Upper Oconee Water Trails The Upper Oconee Watershed Network (UOWN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Athens, Georgia. It was formed in January 2000 in response to citizen concern about the region’s rapid growth and its impact to local streams and rivers. Their mission is to protect water resources in the Upper Oconee watershed and improve stream health through community-based advocacy, monitoring, education, and recreation. In 2011, UOWN received seed money from Georgia River Network to develop a water trail on the Oconee River. UOWN created a subcommittee – the Upper Oconee Water Trail (UOWT) – to guide this effort. The committee includes stakeholders from community organizations dedicated to providing ecological and economic benefits to the region. An important goal of this committee is to involve local citizenry in river cleanup events.
In September 2017, UOWT partnered with Athens Clarke County Department of Leisure Services to complete their first cleanup on the North Oconee River. Volunteers were secured through Rivers Alive, an annual community event that places cleanup teams along streams and river corridors, but not actually on the river. To enhance the community’s efforts, UOWT’s goal was to get people on the water as part of this effort. ACC Leisure Services provided 16 kayaks and 8 canoes for the cleanup. Kayaks navigated tight spaces and collected trash from strainers. UOWT deployed canoes to haul the trash, especially large pieces such as tires. The canoes also permitted the volunteers to sort recycling from trash. The cleanup was highly successful, due in large part to being on the
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water, rather than just alongside. The River’s Alive Project removed 3.1 tons of trash, 1 ton of recycling, and 150 tires. The UOWT committee received positive feedback from the River’s Alive Committee and encouraged us to establish a goal of completing regular cleanups in subsequent years. The network has completed additional river cleanups, partnering with Bag the Bag, Athens Area Paddlers, and Keep Athens-Clarke Clean and Beautiful. Based on feedback from paddlers UOWN has identified river sections in desperate need of trash removal. To facilitate these cleanup efforts, the group applied for and received a CFS grant to purchase equipment and supplies, including a chainsaw, grabbers, clippers, loppers, gloves, and trash bags. These items will greatly help volunteers to more efficiently gather the trash and remove debris from the river.
PADDLE | July 2019 | Page 16