Altamaha

Our watershed and the biodiversity it supports are at risk

Help Protect our

Priceless Marsh and Estuary
To protect the coast of the Altamaha River Watershed, the Malcolm
Fraser Foundation is challenging the Altamaha Riverkeeper and its
members to match a grant of $50,000 to establish a new Altamaha
Coastkeeper staff position and program.
Georgia’s coast is less than a hundred miles long, yet it contains one
third of the eastern United States coastal salt marsh. The small creeks
and streams that feed the Altamaha River’s bountiful estuarine ecosystem
contain one of the most productive habitats in the country. The estuary
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Summer 2006 Newsletter

2006 Conservationist of the Year
I n these parts, Wendell Berryhill is well known for his
volunteer work in the environmental community. Now
this Cochran resident is well known nationwide.
Likewise, the Altamaha Riverkeeper (ARK) is also well
known in Georgia for working to protect habitat and solve
water quality problems throughout Georgia’s largest
watershed. ARK is nationally renowned, thanks to Berryhill,
who was selected as the 2006 Budweiser Conservationist of
the Year.
Along with the title comes $50,000 in grant funding
from Budweiser and the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation to give to the conservation group of his choice.
“It is an honor to be named Conservationist of the Year,”
said Berryhill. “But, the best part is being able to turn the
money over to the Altamaha Riverkeeper so that it can be
used to protect our watershed.” Wendell, Kathleen, Bailey and Bruce Berryhill
It’s clear that the newly bestowed recognition hasn’t
gone to Berryhill’s head. as 2006 Conservationist of the Year during Budweiser’s
“I will continue to volunteer every day,” he said. “I am annual “Shooting, Hunting and Outdoors Trade Show” in
thoroughly committed to the work. It inspires me.” Las Vegas, Nevada.
Many other people nationwide are also inspired and Budweiser officials presented him with a symbolic
committed to conserving the environment and the great $50,000 check. The runners-up each received $5,000 checks
outdoors. In fact, Budweiser received a large number of to present to conservation groups of their choice.
nominees who have made exceptional efforts towards Here at the Altamaha Riverkeeper office in Darien,
conservation over the last year. campaign work had been ongoing for some time and had
A committee selected and publicized its selection of the paid off.
top four nominees. Besides Berryhill, finalists were David “We appreciate everyone who voted for Wendell,” said
Zentner of Duluth, Minnesota; Corky Logan of Anaconda, ARK Development Director, Constance Riggins “There were
Montana; and Gene Hartman of Knoxville, Tennessee. some excellent finalists from much larger conservation
Citizens across the nation were invited to cast their votes groups and the competition was stiff. We want to thank
for Conservationist of the Year through an open ballot everyone who stepped up to the plate, helped spread the
process. Altamaha Riverkeeper’s friends, colleagues, word, and played an integral part in making both Wendell
families, and associates worldwide were enlisted to vote for Berryhill and the Altamaha Riverkeeper winners.”
Berryhill. Fellow ARK volunteer Emmy Minor led the way Riverkeeper’s very first volunteer has actively
in the final months of the campaign, enlisting the Garden investigated water pollution problems by conducting field
Club of Georgia and urging staff and board to keep up the research and collecting hundreds of water samples. Berryhill
momentum. not only espouses ARK’s philosophy, but Riggins says he
When all was said and done, Berryhill walked away possesses skills that have helped ARK put its philosophy into
with the most votes. And, on February 10, he was recognized action.

How ARK Works: Assisting citizens with water

pollution problems, the Altamaha Riverkeeper
investigates sites to stop pollution. ARK’s work
includes water testing, documentation, and follow
up reports to local, state, and federal regulatory
agencies to encourage the enforcement of water
quality laws. Through education, environmental
The Altamaha is working to protect and restore the advocacy, citizen action, negotiation, and if
habitat, water quality, and flow of the mighty Altamaha from its necessary, legal action, ARK finds solutions to
headwaters in the Oconee, Ocmulgee, and Ohoopee to its terminus at protect the health of our rivers and estuary.
the Atlantic Coast.

Altamaha 2
 “Wendell’s boating skills have helped him navigate
watershed rivers,” she said. “And his fishing skills have
helped him document the aquatic species that are impacted
by pollution. As an avid angler, he fully understands the
importance of a healthy watershed, and he has raised public
awareness of watershed problems caused by pollution.”
Berryhill encourages his fellow sportsmen to become
better stewards of the outdoors by reporting problems in the
watershed, whether it be a polluted stream or a devastated
wetland.
“Everyone can perform simple acts like complying with
hunting and fishing regulations or picking up litter,” he said.
“These may be small things, but they make a big difference.
We must all work together to protect our rivers, trees, and
stream buffers. These are things that have an impact on the
wildlife we all love.”

River Celebration
by Constance Riggins
The red carpet was rolled out for Wendell Berryhill
when he arrived at Emmy and Al Minor’s Pine Harbor home
on the Sapelo River. Over 100 well wishers were on hand at
the celebration on April 8 to congratulate the 2006
Conservationist of the Year for his river protection work.
Riverkeeper James Holland told the crowd that he and
Wendell had grown up together in Cochran, Georgia, and
spent their childhood hunting and fishing on the Ocmulgee
River. After the Altamaha Riverkeeper’s founding board
established the organization in 1999, Wendell was among
ARK’s first members and immediately volunteered to help
James in Ocmulgee River fieldwork. The two have been
working on protecting the river together ever since.
While the weather brought lots of wind and some much
needed rain, the guests continued to enjoy the fare of crabs
and shrimp from the estuary the Riverkeeper works so hard
to protect. Budweiser graciously donated liquid refreshment
for the event.

3 Altamaha
 Altamaha Watershed Citizens Get Involved
“When things get so far wrong
as to attract their notice,
the citizens, when well informed,
can be relied upon to set them right.”
Thomas Jefferson
Mr. Jefferson would be proud of citizens in the Altamaha
watershed. From the headwaters to the sea, citizens are
organizing to take back their environment and protect their
water quality and their communities. It is often said that all
politics are local. As Georgia’s communities face
exponential growth, the politics of local land-use planning
become critical to water quality protection. It takes citizen
advocacy and well-informed and active local officials to
protect communities and their environment from unplanned
and destructive developments. Election season is upon us.
One of the most important things you can do is to elect
decision makers who protect water quality. Please get
involved in your local elections now. Find out who is
running for your local offices and elect those who protect
your community’s natural and cultural resources.
In this newsletter, we include the work of citizens in
Eastman, Darien, Dublin, Macon, and Houston County who
are in different stages of organizing to address very real
water quality problems in their own communities. We hope
you find encouragement and inspiration in their progress.
ARK applauds the work of our watershed residents and
encourages everyone to take the time to get involved in local
efforts to protect water quality. Working together we can
keep Georgia’s waters fishable, swimable, and drinkable.
FROGS Leap Ahead in Eastman
Friends and Restorers of Gum Swamp (FROGS) formed
in Eastman to defeat a plan to create a new Land Application
System (LAS) to discharge partially treated sewage onto
timberland. This “solution” for wastewater disposal was
created in response to concerns about an existing sewage
treatment facility’s role in pollution of Gum Swamp Creek.
The Creek cannot be designated for additional polluting
discharges because it has been identified by the EPA’s Total
Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) process as having low
dissolved oxygen.
Altamaha Riverkeeper James Holland was requested by
FROGS to investigate pollution in Roach Branch, whose
Altamaha
source was suspected of being run-off animal waste from
animal production operations. After investigating the initial
problem, FROGS asked Holland to assist their citizen
coalition in defeating the LAS system in their community.
In support of FROGS, Holland conducted monthly water
sampling to determine the cause of high fecal coliform
counts found upstream of the existing treatment facility.
Holland urged citizens to get to know their local officials and
attend City Council meetings to express their concerns.
They began to learn everything they could about sewage and
local and state decision-making on wastewater handling. As
more and more citizens began to speak up, local officials
began to listen.
During the investigation, Holland discovered a leaking
sewage pipe that was sending sewage into water upstream of
the sewage treatment facility. The discovery and its cleanup,
along with continued advocacy from the local citizens, is
leading to a re-evaluation of the proposed LAS.
Middle Georgia Speaks Out
The Altamaha Riverkeeper is seeing a lot of Houston
County and the City of Perry lately. Citizens there are
coming together to address concerns that their public and
private creeks, streams, and lakes are not being protected by
the responsible government agencies. They are concerned
about the lack of infrastructure to support the incoming
development including costly streets, water, sewer, and
stormwater.
Like other citizens from around the state, locals are
taking time to attend and participate in Planning & Zoning
Committee meetings, City Council meetings, and County
Commission meetings as well as standing up and voicing
their opinions about the over-development occurring around
them. As in other places, the initial response of officials was
to ignore the concerns. With continued focus and growing
numbers, Houston County citizens are slowly gaining a
voice in their local land use decisions. ARK appreciates
their efforts and looks forward to supporting their progress.
4
 Macon Residents Question the Solution or stream that
A three-mile road-widening project, which in some local flows into the
opinions does not have enough traffic to warrant fiscal property
spending, has some Macon citizens concerned. Residents owners’ lake.
say the state’s Department of Transportation (DOT) plan to The DOT
widen Forest Hill Road poses more problems than solutions. decided to
At the group’s request, the Altamaha Riverkeeper review their
investigated the site near Sabbath Creek. The DOT says the site plans as a
road widening would not increase the storm water flow into result of the
the creek much over 1%; however, residents disagree and are meeting. It is
concerned the project will impact stream buffers and unfortunate
wetlands in the area. that the owners
found it
Citizens in Dublin Expect More from DOT necessary to hire an attorney to protect their property and to
A new U.S. Highway 441 bypass project in the Dublin, get the answers they had been seeking.
Laurens County area will require private property owners to
sell their property to the state for a bridge to cross Hunger Get Involved in Water Quality Protection
and Hardship Creek. One such couple has owned this Wherever you live in Georgia, be alert to what is
property for over thirty years; the creek where the bridge is happening in your community and get aligned with others
to be built runs through a lake on their property. The who share these concerns. Our state and many local
Riverkeeper met with the property owners, the property governments embrace full-scale development without
owner’s attorney and state DOT personnel because the adequate consideration of its long-term implications and
owners are concerned that storm water from the new demands - as demonstrated by the absence of a statewide
highway and bridge will damage their lake and home water management plan to provide for our state’s future
property. According to the DOT, the plans for the bypass needs. The best way to swing the development pendulum
project and bridge require the creek channel to be back in line is for citizens to be involved in local politics and
straightened and the storm water to be redirected into a ditch local government decision-making.

So Long to Too Long Dock

Last year, ARK worked with McIntosh County property denial and the case went before Administrative Law Judge
owners, providing citizen support by opposing a permit for a Michael Malihi. ARK worked with Stack and Associates to
dock system stretching one-third mile across undisturbed develop the case by providing field documentation and site
marsh to reach deep water. The request included a 6’ x analysis to support the committee’s decision. Judge Malihi
1510’ foot fixed walkway, 18’ x 30’ fixed roofed and affirmed the Committee’s decision to deny the dock in a
screened deck, 15’ x 32’ boat hoist, and 6’ x 6’ platform with legal opinion issued in May, a decision that supports the
4’ x 25’ aluminum gangway leading to a 8’ x 200’ floating CMPC’s responsibility to protect the marsh. ARK is grateful
dock to access Hudson Creek near Doboy Sound in to the CMPC members, Judge Malihi, Don Stack, and the
McIntosh County. The community dock facility was neighbors and concerned citizens for their efforts to prevent
proposed to serve a subdivision currently permitted for ten excessive destruction of the salt marsh in our watershed.
homes. To reach deep water, the facility would have to cross
an area of undisturbed marsh and a number of small tidal
streams capable of being used by boats of up to 21’ in
length, depending on the tidal stage. Proposed dock denied
The Coastal Marshland Protection Committee (CMPC)
denied the permit request for this dock facility in September
2005. The CMPC’s refusal to permit this extensive facility is
a positive step in decision making toward recognizing and
denying projects that would harm the marsh. Neighbors
testified about the impact the facility would have on the salt
marsh and their property. They provided the committee with
DNR data showing that, if granted, the project would be the
largest dock facility in McIntosh County.
The owners of the proposed dock appealed the CMPC’s

5 Altamaha
Help Protect . . .
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

provides valuable nursery grounds for commercial and

recreational fishing as well as a vast food source for
migratory birds.
Unfortunately, our watershed and the biodiversity it
supports are at risk from increasing pollution and habitat
degradation, problems that threaten water quality for all
inhabitants. According to the Southeast Watershed
Forum, the Southeast is the most biologically diverse
aquatic region with 62% of our nation’s freshwater fish
species and 75% of our country’s mussel species.
However, 34% of those fish species are at risk of
extinction and 90% of the mussels are imperiled.
Now is our chance to increase protection for our
priceless estuary and coast with a full time Altamaha
Coastkeeper. The program will focus on protecting
water quality in the lower Altamaha and estuary system
in Glynn and McIntosh Counties.
The Altamaha Coastkeeper will:
• Encourage sound land use on coastal projects
• Monitor and investigate coastal problems, such as
the increasing loss of buffers, filling of marshes and
wetlands, and sedimentation and erosion
• Actively participate in decision-making and policy
meetings
• Work with citizens to strengthen advocacy for
coastal protection
The Malcolm Fraser Foundation will match, dollar
for dollar, your contribution, doubling the value of your
financial support.
The establishment of the Altamaha Coastkeeper will
enable ARK to devote much needed time and energy to
protect our coast and way of life.
Please make a contribution today to save our
watershed’s coast. With your help and generous funding
from the Malcolm Fraser Foundation, we can make the
Altamaha Coastkeeper program a reality.
Please send your tax-deductible donation for the
Altamaha Coastkeeper program through PayPal on our
website www.altamahariverkeeper.org, or send by mail
with the enclosed envelope. We appreciate your support!

The green-fly orchid is the only orchid found on trees in Georgia. The orchids
grow on rocks or trees, such as live oaks or magnolias as well as other
hardwoods in swamps and on bluffs. This one is at the Altamaha River.

Altamaha 6
A Photo is Worth …
Inspiration
to Protect Our Watershed
by Constance Riggins
Discovering Wildlife in the Altamaha River Watershed
is a new multimedia project ARK is developing to provide
environmental education opportunities for schools, libraries,
clubs, government groups, and organizations. The project
includes the production of Power Point presentations, video
presentations, brochures, and a freestanding exhibit.
ARK will use the outreach materials to increase
awareness and understanding of the rich and abundant
wildlife found in the Altamaha Watershed. The project will
also teach the importance of healthy estuaries and rivers and
how to get involved with stewardship activities. The
outreach project will also be used at conservation
workshops, river clean-ups, fishing rodeos, festivals, and
will be available for teachers, librarians, and science clubs.
While working on water pollution cases, the
Riverkeeper investigates some very sad and devastated
environmental sites. However, on each site visit he also
takes time to capture images of snakes, mammals,
wildflowers, damselflies, butterflies, and numerous species
of birds. ARK will use these photographs of watershed
inhabitants in their natural habitat to create outreach
materials for Discovering Wildlife in the Altamaha River
Watershed.
In the last six years, ARK has given over 350
presentations. Thanks to our Discovering Wildlife in the
Altamaha River Watershed sponsors—Darien Telephone
Company, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and
Georgia DNR Watchable Wildlife Program—the support for
this new project will improve and expand our educational
outreach.
By increasing exposure to our watershed’s wildlife and
natural resources, citizen knowledge and understanding will
lead to stewardship and improved water quality for all
inhabitants.

7 Altamaha
 ARK Takes Legal Action on the Coast
by Deborah Sheppard
ARK’s work to protect coastal marshlands and the
estuary system focuses on fieldwork, advocacy, and legal
actions. Using the Georgia Coastal Marshland Protection
Act, the federal Clean Water Act, Georgia Erosion and
Sedimentation laws, and local planning and zoning
ordinances, ARK addresses the many complex issues
associated with development on the Georgia Coast. High-
density development is increasing the filling of marsh and
wetlands, expanding the loss of buffers, and accelerating
sedimentation and erosion. These are among the many
causes of degradation to marine life and the estuary.
Where the River Meets
the Sea in Darien
Legal activities and continued citizen advocacy are
combining with actions by newly elected officials to create
changes in land use planning and decision making that
provide greater protection for the Altamaha River and
estuary system in Darien.
ARK has joined forces with the Darien Neighborhood
Association (DNA) to encourage Darien residents to take an
active role in land use decisions that impact the community
character and natural resources of Cathead Creek, the Darien
River, and surrounding estuary. ARK and DNA have
appealed two precedent setting zoning decisions for large
properties on the Altamaha’s Cathead Creek tributary.
Developers have targeted this area along an extensive section
of the River for the construction of high-priced
condominiums, cottages, and dock facilities that will
negatively impact water quality, existing neighborhoods,
wildlife habitat, and scenic qualities. Don Stack of Stack
and Associates filed the lawsuits against the City of Darien
to stop alleged illegal zoning activities.
The initial litigation asserts that the Darien Zoning
Board and City Council failed to follow their zoning
Wetland destruction in north McIntosh County 2004
Altamaha
procedure when they voted to rezone single-family
residential property for high-density condominiums without
evaluating the project or its impact on the surroundings. The
property owner failed to provide the required project plans
and other requirements necessary to properly evaluate the
impact of this development on the surrounding community
and the environment. Briefs, requests for summary
judgment, and responses have been filed and await review
and resolution before the Superior Court.
In the second case (Cathead Landing), ARK and DNA
assert the Darien Zoning Board and City Council failed to
follow their zoning process in granting variances to a
developer to increase the density of his proposed
development. Project plans include additional units and
significant intrusions into the buffer zone. This project also
seeks a permit from the Coastal Marshland Protection
Committee (CMPC) to place 42 dock slips in Cathead Creek.
Stack and Associates filed legal comments opposing these
docks with the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). The
resolution of the dock building request will be made at the
state and federal levels by the Corps and the CMPC.
At the local land use level, ARK and DNA achieved
significant case goals when many of the issues were
addressed and resolved by Darien’s newly elected City
Council. Since January, the City Council has:
• Enacted a 90-day moratorium on zoning changes to
allow for training and ordinance revision
• Provided zoning training for Zoning Board and
Council Members
• Revised zoning ordinances to create a Planned Unit
Development ordinance
• Revised zoning ordinances to eliminate
condominiums from other zoning classifications
• Conducted training for local officials on Erosion and
Sedimentation laws and requirements
• Adopted a Code of Ethics
8
 • Conducted a process to identify appropriate
engineering firm to address coastal development issues
including storm water management and water quality
protection and
• Appointed new members to the Zoning Board
The Zoning Board has elected new officers and
implemented improved procedures and review for rezoning
cases. An application process for zoning change requests
has been developed and all applicants now receive clear
information on what is required before zoning changes can
be considered.
While significant changes have occurred in the City of
Darien, McIntosh County officials continue to ignore the
environmental implications of continuing to rezone
properties without regard to long range plans, infrastructure
considerations, or environmental impacts. Against the strong
objections of ARK and many county citizens, the McIntosh
County Commissioners in spring 2006 voted to rezone the
marsh hammock Union Island in the Mayhall River from
Fill Dirt Meets the Sea: Glynn County
Altamaha Riverkeeper James Holland conducts
extensive ground and air documentation of coastal
construction sites resulting in enforcement actions against
coastal developers. ARK is presently involved in a legal
action against Glynn County developers for alleged
violations of the Clean Water Act. ARK’s lawsuit is based
on investigation and expert analysis that the developer has
failed to use proper management practices to prevent erosion
from leaving the site allowing sediment laden water to enter
coastal marshlands.
Dirt leaving construction sites is the number one source
of water pollution in Georgia. Rivers and estuaries provide
the breeding and feeding grounds for a variety of aquatic and
terrestrial animals. When dirt leaves construction sites
during rainfall and flows into rivers, estuaries, and oceans, it
often results in muddy water. Muddy water is more serious
that it sounds. Mud sediment can clog fish gills, make it
difficult for fish to feed and breed, and smother organisms
living on the bottom, affecting the entire food web.
According to the state Environmental Protection
Division (EPD), more than 50 Georgia rivers and streams are
too full of dirt to support fishing. In just the last year, the
Altamaha Riverkeeper investigated erosion and
sedimentation problems in more than 20 counties: Dodge,
Bibb, Telfair, Appling, Wayne, Toombs, Long, Glynn,
Bleckley, McIntosh, Emanuel, Treutlen, Newton, Jackson,
Barrow, Morgan, Houston, Pulaski, Wilkinson, Camden,
Clarke and Twiggs. In each case, the Altamaha Riverkeeper
followed up with documentation, photographs, established
who was in charge of enforcement, and directed complaints
to get problems corrected.
Developers and builders are required to take steps to
prevent erosion from leaving construction sites but there is
9 Altamaha
Conservation Preservation to
Multi Family Residential.
They also voted to rezone a
single-family residential
property adjacent to Ft. King
George Historic Site on the
Darien River to allow the
construction of high-rise
condominiums.
To balance and regulate
rapid coastal development we
must elect and appoint
decision makers who
understand or are willing to
learn the impact of coastal development. ARK believes
citizen advocacy and organizing work must be coupled with
aggressive legal action to insure that laws and regulations to
protect water quality are enforced.
not enough enforcement. In Georgia, the EPD has been
delegated responsibility for the day-to-day enforcement of
the federal Clean Water Act. In addition, with respect to the
general construction permit, state law has delegated some of
the duties to local governments, known as Local Issuing
Authorities (LIA). Many LIA officials at the city and county
level say they are incapable of enforcing the law and do not
have the expertise, money, manpower, or political incentives
to enforce erosion and sedimentation laws. Unfortunately,
the EPD says almost the same thing.
Holland conducted extensive ground and aerial
documentation of Glynn County development sites where he
suspected dirt was leaving the site and entering the salt
marsh system. After continued unsuccessful efforts to
involve Glynn County in enforcing the Erosion and
Sedimentation requirements on these sites, ARK sought legal
assistance to address the problems. Working with The
Georgia Center for Law in the Public Interest and Stack and
Associates, ARK secured expertise to make numerous site
visits to continue to document and assess the alleged
violations and resulting damage to the salt marsh. This
expertise was also made possible by financial support from
the Legal Environmental Assistance Foundation (LEAF).
ARK sent 60-Day Notices of Intent to Sue to Glynn
County developers for alleged violations of the federal Clean
Water Act. The alleged violations involve the discharge of
sediment, storm water runoff, and fill material to state
waters. Local citizen reports alerted the Altamaha
Riverkeeper to problems at the two construction sites in
October 2004. Since then, ARK’s follow up, field
observations, and tracking of site violations have been
ongoing and indicate sediment from both sites flows into the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
Riverkeepers File 60-day Notice of Intent to Sue
Developers in Swainsboro
By Chandra Brown possible resolution of the case.
Ogeechee-Canoochee Riverkeeper (OCRK) and “Unfortunately, our small waterways that protect
Altamaha Riverkeeper (ARK) sent a 60-day Notice of Intent downstream property from flooding and provide homes for
to Sue to local developers alleging violations of the Federal wildlife and fish, such as redfin pike, are rapidly being lost
Clean Water Act at the construction site in the front of the to careless development. If small streams that feed rivers are
new Wal-Mart Super Center in downtown Swainsboro. destroyed, how can we expect our rivers to be healthy?” said
A 60-day notice letter is required by the Clean Water Act Chandra Brown, Riverkeeper and Executive Director of
prior to filing a lawsuit. The letter outlines the alleged Ogeechee-Canoochee Riverkeeper.
violations of the Clean Water Act and gives the defendants The 60-day notice letter may be viewed at the OCRK
60 days to correct the problems. Jennifer Pennington from website www.ocrk.org.
the Georgia Center for Law in the Public Interest represents
OCRK and ARK in this matter.
Prior to filing the notice letter, fieldwork conducted by
OCRK and ARK staff documented numerous problems on
the construction site. One problem with the plan is
developers want to pipe a small stream that runs through the
middle of the site to add more buildings.
“Even though this stream is small, it is very important
since the stormwater from the City of Swainsboro runs into
it after rainfall,” said Deborah Sheppard, Executive Director
of Altamaha Riverkeeper. “This small stream provides an
important function for the people of Swainsboro by allowing
the rainfall to slowly enter Crooked Creek and eventually the
Ohoopee River, as well as providing fish habitat.”
The violations alleged in the 60-day notice letter
include:
• Failure to properly install and maintain erosion and
sedimentation controls
• Destruction of the mandatory 25-foot vegetated
buffer along the stream
• Illegal placement of fill material in wetlands
Currently, the Georgia Center for Law in the Public
Interest and attorneys for the developers are discussing Stream cleared for construction

SP Newsprint Update
After a yearlong negotiation with ARK, the SP
Newsprint recycling company in Dublin committed to reduce
its discharge of small pieces of plastic into the Oconee River.
The company had been discharging approximately a ton of
plastic into the river each year. The company receives
recycled newspapers from 10 states. Unfortunately, when
citizens neglect to remove the plastic bags used to keep the
newspapers dry and toss the plastic into the recycling
receptacles with the newspaper, the plastic ends up in SP
Newsprints discharge. As part of the agreement with ARK,
SP installed a new drum pulper that makes extraction of
plastic from the waste stream easier thereby keeping it out of
the river. In the first six months after installing the drum
pulper, the company reports decreasing its plastic discharge
from an average of 6 lbs. a day to .6 lbs. a day. While the
company initially said it could not eliminate the discharge of
plastic into the river, it is now continuing to install
equipment that will allow it to move toward a goal of totally
eliminating the plastic discharge. As part of its agreement
with ARK, the company is also agreeing to conduct
extensive water monitoring and implement public
educational programs to further reduce plastic in its effluent.
ARK is continuing to work with SP Newsprint in 2006 to
monitor its progress in reducing polluting discharges and to
inform citizens about the importance of separating plastics
from the waste paper they recycle.

Altamaha 10
 DOT & Dirt
Filling in a washout on a site untouched for six months
Road and bridge construction is taking its toll on water
quality throughout the Altamaha watershed. After
documenting projects for several years, it is ARK’s opinion
that the state Department of Transportation does not comply
with or properly enforce its own regulations. This neglect
leads to dirt in our streams and rivers.
Over the past year, ARK has documented and reported
numerous problems on DOT construction sites. Some sites
were absolutely neglecting erosion controls, allowing
construction dirt and pollution to enter streams and other
bodies of water.
Generally speaking, when ARK complains some action
is taken. In some cases, Best Management Practices (BMPs)
were installed improperly and failed. At least one site had a
Could you direct me to the
Altamaha RIVERKEEPER
Annual Meeting
please?
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Ways Landing on the Ocmulgee River, Hawkinsville
Noon- 4 p.m. (more info to follow)
11
Riverkeeper investigates spiny mussels downstream
from Lumber City site
site supervisor who would not allow the E & S contractor to
use all the BMPs called for in the Erosion Sedimentation
Pollution Control Plan. In other instances, private properties
are being impacted by roadwork; one privately owned pond
was damaged by mud from a DOT site.
At a bridge construction site in Lumber City ongoing
problems have persisted for months, even after numerous
Riverkeeper reports. Massive amounts of dirt, a major form
of pollution, are washing into the Ocmulgee River from this
site. Sediment removes oxygen and can also carry and store
toxic pollutants and nutrients that can poison habitat.
Cumulative effects from sediment can destroy a healthy
ecosystem and habitat for fish, mussels, other aquatic
creatures, and plants. At the Lumber City site, ARK believes
the sediment is negatively impacting a downstream
community of spiny mussels and a spawning habitat for
shortnose sturgeon.
ARK has repeatedly reported this site to the state’s DNR
Environmental Protection Division (EPD) and the state’s
DOT, but adequate attention to this problem has not been
given.
In June, ARK filed a complaint with the federal
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding what we
believe are the state agencies’ (DOT and EPD) failure to
keep dirt out of our bodies of water. At press time, a site
visit has been scheduled with EPA to review these
allegations and assess what steps need to be taken next.
Follow Up on Rayonier
ARK continues to work with Rayonier to create issue
resolution related to its wastewater discharge in the
Altamaha. Since appealing Rayonier’s NPDES permit in
2001, ARK is working with the company to support its
efforts to find a solution to the high color content of its
discharge into the Altamaha. As its permit comes up for
renewal, ARK is working with Georgia Center for Law in
the Public Interest, Stack and Associates, and Canadian pulp
and paper expert Neil McCubben to ensure Rayonier is
aggressive in its efforts to reduce the negative impact of its
discharge.
Altamaha
Sedimentation Leads to Tighter Fill Dirt Meets the Sea
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
Controls on Stormwater Runoff
salt marsh. These activities have led to a complaint filing in
ARK joined with the Southern Environmental Law
federal court against one of the developers.
Center, Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, and the Coosa
ARK believes these actions are necessary because years
Riverkeeper to appeal the Georgia General Storm Water
of reporting erosion and sedimentation problems to Glynn
Permit and negotiate a legal settlement to improve
County officials is not leading to adequate enforcement of
monitoring and reporting for industrial stormwater. These
rules.
conservation groups reached a settlement with state and
industry groups that will better control polluted stormwater
runoff from over 3,500 industrial facilities across Georgia—
including poultry plants, chemical facilities, power plants,
landfills and junkyards. Under the settlement, certain
Environmental Heroes
industries will, for the first time, be required to routinely Celebration
check their stormwater for contaminants that cause human Please join the Georgia Center for Law in the Public
disease. The settlement also provides for greater public Interest for their Environmental Heroes Celebration
access to information about stormwater pollution control honoring attorney Donald D.J. Stack with the Ogden
efforts by the state and by industry. Doremus Award for Excellence in Environmental Law.
Don is a consistent advocate who holds both government
and industry accountable for their commitments to the
public through effective implementation of state and
federal laws that protect the environment and public
health. The event is also recognizing the Honorable
Charles Ware, Chairman of the Taliaferro County
Commission and the citizen activists from Taliaferro
Countians Against Landfill (TCAL).
Thursday, September14, 2006, 6:00-8:00 pm,
Rhodes Hall in Midtown Atlanta. Contact Justine
Thompson at 404-659-3122 or visit the Center’s website:
www.cleangeorgia.org.

Settlers Bluff condos on the Darien River.

Altamaha 12
 PRSRT STD
Altamaha US POSTAGE
PAID
P.O. Box 2642 PERMIT #15
Darien, Georgia 31305 DARIEN, GA

(912) 437-8164
www.altamahariverkeeper.org

RETURN ADDRESS REQUESTED

Board of Directors Staff

Tracey Adams, Vidalia
Bruce Berryhill, Cochran
Robert DeWitt, Darien
Wright Gres, Baxley
Kyla Hastie, Athens
Len Hauss, Reidsville
Neill Herring, Jesup
James Holland, Brunswick
Christi Lambert, Darien
Marilyn Lanier, Cobbtown
Richard Madray, Jesup
Walker Ogden, Jesup
John Pasto, Cochran
Carl Poppell, Darien
Janisse Ray, Baxley
Ann Trapnell, Metter
Mary Ellen Wilson, Eastman
Debbi Davis
Administrative Tech
James Holland
Altamaha Riverkeeper
Constance Riggins
Development Director
Deborah Sheppard
Executive Director
Help establish the new Altamaha Coastkeeper position. Your donation
will be matched dollar for dollar by the Malcolm Fraser Foundation.
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Please support the Altamaha Riverkeeper’s work to protect the Altamaha River and watershed
- from its headwaters in the Ocmulgee, Oconee, and Ohoopee Rivers to its terminus at the
Where is the Watershed
Atlantic Coast. Your donation will help to keep the rivers healthy for all of us. and why is it important?
( ) $40 Family/Dual ( ) $100 Sponsor ( ) $30 Individual ( ) $150 Protector The Altamaha River Watershed
( ) $250 Friend ( ) $500 Benefactor ( ) $1,000+ Guardian is Georgia’s largest, covering 14,000
( ) $15 Student/Senior Citizen/Volunteer ( ) Other amount_______________ square miles. Beginning near Atlanta
and Athens, in the foothills of the
Your Name:__________________________________________________________________ Appalachian Mountains, the water
Address:___________________________________________________________________ system sends one hundred gallons of
fresh water a minute to the Atlantic
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Ocean. Once it reaches the coast, the
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the productive estuaries in the
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country.
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hundred miles long, but it contains
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one third of the salt marsh on the
Address_____________________________________________________________________ United States’ Eastern coast. The
____In memory of a loved one ____In honor of a special person or loved one watershed’s rivers, small creeks, and
____Please make my donation anonymous. streams feed the bountiful estuarine
ecosystem that provides the nursery
With a donation of of $250 or more, you will receive a first edition set of note cards with grounds for commercially and
nature photographs taken by the Altamaha Riverkeeper.
recreationally valuable fish and food
With a donation of of $150 or more, you will receive an Altamaha Riverkeeper T-shirt. for thousands of migratory birds.
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More than 120 species of rare or
Please make membership and donations payable to the Altamaha endangered plants and animals live
Riverkeeper, Inc. The Altamaha Riverkeeper organization is a in the Altamaha River Watershed -
501(c)(3) organization and all donations are fully tax deductible. the largest documented cluster of
Please return this form with your donation to Altamaha globally imperiled plants and
Riverkeeper, Inc., P.O. Box 2642, Darien, Georgia 31305. animals of any watershed in Georgia.
Website: www.altamahariverkeeper.org Thousands of residents depend
on the Altamaha River Watershed for
Thank you!! Your support is very important to us. recreation, food, and drinking water.