waterways would have significant impact, not only in Houston County, but also in areas to our south. Likewise, any pollutants that get into the waterways to our north will adversely impact Houston County and our neighbors to the south.

Pollution comes from various sources, including pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers applied to lawns and gardens; stormwater runoff — which gathers automotive products from highways and parking lots; household and automotive cleaning products; sewer spills; smokestack industries; improper household trash and appliance disposal; fuel and other hazardous materials that are spilled as a result of automobile or industrial accidents; and last, but not least, improper or non-existent construction site erosion and sedimentation controls.

Citizen complaints are a major input in ARK’s work. There are member volunteers up and down the expanse of this immense watershed, Georgia’s largest at 14,000 square miles.

ARK headquarters can put you in touch with member volunteers in your area. Report problems that you see — you will feel good about yourself for getting involved. You also can become a member of the ARK organization should you desire. About 1,200 of your friends and neighbors already have done so.

Visit ARK’s Web site at www.altamahariver keeper.org for more information. The group also can also be reached at (912) 437-8164.

Walton Wood resides in Kathleen and is a member of the Altamaha Riverkeeper board of directors. He may be contacted at jamewood@windstream.net.

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