Georgia

River

Network

126 S. Milledge Avenue Suite E3 Athens, GA 30605 Phone: 706-549-4508 Fax: 706-549-7791 info@garivers.org www.garivers.org STAFF Julie Goldberg April Ingle Jan Kearce Jesslyn Shields Dana Skelton MISSION: Georgia River Network is working to ensure a clean water legacy by engaging and empowering Georgians to protect and restore our rivers from the mountains to the coast. GOALS: More people involved in protecting and managing Georgia’s waters Increasing awareness of the issues that threaten the health of our waters Sharing resources to improve the protection of Georgia’s waters

Providing the means to advocate for the health of our waters

March 2009     Dear River Friend,  I am so excited to share our 2008 Annual Report with you. 2008 has to have been our best year – YET – and we are excited about what lies ahead.  2008 was amazing for a number of reasons, but even more than that, the work we do together was more important than ever as the drought continued, important decisions affecting our rivers were being made by our leaders, and new threats to the health of our rivers arose.  The enclosed report highlights the important work we – meaning all of us (that includes you!) – achieved by working together for clean and healthy rivers.  Thank you so much for all you do to protect Georgia’s rivers ‐ whether it’s helping out at a river clean up, making a donation, writing your elected officials, renewing your membership, or sharing your love of rivers with your family and friends ‐ you make a big difference. Working together we can do even more to ensure clean, healthy rivers for current, and future, generations.  Look inside to see the highlights of 2008 in pictures and words. We look forward to continuing this important work with you in 2009.   Your Friend in Rivers, 

 April Ingle Executive Director

2008: Our 10 Year Anniversary Is Our Best Year Yet

2008 ANNUAL REPORT G E O R G I A R I V E R N E T WO R K

Paddle Georgia Coordinator Joe Cook and GRN Executive Director April Ingle had the once in a lifetime chance to swap stories and share a laugh with President Jimmy Carter. 

2008 marked our 10 year anniversary and a year of important steps forward for us. We expanded to 5 employees to meet the increasing demands for the work we do, with the addition of Jan Kearce and Julie Goldberg to our staff. It’s exciting to see how far we have come and know there is still so much to do. Read on to learn about our exciting year in words and in photos! 

Paddle Georgia 2008 paddlers at the End of Trip Celebration in Oglethorpe, GA on June 29, 2008. 

One of our proudest accomplishments in 2008 was supporting the creation of the new Flint Riverkeeper. We held Paddle Georgia 2008 on the Flint River to highlight the need to protect this special river. Before 2008, there was no organized, citizen‐based effort to protect the Flint. The Flint has one of the longest stretches of free‐flowing river in the Southeast and is prized by anglers, paddlers, and nature lovers. The Flint faced new threats in 2008 as old proposals to dam the Flint were revived. President Jimmy Carter stopped the damming of the Flint in the 1970’s and rejoined the fight alongside the Flint Riverkeeper and GRN when he joined us for the Paddle Georgia 2008 End of Trip Celebration.  

Photo Credit: Tom Wilson

Photo Credit: Joe Cook

Photo Credit: Joe Cook

Georgia River Network’s Watershed Support Coordinator, Jesslyn Shields (left), worked with dozens of Georgia’s river groups in 2008 to empower them to protect their watersheds. She does this by providing direct assistance, training, resources and tools for river protection. She also organized the annual conference and workshops on campaign planning and grant writing. 

EMPOWER: GRN Supports Georgia’s 40+ River Groups

Georgia River Network, 126 S. Milledge Ave., Suite E3, Athens, GA 30605, 706-549-4508, Fax: 706-549-7791, info@garivers.org, www.garivers.org

Each year, we organize the GRN Annual Conference for Georgia’s river groups and river advocates. Over 120 people from all over Georgia attended the conference in Rome to learn how to better protect their rivers, tell their stories, and celebrate their successes. 

Each year, we organize Georgia’s “River Celebration Awards” to recognize the tireless efforts of volunteers, river groups, and conservationists working to protect 

Georgia’s rivers. Here, Dana Skelton (second from right), our Director of Administration and Outreach, 

stands with Georgia’s Riverkeepers as they honor Sally Bethea (holding paddle), the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, with our 10 Year Anniversary Lifetime 

Achievement Award.  

President Carter is pictured with Paul Deloach, the Chair of the new Flint Riverkeeper, at the End of Trip 

Celebration for Paddle Georgia 2008 on the Flint River. On the current fight to protect the Flint from new dams, President Carter said “I’ll be Standing 

With You.”    

Photo Credit: Tom Wilson

Georgia’s drought continued to emphasize the need to keep Georgia’s waters clean and use them wisely. We were a voice for Georgia’s rivers at the Statehouse, in metro‐Atlanta, and with state agencies. One great example is our work with the Georgia Water Coalition to defeat Amendment 3 on the Nov. Ballot. Amendment 3 was backed by a well financed campaign of powerful big businesses and would have given developers the power to levy taxes to build large, private residential developments. It was officially opposed only by the Georgia Water Coalition and its member groups, which makes that victory particularly our own.  

ADVOCATE: GRN Fights for Protections for GA Rivers

Georgia River Network, 126 S. Milledge Ave., Suite E3, Athens, GA 30605, 706-549-4508, Fax: 706-549-7791, info@garivers.org, www.garivers.org

Thanks to funding from the Turner Foundation, Georgia River Network provided grants to Georgia river groups. We were able to re‐grant $57,000 to these river groups to address non‐point source pollution and promote water efficiency : • Altamaha Riverkeeper – Darien 

• Chattooga Conservancy – Clayton 

• Coosa River Basin Initiative – Rome 

• Ogeechee Canoochee Riverkeeper – Statesboro 

• Satilla Riverkeeper –Waynesville 

• Savannah Riverkeeper – Augusta 

EMPOWER: GRN Makes Grants to River Groups

Georgia’s drought hit home on Paddle Georgia 08 when river levels fell below 7’ at the Hwy 36 Flint River bridge near Thomaston, GA. 

Photo Credit: Joe Cook

Photo Credit: Joe Cook

Photo Credit: Joe Cook

Thanks to Our 2008 Financial Supporters Foundations and Grantmakers Charles Stewart Mott Foundation * Curtis & Edith Munson Foundation * David B. Kahn Foundation * Environmental Support Center * Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation * Morgan-Worchester Foundation * Norcross Wildlife Foundation * River Network Sapelo Foundation * R. Howard Dobbs Jr. Foundation * Sweetgrass Foundation * Turner Foundation * Waterfall Foundation Weathertop Foundation Corporate Donors China Clay Producers * Earth Fare * Tom’s of Maine * Georgia Power * Oglethorpe Power * Patagonia * REI * Simmons Bedding Company * Stormwater Systems, Inc. * Environmental Services Inc. * Athens Veterinary Clinic * Atlanta Commercial Tire Atlanta Road Automotive * B & B Tire Transport * Boss & Son Welding & Fabrication Inc. * Citizens Reinsurance Ltd. Community Bank * CYA Agency * Environmental Services Inc. * High Falls BBQ * K & K Manufacturing * Local Management Merchants Farmers Bank * Noble Tax Service * Parris Enterprises Group * Patriot Construction Planters Oil * Teletrack * Rushton & Co. * TK Anderson Jewelry Organizational Donors American Rivers * Broad River Watershed Association * Carolina Canoe Club * Clear Rivers Chorus * Chattahoochee Nature Center * Coosa River Basin Initiative * Georgia Conservancy * Georgia Wildlife Federation * High Falls Lake Association * High Falls Towaliga Watershed Alliance * Jackson Lake Homeowners' Assoc. * Lake Burton Civic Association * Lake Lanier Association * Ogeechee Canoochee Riverkeeper * Satilla Riverwatch Alliance * Savannah Riverkeeper * Soque River Watershed Association * The Wilderness Society * Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper * Upper Etowah River Alliance * Upper Oconee Watershed Network River Heroes ($1000 or greater) Thomas Beman * Tom & Lacy Camp * Dac Crossley * Florence Melear * REM * Adrian & Nina Sawczuk River Guardians ($500 or greater) Dorinda Dallmeyer * Bill Eisenhauer * Terry Perenich & Phil Novinger * Jim Nuckolls * Parrie Pinyan * Morning Washburn River Supporters ($250 or greater) Charlie Belin * Kevin Cullen * Bradley Currey * Forrest Dixon * Vicki Huguley * Scott & Heather Kleiner * Jennifer Lombardi Steven McKay River Friends ($100 or greater) Robert Ambrose * Helen Barfield * Lawrence Bennett * Patty Berkovitz * Anne Marie Boehm * Clifford Branam * John Branch John Branch III * JB Brooks * Russ Caudell * Warren & Courtney Budd * Maureen & Jeff Buhr * Jim Butler Chris Walls & Melissa Cobb * Kim Cofer Harris * Violet & Donald Dawe * Mary Jane Dixon * Sue Eggert Marty & Anne Emanuel * Naomi Epstein * Dick & Susan Field * Gretchen Gearhart * Kay Giese & David Sweat * Mary Harrison John Helms * Ron Carroll & Carol Hoffman * Lindsay & Marie Holliday * Russell Hunter * Dan & Imogene Ingle * Victor Johnson Charles Jones * JoAnn Jones * Jan Kearce * Alice & Tim Keyes * Christopher Kiggins * Stephen Kraemer * Deborah Kusmerz Michael & Jeanne Lipsitt * James Manning * Ruth Marwitz * Doug Mathews * Cynthia McEwen * Henry Minis * Clifford & Nanci Moseley * Peter Norris * Ron & Gail Nuse * Keith & Shirl Parsons * Patrick Phelps * Lenwood & Nancy Poole * Jim & Karen Porter * Mark Powell * Bud Queen * Reita Rivers * Kes Roberts * Andy Robinson * Rick & Amy Rosemond * Bob Saveland James Scott * Annie Shields * Virginia Shields * Jean Smith & Sam Linhart * Bob & Celeste Selwyn * Poni Shannon * Bo Smith Freddie Smith * Roger Smith * James Spotts * Doc Stephens * Jim & Esther Stokes * Dee Stone * Charles & Patsy Stripling Gene & Roberta Teany * Hoke Thomas * Everett Thompson * William Tietjen * Phillip Ulbrich * Shirley Weaver * Dave Wenner Marie Westmoreland * Harriett & Fielding Whipple * Patricia Payne & Dana White * Noam Zelman

Foundations56%

Corporations1%

Organizations1%

Individuals6%

Paddle Georgia26%

2008 Annual Conference2%

Events1%

Interest1%

Flint Riverkeeper6%

Misc0%

Administration13%

Paddle Georgia27%

Engage Program17%

Empower Program28%

Advocate Program15%

Georgia River Network FY 2007-2008 Finances

Expenses: $422,428.09 

Income: $504,160.36 

Georgia River Network 126 South Milledge Avenue Suite E3 Athens, GA 30605

2008

Georgia River Network

Annual Report

Inside!

Upcoming Events April 22, 2009 Earth Day  April 27‐29, 2009 Georgia Water Resources Conference, Athens http://www.gwrc2009.com/  May 29‐June 1, 2009 National River Rally, Baltimore http://rivernetwork.org/events/10th‐annual‐national‐river‐rally  June 20‐26, 2009 Paddle Georgia Coosawattee / Oostanaula Rivers www.garivers.org/paddle_georgia/pghome.html  October, 2009  Rivers Alive Clean Up Month  http://www.riversalive.org