Gleaning Facebook: Summer Camp for Grown-Ups

 Look at the first two days of te 2018 Paddle Georgia event! I may have to do this one. At 71 how likely am I to get a chance at paddling through the hometowns of my daddy and mother, through the swimming hole that figures so prominently in one of the stories I love to tell. Past the Milstead mill where my Daddy, granddaddy and great granddaddy worked not to mention a host of other relatives, past the "Dinky" narrow-gauge tracks. through the fishing hole where Mama Baird took my mama fishing in the twenties, past Porterdale's Osprey Mill where Mama Baird worked and the main Bibb mill where Papa Baird worked. Past the "Rock House" stone formations where my parents courted.

Maybe some of my relatives or friends would join me. If you are not familiar with Paddle Georgia I can sum it up thusly: Summer Camp for Grown-ups and lots of fun!

Support CRBI's Environmental Quiz Bowl Program

 Has your life or the life of your child or grandchild been enriched by the Coosa River Basin Environmental Quiz Bowl during the last couple of decades? Please make a donation to this effort. The EQ Bowl is just one of the many ways CRBI works toward informing and empowering citizens to protect, preserve and restore North America’s most biologically diverse river basin. CRBI is a very effective environmental asset to natural world of our unique home here in the ridges and valleys of Northwest Georgia (and a little of Tennessee and Alabama). Won’t you help? 

I believe that learning that takes place in the context of the real world around us sticks. The EQ Bowl involves fourth graders in observing, appreciating, researching the lush natural Eden where we live: its history, its geology, its plants and animals and the ways we can protect and preserve it.

Every donation will be used toward that mission. Please help!

Visit Coosa River Basin Initiative at www.coosa.org

Gleaning Facebook: Help CRBI!

Has your life or the life of your child or grandchild been enriched by the Coosa River Basin Environmental Quiz Bowl during the last couple of decades? Please make a donation to this effort. The EQ Bowl is just one of the many ways CRBI works toward informing and empowering citizens to protect, preserve and restore North America’s most biologically diverse river basin. CRBI is a very effective environmental asset to natural world of our unique home here in the ridges and valleys of Northwest Georgia (and a little of Tennessee and Alabama). Won’t you help? I believe that learning that takes place in the context of the real world around us sticks. The EQ Bowl involves fourth graders in observing, appreciating, researching the lush natural Eden where we live: its history, its geology, its plants and animals and the ways we can protect and preserve it.

Every donation will be used toward that mission. Please help!

Gleaning Facebook: Pearl Rush

 

This is a fascinating story about a "pearl rush" on freshwater mussels in the Oostanaula River in 1897. At one time the upper Coosa was home to 43 species of mussels. Today, there are only 27, and several of those are federally protected. It is likely that this "pearl rush" contributed to the decimation of mussel populations in the river. Now, mussels can be hard to find, much less mussels with pearls. The article also references accounts from DeSoto's travels in the 1500s in which Native Americans presented him with a six-foot strand of pearls. These accounts make you realize just how much we have lost and just how productive our river systems were before we fouled them up. Coosa River Basin Initiative Coosa River Basin Initiative

Gleaning Facebook: Mother Nature Has Impeccable Timing

This op-ed from Chad Johnfroe was printed in the Rome News Tribune today,  January 15, 2016--

Mother Nature has impeccable timing.

Just a couple of weeks before newly elected Rome city commissioners were to be sworn in, some eight inches of rain fell on Rome and North Georgia, raising Rome’s three rivers to heights not seen since the 1990s.

It was as if she was casting her own ballot on the issue that motivated Rome voters in the November election, leading to the removal of one long-time city commissioner and the election of two new commissioners.

That issue, of course, is whether or not a large tract of city-owned floodplain and wetlands surrounding Burwell Creek and adjacent to Riverside Parkway should be filled and developed into a strip mall dubbed “CityCenter.”

The rain that fell lifted the Oostanaula River to nearly 30 feet — the biggest flood since March 1990. Floodwater spilled out of the river’s banks, covering Ridge Ferry Park, and creeping into the fields, pastures and yards of property owners in low-lying areas. Thankfully, there was limited serious property damage.

 If not for Rome’s levee system and the dams at Carters and Allatoona lakes, it could have been much worse.

As for the city’s Burwell Creek property, it filled as did the rest of the area’s still undeveloped floodplain. If not for these places, it could have been much worse.

How much water does the 50 acres of floodplain adjacent to Burwell Creek hold? Lots! During the peak of the flood, portions of the proposed CityCenter development site were under at least 14 feet of water. By conservative estimates, the area held more than 130 million gallons of water at that flood level — enough to fill nearly 200 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

And, this flood was by no means the “big one.” During Rome’s worst flood on record, the Oostanaula topped out at 40 feet, and even since the construction of Carters Dam upstream in 1977, the Oostanaula has reached above 30 feet three times.

In fact, the Burwell Creek floodplain begins filling at river elevations of just 16 feet, a high water mark that happens regularly. Since 2009, the Burwell Creek floodplain has filled on at least 50 occasions.

Remember, this is the very place hometown developers Ledbetter Properties want to build a strip mall. To keep their retail center dry, they’ll have to fill those 50 acres with at least 20 feet of dirt. Once built, floodwater will instead be routed to giant holding ponds adjacent to the retail center

Will these holding ponds protect us during the “big one?” if engineered on a grand scale correctly, presumably so.

However, the better question to ask is: Should the city support and even finance this engineering when it could preserve the property and the important services it provides that were so clearly illustrated during the “Holiday Flood of 2015.”

In November, Rome voters sent a clear message to the City Commission with more than 60 percent of the vote cast in support of preserving this land. An online poll performed by this newspaper following the election showed 85 percent support for preserving “Rome’s Central Park.” Even developers that last September were considering building an apartment complex overlooking Burwell Creek have now cast their lot elsewhere.

Though Mother Nature has cast her vote, she doesn’t have the final say. Only the Rome City Commission can prevent the destruction of the city’s Burwell Creek floodplain and wetlands. If the election results didn’t speak to them, perhaps the flood did.

Chad M. Johnfroe is president of the Coosa River Basin Initiative board of directors.

Gleaning Facebook: CRBI Christmas Party

We had a great time at a holiday party for the CRBI board and our families hosted by Chad Johnfroe and Christopher Lewis at their home.

Merry Christmas from the CRBI Board and Staff and their families!

 

Gleaning Facebook: Coosa Darter

What a treasure is the Armuchee Elementary Nature Trail! Thanks, Amos, Joe, & Shira for your help yesterday. As I understand it, the beautiful little Coosa Darter is not endangered. It is well-established in its range but only exists here in the Coosa Basin mostly in the little streams like this one. What a gorgeous, lush, diversely populated portion of the this little oasis in space is our Ridge and Valley province of Georgia. If you are looking for a way to help preserve our wonderful Coosa River Basin, join us at CRBI. There is no more effective environmental protection organization anywhere, IMO. Read more at coosa.org.

 

Gleaning Facebook: Joe Cook

Joe Cook, our former Riverkeeper and Executive Director of the Coosa River Basin Initiative, is now using his time exclusively for communication and advocacy for our rivers. To honor the work he has so eloquently led for years to protect our unique watershed, a bronze plaque has been placed in the sidewalk in front of the CRBI office. This morning we gathered there to surprise Joe, and "unveil" his plaque. Joe is very deserving of this honor. Few, if any, have done more for the environment of Northwest Georgia in the last few decades. Thanks, Joe Cook!

Tagging: Barbara Lamb, Nina Lovel, Perry B Lamb, Amos Tuck, Chad Johnfroe, Alan Crawford, Coosa River Basin Initiative

While we were celebrating Joe, the winner of the Kayak raffle came by to claim her gorgeous sit-on-top craft. And wow! Was she excited!

The kayak winner embraces the kayak donor, James Lossick of Cedar Creek RV & Outdoor Center. Thank you James for all you do for our rivers!

Gleaning Facebook: Stream Stomp

We had a great afternoon today along the nature trail at Armuchee Elementary School. Arrowhead, in cooperation with CRBI's Riverkeeper Amos Tuck, led a series of lessons for AES's third graders. Vivian Davis and Marilyn McLean of Arrowhead showed off our alligator, king snake, and a gopher tortoise, Amos Tuck, the "Fish Dude" helped capture some of the fauna of the little stream, including several species endemic to the Coosa River Basin, and I led a walk on the trail and demonstrated the Water Planet's water cycle.

 

Amos Tuck found several species of fish… I'll let him ID them.

Amos performs his trademark Stream Stomp to shoo critters into the net.

Amos performs his trademark Stream Stomp to shoo critters into the net.

If I remember correctly, this guy the is recently IDed Coosa Banded Sculpin.

Gleaning Facebook: Wateriest 2014

Terrell Shaw giving the Armuchee environmental quiz bowl team a pep talk before the big competition. If you don't have plans, come out to Coosa River Basin Initiative's Waterfest today! Comments Jaki Day How did AES do on E bowl?
Terrell Shaw Jaki our kids got off to a very slow start, losing the first two rounds, then won four in a row to tie with Trion for first place, forcing a shoot-out (all toss up) round. We lost that. So a very good Trion team won the championship. I am very proud of how our kids worked, how they functioned as a team, and how they showed great sportmanship. They represented AES very well.
Jaki Day Second place is still great...and a close one at that.

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From Coos River Basin Initiative 

Darrell Fedchak

Please tell me there's video of you storytelling

Terrell Shaw

Actually, DJ, a few of my stories have been posted on YouTube

The Biggest Hickory Log in Adams County:

http://youtu.be/-sUhi3f9K2Y

Pigtales (1):

http://youtu.be/JTQ4kavtLWw

Pigtales (2):

http://youtu.be/6oUu7ay-AZw

Darrell

Thanks, Mr. Shaw!

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Took a pic after we set up the tent this morning. Then I didn't see it again till after the Quiz Bowl! But Gary Greene and Bob Harris tag-teamed with stories from ten till noon. At one, I told my story "Yellow Tail" with which I won the Big Fibber award in April. About twenty folk gathered in and around the tent for that, and it was also broadcast throughout the Waterfest grounds.

Comment
Rose McDonald Darby
Do you have any CD's of your stories?

Terrell Shaw
I'm working on that, Rose. 

I discovered yesterday that a local big box office supply place had their banners on half-price, and on a whim decided to just audaciously create a banner for our guild. I thought it turned out well. I picked it up from the Cartersville store at nine last night.
I wonder if anyone took pics during storytelling. Probably not.

Just before we took down the tent Sheila took my picture with the sign I made for River Tales (after midnight last night, with typical timeliness.

Gleaning Facebook: Lock & Dam Park, Dusted

From the Coosa River Basin Initiative Facebook: 

 

Gleaning Facebook: A Rome treasure under threat...

From the Coosa River Basin Initiative Facebook...

Beaver trail from wetlands to Burwell Creek

Snow bird searching for food atop the ice.

Looking south toward downtown Rome.

Looking west toward Riverside Parkway and Ridge Ferry Park.

Beaver activity

Fox tracks along edge of wetlands

Looking east toward Jackson Hill

Burwell Creek

Deer making an escape. Two deer had bedded down on a knoll overlooking the wetlands, and I spooked them up.