Blog

Chattahoochee Riverkeeper leads river tour with Senator Jon Ossoff, local leaders to highlight Chattahoochee River Act

On Wednesday, February 23, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper led U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff and other local leaders on a boat tour of the Chattahoochee River to support ongoing dialogue about the recently-announced Chattahoochee River Act.

The landmark legislation, introduced by Ossoff and Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock on February 10, is intended to improve water quality, protect essential public works, and restore ecosystems along the river — all of which are vital to Georgia’s drinking water supply, agricultural industry, power generation, and more.

“The Chattahoochee River is one of Georgia’s most precious natural resources, vital to Georgia’s drinking water, agriculture, and our natural environment,” said Ossoff in a recent press release. “That’s why I’ve written this bill to protect, preserve, and restore the Chattahoochee River for generations to come.”

Riverkeeper Jason Ulseth piloted one of two boats to show stakeholders the Chattahoochee River and the threats it faces firsthand. The tour, which also included staff from Sen. Ossoff’s office, the National Park Service, the Trust for Public Land, West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, and Cobb County, then returned to Riverview Landing, a new development of shops, restaurants, and homes along the Chattahoochee River in Smyrna, that illustrates how a cleaner river can attract new development and public access.

The group also received a briefing on the RiverLands project, which aims to promote greenspaces and blue trails along the river led by the Trust for Public Land, and soon after braved slick mud and a creek crossing to explore nearby Discovery Park.

“Hearing about the river and seeing the river are two totally different things,” said Ulseth. “To be able to get all these partners into the very water we’re trying to protect will go a long way in helping to make this bill a success.”

Following the tour, the group hosted a press conference for local media. You can read the full Chattahoochee River Act here.

Related Posts

How federal cuts could impact the Chattahoochee River

Chattahoochee Riverkeeper is alarmed by recent changes to federal agencies including the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and National Park Service (NPS). Drastic staffing cuts at these…

Fighting for clean water in Columbus

Since 2017, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CRK) and our partners at the Southern Environmental Law Center have pushed for stronger water quality measures to protect the right to drinkable, swimmable, and fishable…

Atlanta wastewater treatment plant failing, CRK files federal lawsuit

Updated September 6, 2024: Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CRK) has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Atlanta for its ongoing pollution of the Chattahoochee River. Since at least January 2023,…

close
Go to Top
en_USEnglish