Update 2024-12-27: Final Report: Georgia House Study Committee on Navigable Streams 2024-12-01.

The Georgia House Navigable Streams Committee is meeting in Newnan on Wednesday morning, November 13, 2024, after the Nahunta meeting a few weeks ago was cancelled due to Hurricane Helene aftermath.

Georgia House Study Committee on Navigable Streams in Newnan 2024-11-13: Law: Ownership, Property Rights; Passage: Recreation, Economy

Instead of a whole meeting, we get this item:

• South Georgia Waterways Perspective (45 min.; holdover from cancelled Waycross meeting)

And this subject of the entire meeting:

Meeting #3: Utilizing Mechanisms to Increase Public Access to Waterways

We don’t need fancy mechanisms. We just need a Georgia navigability law that matches what people actually use waterways for these days: paddling, motoring, fishing, and swimming. That’s a substantial part of the outdoor economy and recreation.

So if you want to continue to be able to paddle or motor on your favorite stream, you may want to show up and speak, or send written input to your state representative. You can ask them for a 21st-century update to the 1863 Georgia navigability law.

Here is the meeting notice and agenda (local copy):

Agenda for 2024-11-13
PDF

House of Representatives

LYNN R. SMITH
REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 70
EIGHT EVERGREEN DRIVE
NEWNAN, GEORGIA 30263
E-MAIL: lynn.smith@house.ga.gov

 
STATE CAPITOL – ROOM 228
ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30334
404.656.7149

STANDING COMMITTEES:
NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT- CHAIR
RULES
APPROPRIATIONS
REAPPORTIONMENT
CREATIVE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
COMMITTEE ON ELECTION INTEGRITY

MEETING NOTICE

TO: House Study Committee on Navigable Streams and Related Matters

Rep. James Burchett
Rep. Johnny Chastain
Rep. John Corbett
Rep. Stan Gunter
Rep. Al Williams
Mr. Jud Turner

FROM: Rep. Lynn Smith, Chair

There will be a House Study Committee on Navigable Streams and Related Matters meeting on Wednesday, November 13th, 2024 at 9:00 AM at The Donald W. Nixon Centre for Performing & Visual Arts in Newnan, Georgia.

A site visit on November 12″, 2024 is limited to study committee members and staff only due to logistics/capacity constraints.

AGENDA

Meeting #3: Utilizing Mechanisms to Increase Public Access to Waterways

• Welcome & Introductions by Host & Local Officials (approx. 30-45 minutes)
• South Georgia Waterways Perspective (45 min.; holdover from cancelled Waycross meeting)
• Chattahoochee Bend State Park: Creation and Future (30 minutes)
• McIntosh Reserve: Public/Private/Nonprofit Collaboration (45 minutes)
• Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program & Conservation/Land Trusts (45 minutes)
• Lunch
• Public Comment (5 minutes per speaker + Q&A)*
• Discussion by Committee Members

*NOTE: The Chair reserves the right to set time limits on public comment to ensure as many people can participate. Written public comment can always be submitted and distributed to committee members. Please contact Nicole Chappelle at nicole.chappelle@ house.ga.gov or Brock Perry at brock.perry@house.ga.gov to provide any written public comment.

Agenda subject to change per the call of the Chair

cc: Speaker’s Office, Clerk’s Office, House Media Services, Legislative Counsel, House Budget & Research Office

Two of the Committee members are in the Suwannee River Basin:

• 176, James Burchett, R – Waycross, 404-656-5105, Suite 1318, james.burchett@house.ga.gov, southwest Coffee, Atkinson, Lanier, and northeast Lowndes Counties
• 174, John Corbett, R – Lake Park, (404) 656-5105, john.corbett@house.ga.gov, Charlton, Brantley, south half of Ware, Clinch, Echols, east third of Lowndes Counties.

For other Georgia House members in the Suwannee River Basin, see:
https://wwals.net/about/elected-officials/georgia-house/

At the end of the September Committee meeting, Rep. James Burchett gave a pretty good summary of the issues. However, his preferred solution of listing all navigable stream stretches is flawed. We are happy that his previous bill that attempted to make such a list included all Georgia stretches of all the WWALS water trails. Except the Alapahoochee River, Sugar Creek, and Cat Creek; I sent him those suggestions.

Sugar Creek was the early takeout for the 2024 Mayor and Chairmans Paddle. Paddlers included Mayor Scott James of Valdosta, Chairman Bill Slaughter of Lowndes County, Joe Brownlee of Georgia Power, Executive Director Mary Beth Brownlee of One Valdosta-Lowndes, and people from United Way, Boys and Girls Club, and Valdosta State University, as well as Thomas Humphrey from the new outfitter, Happy Hippy Outfitters.

Valdosta Mayor Scott James speaks at Mayor and Chairmans Paddle, Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River 2024-03-02

But during previous discussions, Rep. Burchett claimed that his GA HB 1397 was sticking to the 1863 navigable definition that is still Georgia law. But that makes no sense, since most of our rivers never had bales of cotton floated down them to market.

What Georgia needs is an updated 21st-century definition of navigable that matches what people actually use the rivers for these days, such as paddling, motoring, fishing, and swimming.

Meanwhile, we are working on making navigable some of the more dubious stretchesn listed in Rep. Burchett’s bill, such as Okapilco Creek up to US 84 and the Little River upstream from Red Roberts Landing. This requires multiple chainsaws and multiple expeditions.

Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman sawing a deadfall in the Little River 2024-09-21 –Darlene Eanes Ray

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

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