Upper Flint River Working Group

As part of our work to restore and protect the upper Flint River in west-central Georgia, American Rivers has convened the Upper Flint River Working Group since the summer of 2013.

The Working Group’s meetings and site visits throughout the basin have provided an open forum regarding the challenges facing the river basin among water utility leaders, non-profit community organizations and others interested in restoring resilience to the upper Flint River system.

The Working Group’s geographic focus is on the river and its tributaries from the Atlanta-area headwaters southward through the Piedmont region of the state. The group’s purpose was encapsulated in September 2013 at a meeting held at a major Boy Scouts of America scouting base on the banks of the Flint:

The Upper Flint River Working Group’s purpose is to keep the upper Flint River and its tributary streams flowing to protect the social, ecological, recreational and economic values the river system provides. Through this voluntary Working Group, diverse stakeholders come together to share information, identify barriers, seek common ground, and proactively pursue opportunities to restore and protect the river system and its flows.

The group’s meetings have included in-depth discussion sessions on the challenges facing water utilities in the area, information-sharing on environmental issues in the different portions of the river basin, technical sessions, and site visits to places throughout the basin such as the Flat Creek Nature Area in Peachtree City and the Gerald Lawhorn Scouting Base on the river in Upson County.

In 2014, American Rivers produced the UPPER FLINT RIVER RESILIENCY ACTION PLAN, which aims to guide work by a variety of stakeholders to restore drought resilience to the upper Flint River system. The Action Plan follows on discussions and efforts of the Working Group and on the report Running Dry: Challenges and Opportunities in Restoring Healthy Flows in Georgia’s Upper Flint River Basin, which we published in 2013 with Flint Riverkeeper. Designed to be a “living document,” the Action Plan charts a plan of work that will be updated and expanded in future years as collaborative efforts in the river basin progress.