Paddle Georgia Official Press Release

Georgia River Network plans Paddle Georgia 2009,

A week-long canoe/kayak adventure on the Coosawattee & Oostanaula rivers

Having shot the Chattahoochee, adventured on the Etowah, explored the Ocmulgee and floated the Flint during the past four summers, this summer Paddle Georgia sets sail on the Coosawattee and Oostanaula rivers of Northwest Georgia, charting a 92-mile course from Ellijay to Rome.

The fifth-year anniversary of what is considered the largest organized, long-distance paddle trip in the country will feature some 300 canoe and kayak paddlers who will venture from the Blue Ridge mountains of Georgia’s Apple Capital in Ellijay, past the historic Cherokee Indian Capital of New Echota near Calhoun and on to downtown Rome where the Oostanaula joins the Etowah to form the Coosa River.

Event organizer, Georgia River Network, has scheduled the event for June 20-26.

Made possible through generous donations from lead sponsor Georgia Power and numerous other supporters, Paddle Georgia is more than just a canoe and kayak trip. The event will include educational programs on the river’s cultural and natural history, tours of facilities and historic sites located along the river, nightly games and entertainment, and even a research program in which participants will help collect chemical and biological data to give a snapshot of the current health of the Coosawattee and Oostanaula.

“We’re especially excited about exploring the Upper Coosa River Basin because of all the special critters that live in these waters,” said Joe Cook, Paddle Georgia Coordinator. “The Upper Coosa is home to 30 aquatic animals that are found no where else in the world, making the Coosa system the most biologically diverse river basin in North America.”

In addition to a host of common wildlife, paddlers may have the chance to glimpse fish like the federally threatened goldline darter, mussels like the federally endangered fine-lined pocketbook or even the state endangered Coosawattee crayfish during the trip.

Organizers are touting the event as one of the most economical week-long vacations to be found. Registration and meal fees for the journey amount to $57 per day per person.

“You travel for seven days with a great group of individuals seeing sites you’d never see from the highway or even backroad,” said Georgia River Network Executive Director April Ingle. “You never have to stop to fill up your gas tank and never have to stand in line at airport security, but you’re always just one paddle stroke from a great swimming hole. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better vacation value.”

Assisting Georgia River Network staff in the event will be a host of volunteers and supporters from local watershed groups and the communities through which the event passes.

The Coosawattee Watershed Alliance (CWA) in Ellijay and New Echota Rivers Alliance (NERA) in Calhoun will both provide volunteers to assist with various aspects of the event. These local groups will also receive grants from Georgia River Network generated through event registration fees and the event’s Canoe-a-thon donations.

CWA used the announcement of Paddle Georgia to kick off its MudMeter program Tuesday, Feb. 24. The local river protection group has erected a sign near downtown Ellijay on the Cartecay River that publicizes the turbidity (amount of dirt in the river) and directs interested parties to the group’s website to learn how they can help protect local rivers.

Since its inception in 2005, more than 1200 people have participated in Paddle Georgia, helping to generate more than $45,000 for river protection in Georgia.

Local chambers of commerce and convention and visitors bureaus in Ellijay, Calhoun and Rome are also providing guidance and assistance. The Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce is planning a weekend celebration around Paddle Georgia that will include cardboard boat races, arts, music and shopping.

“On behalf of the business community of Gilmer County, we are thrilled to be the kick-off location for Paddle Georgia 2009. Drawing attention to the waterways of Gilmer County is paramount to maintaining them for citizens and visitors alike,” says Paige Green, Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce President.

Local businesses won’t be the only locals to benefit from the event, however. Volunteers and staff at Gilmer County, Calhoun and Armuchee high schools will serve breakfasts to Paddle Georgia participants to raise funds for school athletic and other groups.

“Aside from bringing much attention to our rivers, Paddle Georgia also pumps a lot of money into local communitie,” Ingle said.

The Paddle Georgia 2009 route takes paddlers through what remains of the free-flowing Coosawattee above Carters Lake and then into the lake for a day of flatwater paddling.

A portage around the tallest earthen dam east of the Mississippi will return paddlers to the Lower Coosawattee and on to the New Echota Historic Site to see the land at the confluence of the Coosawattee and Conasauga rivers that the Cherokee Indians once called their Capital.

From there the route continues down the Oostanaula, passing over the remains of both Native American fish weirs built 500 to 1000 years ago and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rock wing dams built during the 1800s to facilitate navigation on the river.

“As with all river trips in Georgia, this is a paddle through time,” said Cook. “Georgia’s history is forever linked to the exploration of the state’s rivers, and the Coosawattee and Oostanaula are no exception.”

In modern history the Coosawattee finds perhaps its biggest claim to fame. The late James Dickey’s canoe-adventure novel, Deliverance, was born during Dickey’s paddle trips with friends on the Coosawattee prior to the construction of Carters Dam which began in 1962. The novel and subsequent movie of the same name were responsible in part for a surge in popularity of whitewater paddle sports during the mid-1970s. That popularity continues until today and has spawned events such as Paddle Georgia.

Unlike the doomed trip depicted in Dickey’s novel, Paddle Georgia 2009 is suitable for novice paddlers as well as experienced paddlers using canoes and kayaks. Class I-II rapids will be featured on the first day of the trip, followed by six days of more gentle flatwater paddling.

“We hope to have a lot of families,” Cook said. “A week-long canoe trip is not an easy thing for a family to plan. This trip allows a family to participate in a great adventure without having to fret over all the logistics.”

The idea for the event was hatched during Cook’s 100-day, 540-mile canoe trip down the Chattahoochee in 1995.

“That trip from the mountains to the Gulf of Mexico was an incredible experience. It was really a lesson in how a river works, how it changes on its journey to the sea and how much it provides for us,” Cook said. “Ever since that trip, I’ve wanted other people to experience Georgia’s rivers. The best way to understand and appreciate a river is to get on it and follow in its path.”

Georgia River Network’s Executive Director April Ingle and Administration and Outreach Director Dana Skelton embraced the idea of a paddling adventure in the spring of 2004 and decided such an event would be a tremendous service to Georgia citizens.

Registration for the event is now underway. The event is limited to the first 300 registrants wishing to do the entire seven day trip (thru-paddlers). Paddle Georgia Lite—the weekend-only portion of the seven day paddle will also be offered.

Paddle Georgia registration fees include a T-shirt, boat decal, pocket-size dry box courtesy of Georgia Power, waterproof map cases and dry bags courtesy of Hennessey Land Rover, a year’s membership in Georgia River Network, camping with bath facilities, shuttles to campsites, maps and river descriptions, entertainment, activities, educational programs and safety services.

On the river by day, at night, the participants will camp at four different locations during the trip—Gilmer County High School, Calhoun High School, Armuchee High School and Rome’s Heritage Park. For additional fees, hot breakfasts and dinners are provided, along with sack lunches.

Proceeds for river protection are generated through corporate sponsorships, registration fees and the Paddle Georgia Canoe-a-thon in which participants solicit donations from friends, family, co-workers and neighbors on a per-mile basis to benefit GRN, CWA and NERA. Participants who raise more than $400 through the Canoe-a-thon can have their registration fees reimbursed.

Registration fees are $195 for adults, $130 for children age 8-17 and $170 for seniors and college students. Paddle Georgia Lite registration fees are $95 for adults, $55 for children age 8 -17, and $75 for seniors and college students. Children age 7 and under are free.

Organizers also offer a meal plan that includes eight dinners, seven lunches and seven breakfasts for $200.

A scholarship program for the trip is also available for Georgia teachers. Winners of these “scholarships” will participate in the week-long paddle for free and during the week will receive Project WET training. Project WET is a powerful tool for motivating educators to teach their students about the importance of Georgia’s water resources. Its goal is to facilitate and promote awareness, appreciation, knowledge and stewardship of water resources.

Event sponsors include Georgia Power Co. Mohawk Industries, Hennessy Land Rover, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Stack & Associates, The Outside World, China Clay Producers Association, Earth Fare, International Paper, Café Campesino, Oglethorpe Power, The Rain Barrell Company, Patagonia, Menasha Ridge Press, Kind Healthy Snacks, REI and Current Designs/Wenonah Canoe.

More information about Paddle Georgia can be found at www.garivers.org.

Georgia River Network is a non-profit 501c3 organization working to ensure a clean water legacy by engaging and empowering Georgians to protect and restore our rivers from the mountains to the coast.

For more information, contact:

Joe Cook, Paddle Georgia Coordinator, at 706-409-0128 or via e-mail at joecookpg@gmail.com

April Ingle, Georgia River Network, at 706-549-4508 or via e-mail at ingle@garivers.org

Scott McBride, Coosawattee Watershed Alliance, at 706-669-4274 or via e-mail at scottmcbride1@hotmail.com

Paige Green, Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce, at 706-635-7401 or via e-mail at PaigeG@gilmerchamber.com