Georgia Wildlife Federation

You probably hear a lot about water these days: the drought, water wars, the Georgia Comprehensive State-Wide Water Management Plan. Clean, adequate water is essential for a healthy environment and provides habitat for wildlife, irrigation for agriculture, drinking water for us and our children, and, fulfills municipal public health and safety needs, sustains industrial processes, and supports the state’s multi-billion dollar recreation and tourism industry. Georgia Wildlife Federation is one of the founding groups of the Georgia Water Coalition, a coalition of conservation organizations, businesses, civic groups, and other organizations that are concerned about the quality and quantity of our water. 171 groups, representing more than 250,000 residents, make up the membership of the Georgia Water Coalition. We encourage our elected officials, state agencies, local governments, and others to make responsible decisions about how to best protect and conserve our water. We educate citizens about measures that can be taken to conserve water in homes and businesses.

In December of 2008, the Georgia Water Coalition released an 8-page report of recommendations that are an essential part of establishing a sustainable water management plan for the next 100 years. This is the third such report of the Georgia Water Coalition and reflects actions taken during the 2008 General Assembly and more recent events in the state. The report is available online at www.gawater.org.

Membership in the Georgia Water Coalition is free. If your environmental group, church, civic organization, business, or homeowners association would like to join the Coalition, go to the Georgia Water Coalition website.

New Boardwalk at the Alcovy Conservation Center
By Robert Phillips, GWF Volunteer Coordinator

Thanks to a Cooperative Agreement between the Georgia Wildlife Federation and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Alcovy Conservation Center has a new boardwalk along Cornish Creek Trail. The boardwalk divides Froggy Bottom and the upper wetland containing a mixed stand of Tupelogum, Red Maple, River Birch and other wetland species. The boardwalk and large attached deck are accessible to everyone. Young and old will enjoy the ease of close-up examination of the papery bark of the birch or the scaly ridges of the tupelo trunks. And for those so inclined, one can even lie on his or her belly to observe a salamander tadpole or a damselfly nymph in the pools alongside the boardwalk. Future projects include removal of invasive exotic plants such as Chinese privet and Nepalese browntop. Wildlife-friendly native shrubs and trees will be planted in the wetland, and interpretive signs will be added, providing valuable information about the diverse habitats, wildlife and plants along the trail. “Thank you” to Jerry Simons, Dan Hunnicutt, and John Nelson, who volunteered many hours on this project. The boardwalk undoubtedly is a wonderful asset to the trails at the Alcovy Conservation Center.

Through a project funded by the GA DNR, GWF has developed new educational materials detailing Georgia's migratory birds, priority habitats, and various ecoregions. Visit the display at the ACC WingSong Gardens in Covington. Materials will also be posted on the GWF website in the near future.

GWF has contracted with Newton County to evaluate the quality of riparian buffers along the Alcovy River. Some resources are available online, but more details will be added as the project comes to completion this spring. Stay tuned.