Watershed and River Partners

A watershed is the area of land that drains into a particular stream or waterway. Each watershed is characterized by its own drainage network. Like the branches of a tree, stream channels link together, with each draining into a larger waterway to form the network.

The “watershed approach” is a coordinating framework for environmental issues. Some groups organize to monitor a community stream using the Georgia Adopt-A-Stream program, while others focus on land use planning or protection of riparian greenspace. The most successful watershed groups include citizens and public and private agencies. Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (UCR) offers technical and strategic assistance to these groups.

Georgia River Network

Georgia River Network (GRN) is a statewide nonprofit environmental organization dedicated solely to the conservation of Georgia’s waters. GRN helps people organize to protect and restore rivers and watersheds by building local watershed group capacity and providing statewide policy analysis.

Georgia Lakes Society

Georgia Lakes Society (GLS) is a non-profit group that promotes the understanding, protection, restoration and comprehensive management of lakes, reservoirs, wetlands and their watersheds. GLS provides a statewide forum for the exchange of information on lake management strategies and is made up of representatives of lake associations, state and local governments, professionals, academics, conservation agencies, and interested citizens.

Watershed Groups in the Upper Chattahoochee Basin:

Burnt Fork Watershed Alliance

Chattahoochee Coldwater Fishery Foundation

Chattahoochee Hill Country Alliance

Earth Covenant Ministry

Friends of Bean Creek (Andy Allen, President, 706-878-2995) Friends of Bean Creek in White County is a group of residents and friends who came together to address health and safety concerns related to contaminated drinking water wells.

Friends of Douglas County

Huntley Hills Watershed Alliance

Lake Lanier Association

Little Nancy Creek Watershed Alliance

Long Island Creek Watershed Alliance

Nickajack Watershed Alliance

Peachtree Nancy Technical Advisory Council

Peavine Watershed Alliance

Soque River Watershed Association

Watershed Alliance of Sandy Springs

West Atlanta Watershed Alliance

West Point Lake Coalition

National River Groups

Based in New York, the Waterkeeper Alliance serves to connect and support local waterkeeper programs in their quest to protect water quality. The Alliance approves new waterkeeper programs, licenses use of the waterkeeper name, represents the individual waterkeepers on issues of national interest, and serves as a clearinghouse for all the waterkeepers to exchange information. Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper is one of over 130 national and international groups who are members of the Waterkeeper Alliance.

River Network helps people understand, protect and restore rivers and their watersheds. “We envision a nation whose rivers are cared for by those who use them and live in their watershed. Our constituency is comprised of grassroots river and watershed conservation organizations, public agencies, tribal governments and coalitions, and other working to save freshwater ecosystems.”

Since 1973, American Rivers has been dedicated to protecting and restoring healthy, natural rivers and the variety of life they sustain for people, fish and wildlife.