The Get the Dirt Out project was founded by the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (UCR) in 2005 with a grant from the U.S. EPA to study the effectiveness of Georgia’s erosion control program—the centerpiece of which is a  set of regulations called the General Stormwater Permit for Construction Activity (General Permit) that implements federal and state stormwater control requirements. 

During 2005-2006, UCR worked with other watershed protection and riverkeeper groups around the state to investigate Georgia’s implementation of its General Permit program. With a focus on improving water quality, we developed educational materials and tools to document problems and evaluate the effectiveness of best management practices (BMPs) intended to prevent the flow of muddy water from construction sites into our waterways. We identified sites for investigation through file analysis, observation, and citizen complaints, deliberately focusing on sites with suspected stormwater problems.

The executive summary from our final report to EPA can be found at www.getthedirtout.org. You can also download the GTDO educational materials at this website and get additional information about the program. Although the EPA grant is now complete, UCR is continuing the Get the Dirt Out program in the Chattahoochee watershed.

For more information, contact Jason Ulseth at 404-352-9828 ext 16.