Georgia Canoeing Association (GCA) originated in 1966 with people who love to paddle, explore, enjoy and work to preserve our waterways. We are an affiliate of the American Canoeing Association and American Whitewater and the oldest paddling club in the state.

Trips & Fun For All Ages

Skills & Safety

Stewardship & River Health

River Access & Passage

GCA promotes safe, healthy use of our rivers and streams.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

• Georgians have traditionally enjoyed a right of passage on our state’s waterways.

• We believe the current legislative situation makes it imperative to establish that a public right of passage exists on all Georgia streams that are capable of floating recreational vessels such as canoes and kayaks, as is the case in other neighboring states.

WHY IS GCA HERE TODAY?

Our current and historic use of our rivers is at risk.

WHY IS GCA HERE TODAY?

Our current and historic use of our rivers is at risk.

WHAT IS THE ISSUE?

• A list of potential streams where the public would have access was proposed in House Bill 1397 in 2023.

• However, this list excludes a very large number of waterways which we have paddled for decades. These are typically creeks and streams which have low Mean Annual Flow (MAF).

• In preparation for this meeting, we reviewed GCA’s trips for our members that have been documented in our newsletters and compared them with the HB1397 list.

WHY IS GCA HERE TODAY?

Our current and historic use of our rivers is at risk.

• The chart on the upcoming pages shows 2,845 paddling trips published between 1968 and 2004 alone. It dramatically illustrates how many would be excluded from public passage based on this list. 43% entirely excluded and 19% partially excluded.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT “CFS” AND “MAF”

HB1397 EXCLUDED POPULAR SEASONAL WATERWAYS

A FEW WORDS ABOUT “CFS” AND “MAF”

HB1397 EXCLUDED POPULAR SEASONAL WATERWAYS

A FEW WORDS ABOUT “CFS” AND “MAF”

HB1397 EXCLUDED POPULAR SEASONAL WATERWAYS

• As you have just seen, all of these waterways amply support boaters in personal recreational craft in spite of very low Mean Annual Flows (MAF) measured in CFS. They are navigable in the proper season.

• GCA trips are primarily on the whitewater creeks & rivers of North Georgia where water levels vary due to rainfall & groundwater levels and the season of the year.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT “CFS” AND “MAF”

WHY ARE SO MANY GCA TRIPS EXCLUDED?

Assuming you can’t paddle a river with low Mean Annual Flow is like assuming you can’t ski a slope with low Mean Annual Snowfall.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT “CFS” AND “MAF”

SKI SLOPES HAVE NO SNOW IN SUMMER

The Right Time

The Wrong Time

• Boating is a socially and economically important part of Georgia’s culture and heritage. Boating and fishing generate over $1.13 billion in expenditures in Georgia, annually.
• It is responsible for thousands of jobs and supports numerous small businesses including outfitters and equipment manufacturers.
• Local economies where rivers and streams are accessible to the public benefit from paddlers’ use of businesses and services. There is also evidence that this revenue lowers property taxes.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT “CFS” AND “MAF”

IF BOATING IS RESTRICTED, NOT ONLY PADDLERS WILL LOSE

EXCLUDED DUE TO LOW MEAN ANNUAL FLOW

• Cartecay River – 176 cfs MAF
• South & West Chickamauga Creek – 213 cfs MAF
• Chattahoochee River from Helen to GA Hwy 115 – 136 to 345 cfs MAF
• Ebenezer Creek – 119 cfs MAF
• Cedar Creek – 149 cfs MAF
• Etowah River – 155 cfs MAF

Among the thousands of miles of regularly paddled Georgia streams missing from the HB1397 list, these immediately stand out for their importance to their local outfitters & communities:

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A FEW WORDS ABOUT “CFS” AND “MAF”

HB1397 EXCLUDED POPULAR SEASONAL WATERWAYS

Local outfitters, hotels, restaurants, shops, gas stations, other merchants and also residents would suffer from loss of access to these popular rivers.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT “CFS” AND “MAF”

EXCLUDED

• Cartecay River – 176 cfs MAF

GCA had 332 trips on the Cartecay River from 1968-2004

LOCAL ECONOMIES WILL SUFFER Ellijay, GA

One person’s actions could potentially close a river or creek and deprive everyone in community of its benefits.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT “CFS” AND “MAF”

EXCLUDED

• South & West Chickamauga Creek – 213 cfs MAF

Ringgold mayor Nick Millwood says Chickamauga Creek is “The Jewel of our Town”

LOCAL ECONOMIES WILL SUFFER Ringgold, GA

A FEW WORDS ABOUT “CFS” AND “MAF”

EXCLUDED

• Chattahoochee River from Helen to GA Hwy 115 – 136 to 345 cfs MAF

LOCAL ECONOMIES WILL SUFFER Cleveland & Cornelia, GA

A FEW WORDS ABOUT “CFS” AND “MAF”

EXCLUDED

• Chattahoochee River from Helen to GA Hwy 115 – 136 to 345 cfs MAF

LOCAL ECONOMIES WILL SUFFER Helen, GA

A FEW WORDS ABOUT “CFS” AND “MAF”

EXCLUDED

• Ebenezer Creek – 119 cfs MAF

LOCAL ECONOMIES WILL SUFFER Coastal Georgia

A FEW WORDS ABOUT “CFS” AND “MAF”

EXCLUDED

• Cedarr Creek – 149 cfs MAF

LOCAL ECONOMIES WILL SUFFER Rome, GA

A FEW WORDS ABOUT “CFS” AND “MAF”

EXCLUDED

• Etowah River – 155 cfs MAF

LOCAL ECONOMIES WILL SUFFER Dahlonega/Lumpkin Cty, GA

When we look at this list that our rich paddling history has encompassed, the thought of any losing access to any one of these gloriously unique and beautiful places is heartbreaking. And ours is far from a comprehensive list.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT “CFS” AND “MAF”

Over our 50-year history we have generally enjoyed reasonable access to the vast majority of Georgia’s rivers. We launch from an access point and take off at another. We have encountered little opposition from landowners who recognize that we are merely passing through on our outdoor journey.

IF BOATING IS RESTRICTED, NOT ONLY PADDLERS WILL LOSE

Unfortunately, things are changing for us. With the recent legislation and the discussion around it, we are seeing confusion among property owners and enforcement officers with regards to our passage down the river. No Boating signs, being told a creek is “not navigable. . .”

A FEW WORDS ABOUT “CFS” AND “MAF”

IF BOATING IS RESTRICTED, NOT ONLY PADDLERS WILL LOSE

We believe that this constitutes a taking of a public resource that we’ve enjoyed for decades. It would mean the loss of the historic freedom of Georgia’s citizens to use our waters.

Members of the Committee, we respectfully submit that this not only affects paddlers but property owners and the community as a whole who benefit from river access.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT “CFS” AND “MAF”

IF BOATING IS RESTRICTED, NOT ONLY PADDLERS WILL LOSE

We believe our right of passage is well established on all Georgia streams that are capable of floating recreational vessels such as canoes and kayaks. This should be the law as it is in other neighboring states.