River Revelry Set for Aug. 22

CRBI's annual end-of-the-summer bash is set for Aug. 22 at Rome's Heritage Park on the banks of the Coosa River. The event features live music, boat rides, silent and live auctions, beer, wine, barbecue and a Ducky Derby sponsored by Rome's Seven Hills Rotary Club. New Belgium Brewing Company joins us as a sponsor this year. New Belgium's Fat Tire Ale and other selections will be the featured beers at the event. Tickets will be available online starting July 15. Click here for more information.

7 Hills 3 Rivers Adventure Race Set for Sept. 26

Get ready for Northwest Georgia's most challenging tri-sport race--CRBI's 7 Hills 3 Rivers Adventure Race. The race kicks off at 8 a.m. from Ridge Ferry Park. By the time racers have finished the course, (or have been found exhasted along one of Rome's three rivers), they will have climbed all seven of Rome's famous hills and paddled the Oostanaula, Etowah and Coosa rivers. This three-person team event will cover approximately four miles on foot, eight miles by bike and three miles by canoe. Mystery challenges, trivia and a host of checkpoints will challenge racers stamina, teamwork and mind. A touch of wilderness in the heart of the city, this race is not to be missed. Learn more and register now at www.7hills3rivers.net

300-plus Paddlers Ply the Coosawattee & Oostanaula During Paddle Georgia 2009

CRBI welcomed some 300 paddlers to the Basin June 19-27 as part of Georgia River Network's annual Paddle Georgia event.

The event was a tremendous success, raising more than $20,000 for river protection in Georgia. CRBI chapter organization, New Echota Rivers Alliance, will be one of the beneficiaries of the event's Canoe-a-thon fundraising effort.

Paddlers dashed through the Upper Coosawattee's whitewater below Ellijay, stroked across Carters Lake and then wound down the Coosawattee and Oostanaula rivers through Gordon and Floyd counties to Rome.

CRBI served up a Fish Fry meal to more than 250 paddlers and friends as part of the event's River's End Celebration in Rome.

CRBI member and Silver Creek resident, Alan Crawford, became the first paraplegic to complete all seven days of Paddle Georgia, inspiring many with his determination, fortitude and good-natured attitude. Read more about Alan's journey at http://garivernetwork.wordpress.com/

Click here to read a report on the event from the Rome News Tribune

Click here to view Rome News-Tribune video of Alan Crawford. 

Click here to read CRBI Member Jessica Lindberg's Blog about the trip and view photos from the seven-day journey

To learn more about Paddle Georgia, visit www.garivers.org

CRBI Musselhead Blog

For insightful commentary on issues and events in the Upper Coosa River Basin, visit the CRBI Musselhead Blog. Latest entries include commentary on the Etowah River corridor and on Paddle Georgia's journey down the Coosawattee and Oostanaula rivers.

This is a great way to keep up-to-date on CRBI issues and events. Visit it regularly to find out what's happening in your backyard.

WATERFEST IX Makes A Splash!

WATERFEST IX held April 17-18 at Ridge Ferry Park proved to be our best WATERFEST ever. Nearly 200 people paddled in our Oostanaula River Race and Canoe & Kayak Tug-O-Wars, helping generate more than $20,000 to protect the Coosa River and its tributaries!For Canoe-a-thon, Race & Tug-O-War results, click here! And, mark your calendar now for WATERFEST X April 16-17, 2010. Video Promo, courtesy of Touchstone Vibrations.

Action Alert! Sign Our Online Petition to Protect Wetlands & Save Rome's Central Park

Take action now to save Rome's Central Park, an 80-acre tract of wetlands, creeks and floodplain forest owned by the City of Rome that is currently under consideration for redevelopment as a 60-acre regional shopping center called "Citi Center." Please visit our Burwell Creek Petition page and sign our online petition.

The photos at left show the same location at the property during dry weather and after a 4-inch rainfall that flooded much of the proposed building site. The project is being touted as a Brownsfield development due to the presence of an abandoned city landfill on the site, but evidence that the landfill is a threat to the environment and human health is inconclusive. Data suggests that the best use of the property may be for it to remain in its natural state. The development would result in the filling of four acres of wetlands and some 50 acres of floodplain and would require the relocation of Burwell Creek.

What's Up In the Coosa Basin?

Learn what's happening in the Upper Coosa River Basin. Read the latest issue of CRBI's Mainstream newsletter published Mar. 22, 2009.

Calendar of Events

Visit our Calendar of Events to learn about opportunities to become involved in protecting and enjoying our rivers, streams and lakes through educational and adventure trip programs. 

Buy Blue Smoke Coffee to Support CRBI

You can support CRBI by purchasing Blue Smoke Coffee's Coosa River Blend at the following outlets in Rome, Georgia: Purple Mountain Natural Foods, Honeymoon Bakery, Riverside Gourmet and Old Havana or you can send a gift package of the coffee to family and friends by visiting the Blue Smoke website at www.BlueSmokeCoffee.com. Blue Smoke hand roasts the blend each week and delivers to the Rome outlets, donating $1 of each bag sold to CRBI. Thanks to you and Blue Smoke for supporting CRBI!

CRBI tells Metro Atlanta: Conserve Water Now!

The public comment period for the 2008 update of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District’s updated water management plan edned Jan. 31. The Coosa River Basin Initiative and other Waterkeeper Alliance members are working to have the water management planned improved so that it promotes aggressive water conservation measures and reduces its reliance on new reservoirs and interbasin water transfers from the Coosa River Basin. Stay tuned for how you can continue to influence this important water management planning process.

Read CRBI's comments submitted to the Metro Water District Jan. 29.

Learn more about the Metro District draft plan.

Members celebrate 2008 Accomplishments at Annual Meeting

Some 60 CRBI members celebrated the organizations 2008 accomplishments at the Annual Membership Meeting held Jan. 29 at Georgia Highlands College.

View CRBI's Annual Report detailing 2008 activities.

Also at the meeting, CRBI recognized key volunteers and supporters. Terrell Shaw, a 4th grade teacher at Armuchee Elementary School, was recognized with CRBI's Environmental Educator Award. Cailey Chase Fowler of Rome was recognized as CRBI's Water Monitor of the Year for her efforts at protecting Little Dry Creek. Jack and Penny Martischnig were recognized as Volunteers of the Year for their support of CRBI through the Trout Unlimited Chili Cookoff and at other CRBI events, and Berry College was given CRBI's Corporate Citizen award. Berry College supports CRBI's water monitoring program by providing lab space for bacteria monitoring equipment and by providing student volunteers through the school's Bonner Scholar program. 

Fish Fry Volunteers Serve 900

The 7th Annual CRBI-Northwest Georgia Credit Union Fish Fry set new records as more than 70 volunteers helped serve up about 900 plates of catfish, hushpuppies, cole slaw and cheese grits. Together, we raised narly $14,000 to protect our drinking water sources in the Oostanaula, Etowah and Coosa rivers.

None of this work would have been possible without the continued support of the hundreds of river lovers who participated in the Fish Fry--either by volunteering or simply eating a fish.

CRBI thanks our sponsors: Northwest Georgia Credit Union, Modern Woodmen of America, Georgia Power, Verdek EV, MBD Water Solutions, Bushman Rain Harvesting, Courtesy Ford, Optimum Polymer Technologies, Filt Fry, Cagle's Dairy Farms, Q102, WRGA, South 107, Allied Foods, Chick-Fil-A, Mrs. Winners, Schroeder's New Deli, Duffy's Deli, Long John Silvers, The Shrimp Boat, Wal-mart and Sam's Club.

About Us

Coosa River Basin Initiative, the Upper Coosa Riverkeeper, is a 501c3 grassroots, environmental organization based in Rome, Georgia. Our mission is to inform and empower citizens so that they may become involved in the process of creating a cleaner, healthier, more economically viable Coosa River Basin. Please see our list of news and upcoming events to the left of this page.

A member of the international Waterkeeper Alliance, the Georgia Water Coalition and Alabama Rivers Alliance, we work in four program areas: advocacy, education, water monitoring and restoration.

We keep watch over the streams, land and air of our river basin which covers more than 5,000 square miles of land, from Southeastern Tennessee and North Central Georgia to Weiss Dam in Northeast Alabama. Funded through private grants, membership dues, special event fundraisers and donations, we are the voice for the environment in Northwest Georgia and Northeast Alabama.