Keeping Our Water Clean

Now I am not exactly what you would call an environmentalist. I am fairly conservative and generally vote Republican. But like a growing number of Americans, I am growing more concerned about both the quality and quantity of our water supply. As I have looked into the problem, it is so complicated.

There was a recent meeting in Thomasville to discuss the Ochlocknee River watershed area. Of course we all know that the river leaves Georgia and flows through Havana down to the Gulf of Mexico. Andy Smith, the President of the Apalachicola River Keepers, spoke to the group about how to protect the Ochlocknee River. His group has done a lot of great work trying to improve the Apalachicola River and Bay. But in his discussion, you begin to see the forces at work.

We have heard about bacteria the often closes the Apalachicola oyster beds. The bacteria often feeds on pollution in the Apalachicola River. What is the origin of the pollution? Much of it comes from the City of Atlanta, which sometimes illegally discharges into the Chattahoochee River. While they have been fined for these discharges, it still causes pollution. Some pollution comes from pesticide and fertilizer run off from farms.

Still, the river volume is down also. Where did it go? The City of Atlanta consumes more and more water from the Chattahoochee River, prior to their pollution of course. In fact there is a real water crisis in North Georgia due to the growth. As the volume dwindles, the concentration of pollution increases. The Apalachicola River is used for barge traffic. Though not often, the Army Corps of Engineers dredges the river to ease barge traffic. Silt is dispersed in the water and causes its own type of environmental problems.

What we have in the Apalachicola River basin is competition for the water resource. Atlanta needs water for a growing city. Farmers need to farm. Barges need to travel. Oyster harvesters need bacteria free water. Fishermen need good water for fishing. We all need clean drinking water.

The Ochlocknee River has competing problems also. It is often contaminated by fecal material from cattle and pesticides. While no large cities are on the river, it is silted in places by construction also. I went to the meeting out of curiosity and left a concerned citizen. The goal of this group was to bring the Ochlocknee River to the minimum standard required for recreational use, not drinking water or any other use. Yes that it right, the river technically in many areas is considered to be polluted to the level that you should not swim in it!

Now I am not saying that you need to strip down like some of the PETA protesters and vote your dissent with your body, but I do believe that we all need to be involved. Solving these problems will take effort from farmers, governments, citizens, fishermen, and businesses. Not solving these problems may leave you short of clean water in the future or with a solution that does not work for your needs. The work is not for others to do, but for use the citizens. Be active.

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