Published: April 22, 2008 10:34 am            

CBI, Daltonhost workshop on clean streams

Straddling I-75 and long a magnet for industrial development, Whitfield County’s location has it poised for growth in the coming years. In 2006, the county’s population topped 92,000 residents, and all indicators are that the growth will continue. The projected population in 2020 is 116,053.

While positive for the economy of the region, Dalton/Whitfield’s success can come with unintended consequences, according to the Coosa River Basin Initiative (CRBI).

“The growth means more jobs and a greater tax base, but it also means more land clearing and an increase in stormwater pollution to streams like Coahulla Creek and the Conasauga River,” said David Promis, CRBI Program Coordinator.

Dirt washing off construction sites is considered the leading cause of water pollution in North Georgia, resulting in problems for both humans and river-dwelling creatures, according to CRBI.

This winter CRBI began a monitoring program in Whitfield and Murray counties designed to evaluate the effectiveness of stormwater controls at construction sites and other land clearing sites and ensure that Georgia’s laws preventing stormwater pollution are enforced.

“Muddy streams mean that food chains and reproductive cycles of fish, mussels and other aquatic creatures are being interrupted and it also means the costs of treating drinking water from theses streams goes up,” said Joe Cook, CRBI Executive Director & Riverkeeper.

In an effort to stem this tide of dirt muddying the Conasauga and its tributaries, CRBI and the City of Dalton will host a Get The Dirt Out workshop for citizens Sunday, May. 4 from 2-5 p.m. at Sequoya Hall on the Dalton State College Campus.

At the workshop citizens will learn about Georgia’s erosion and sedimentation laws and find out how they can take steps to make sure these laws are enforced and that streams in their neighborhoods are protected from negligent building and land development practices.

The workshop will be led by CRBI staff. To register, contact David Promis at 706-232-2724 or via e-mail at dpromis@coosa.org.

“Participants will learn how to evaluate a construction site and identify violations of Georgia’s erosion and sedimentation laws,” said Cook. “There’s much more to keeping dirt out of our streams than just those black silt fences. This workshop helps citizens understand our dirt laws and gives them the tools they need to take action and report violations to local and state authorities.”

Five streams in Whitfield County, including Coahulla and Mill creeks, as well as the Conasauga River are included on Georgia’s list of polluted streams. These streams are listed due to poor fish habitat and/or fecal bacteria contamination. Stormwater run off from construction sites and other land clearing activities can contribute to both pollution problems.

CRBI is a 501c3 non-profit organization with the mission of informing and empowering citizens so that they may become involved in the process of creating a cleaner, healthier, economically viable Coosa River Basin.



FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT DAVID PROMIS AT 706-232-2724 OR VIA E-MAIL AT dpromis@coosa.org or PHILLIP PFEIFER AT 706-278-7077 ppfeifer@cityofdalton-ga.gov

        

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