The log jam just above the etowah is gone

I might regret this post but... this is agreat run I might regret this post but... this is a great
river for anybody who enjoys all types of whitewater. I live close by and go here all the time for
anything, from sessions in some hot hole above 53 when the weather's right, to hand walkin the lap
rocket on the edge and race training runs down to the hike out below off the wall(explore and you
can find it).You can do an all day run down to kelly if you don't mind flatwater or take the turkey
takeout in dawson forest just to get the whitewater.Its not class5 but its still fun even at low if
you are local,its also a good place to develop skills to step up your game if you are just gettin
into class 3 and up stuff.Check it out and help us get it on the national wild and scenic rivers
list! Edit

Gauge at river reads 3 inches lower than online gauge below 1.5 Edit

The tree that was across the river about a mile before the Etawah is now a log jam. We got out on
river left and carried down to a side creek to put in again. Edit

Ben Whittle and I just ran from 53 down on October 8, and there was no wood in any of the channels
we ran @ 0.98. There is a lot of wood in the flats which is high over head from the floods that
will probably come down soon. One log, well I guess it's really more of a tree, spanned the whole
river and was 12-15 feet above our heads! At Split Rock we can the center and right channels and
Ben ran the left as well. He said there's plenty of room. Though he also says that it's not
Southern Creekin' unless you're duckin' Rodo.

There's a tree down across the river just before the first drop from six mile put-in(about 15-20
minutes down stream). At 1 foot we were able to bump over with little effort, much lower level
could prove to be problematic. Edit

The tree is still down at the edge of the world, however we broke a few of the dead limbs off so it
is somewhat passable now if you duck as you go under (at low level, at higher level still not
passable; we ran it at .5ft this past weekend). There are several trees still down as the run
continues downstream. With higher water levels the trees that are down could be a hazzard.

There is a big log in the bottom left of Edge of the World blocking the lower left/high water line.
Hopefully will be washed out by the next flood, but is currently in a bad spot. Right side is
clear. Hope this helps. 9-21-09 River went over 5-feet today and washed the bad log out of Edge of
the World. There is another bigger tree at the ledge below the main drops (high water line),
hopefully will be gone after this flood but may end up downstream at 3-chutes. Edit

The pullout at the confluence with the Etowah river is open for now. It keeps you from having to go
all the way to Kelly Bridge takeout. The road down can be a little rough so you need to take your
time. The road is part of the Dawson Forest road system (Mill Road).

Beware of the hole in Rooster Tail at levels above 1.4, maybe lower(the old hwy. 53 bridge guage).
The tail washes out and leaves a tongue that leads to a nasty hole. They aren't kidding when they
say it's a keeper. I ran it a few years back at around 1.8, after summer rains; it grabbed me hard
and wouldn't let go. Finally, I bailed, swam for my life and had to hike out with nothing but my
shorts. My boat(Pirouette S) was still upside down, bouncing around, in the hole when I looked back
from the mountain top. The next day(level around 1.4) we went back to look for the boat and there
it was, still hard stuck in the hole, just like it was left the day before. It took considerable
effort and back-woods ingenuity to get it out. The wierd thing is that it doesn't even look like
much of a hole, but it's just the right size to grab a boat and it's also really rocky underwater.
If the river is high enough to make the hole sticky, you probably won't be able to get anywhere
close to it on foot, for rescue or boat retrieval. Avoid it!

Sometime in the past week, the log that blocked the channel between the two large rocks on the
Etowah between the Amicalola confluence and the take-out at Kelly Bridge was removed, either by man
or nature. The straight center chute is now passable, but stay to the left side of it at lower
water levels.

Three observations where the gaps between the two gauges were 0.32 or 0.33:

Jan 2 12:00 pm
old staff gauge 0.72
new USGS gauge 1.04

Jan 2 6:30 pm
old staff gauge 1.06
new USGS gauge 1.39

March 21 6:45 pm
old staff gauge 0.96
new USGS gauge 1.29

Saturday, June 24, will be Day 1 of Paddle Georgia 2006, being run this year on the Etowah River.
That means about 300 boats, most of them operated by paddlers wil minimal experience, will be on
the Etowah downriver of Highway 9, including the 2 miles or so from the confluence of Amicalola
Creek and the Etowah to the take-out at Kelly Bridge Road. Paddlers should either use the alternate
take-out described above or be prepared for the crowd.

The Etowah Scenic River Committee is working to have 6.8 miles of the Etowah River and 14.4 miles
of Amicalola Creek, mostly within the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area, included under
Georgia's Scenic Rivers Act. The Scenic River designation would prevent dams on the streams as well
as precluding development along these undeveloped 21 miles of their banks.

Thanks to the efforts of the Committee, the Dawson County Board of Commissioners passed a County
Resolution requesting these streams be considered for designation under the Georgia act. The
Department of Natural Resources has delayed the necessary Scenic River Study pending completion of
a statewide water development plan. Adoption of that plan is not anticipated until 2008.

While awaiting the state water development plan, the Committee is temporarily dormant. When the
time comes, the Committee will seek participation from paddlers as well as others. Watch here for
further information.

Etowah Scenic River Proposal

A grassroots organization, the Etowah Scenic River Committee, has been formed to protect 21 miles
of the Etowah and Amicalola Rivers in North Georgia. The group is lobbying to have sections of
these river designated State Scenic Rivers, in accordance with the Georgia's State Scenic River
Act. The Etowah Scenic River Proposal includes 14.4 miles of the Amicalola River, from Lindsey Ford
to the confluence of the Etowah River. The study will also include 6.8 miles of the Etowah River.
Much of these streams flow across the City of Atlanta tract of Dawson Forest. The proposal follows
the requirements of the Georgia Scenic Rivers Act, which protects the river corridor and does not
allow dams or other obstructions to the free flowing nature of the river.
These two streams are located in Dawson County within a one-hour drive of most of Metropolitan
Atlanta. The area surrounding these streams is heavily wooded and there are no cabins or decks on
the banks for the entire 21 miles! This is indeed rare in our rapidly developing area just outside
the urban sprawl of metro Atlanta. The Etowah is home to 76 species of aquatic life making it one
of the richest rivers in aquatic diversity in the southeast according to Candace Stoughton, Etowah
River Project Director for the Nature Conservancy. The Amicalola is a popular canoe and kayak run,
with several sections ranging in difficulty from Class I-II on the Upper Amicalola to Class III-IV
on the Lower Amicalola.
In the early 1970s, the City of Atlanta purchased 10,000 acres in Dawson County with an eye to
building a second airport. When the property was deemed too hilly for the project, the area was
left undisturbed and eventually came under the management of the DNR's Wildlife Resources Division
and the Georgia Forestry Commission. Public access and recreational facilities were improved and a
forest stewardship program was established. The has become a lush haven for hikers, campers,
canoeists, hunters and fishermen. But, the City of Atlanta still contends that the land is reserved
for a future airport. The Etowah Scenic River Committee came together after an article was
published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution in January about renewed interest in a second airport
and a high speed rail link along Highway 400 to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Due to
the rapid development of North Metro Atlanta and the tremendous increase in land value, this 10,000
acre tract is again being eyed for future development projects. Some local real estate brokers have
aggressively opposed the Scenic River proposal because they have a large developer interested in
the purchasing the tract. Designation of the Etowah and Amicalola as State Scenic Rivers would
offer the rivers some protection even if the Dawson Forest is developed.
Leading the Etowah Scenic River Committee is Bill Hess who retired to Dawson County with 30 years
experience with the U.S. Forest Service and was responsible for wild and scenic rivers studies in
the southeastern states for the Forest Service. The committee has completed the first step of the
process, which is local education and support of the proposal. Accomplishments to date include a
informational web site, a town hall meeting of over 200 people, and a petition drive that garnered
over 1,500 signatures encouraging the county to take action to protect the rivers. The petition was
presented to the Dawson County Commissioners at their April 7, 2005 meeting. The commissioners
agreed to endorse the proposal but have not sent it to the governor. The committee has also hosted
a canoe trip and hike where local commissioners, Representative Amos Amerson, Atlanta City Council
member Felicia Moore, Advisor to the governor Terry Demeo-King, as well as media representatives
and others were present to discuss and tour the rivers and the proposal.
A major obstacle to the efforts of the committee is the City of Atlanta. As owners of the tract,
the entire Atlanta City Council must approve any proposed action. The Georgia Scenic Rivers Act was
passed in 1969, but has rarely been used. Designated waterways must be found to have outstanding
scenic and recreational qualities. There are only four rivers that have made the list - The
Conasauga and Jacks Rivers in the Cohutta Wilderness in northwest Georgia, a portion of Ebenezer
Creek near Savannah and the Chattooga River in northeast Georgia. The Chattooga is also a National
Wild and Scenic River.
AW is calling on its members for action to help with this proposal. Here is what you can do to help
protect our local treasures:

#1) Call, write, and e-mail Governor Sonny Perdue, Dawson County State Legislature Representatives
(Chip Pearson, Amos Amerson, and David Ralston), Mayor Shirley Franklin, and all the Atlanta City
Council Members, epically the transportation committee. Tell them how much you value these rivers
and you support the proposal of making them State Scenic Rivers.

#2) Help us spread the word. Tell family, friends and others about the proposal. We need strong
public support to get this passed.

For additional information, contact information, sample letters, and on-line petitions visit
www.EtowahScenicRiver.org.

Many AW members are familiar with these wonderful rivers. The AW Amicalola web page is also full of
great information. We request that everyone do their part to help get this proposal passed. For
additional information or opportunities to volunteer feel free to call Dan Centofanti at
770-380-1488.