A week-long paddle expedition by a group of environmentalists called Paddle Georgia is drawing attention to Georgia’s rivers.
On June 15, 290 paddlers took to their canoes and kayaks to paddle 107 miles down Georgia’s Altamaha River, with a goal of educating and raising awareness both for outsiders and the participants themselves.
The Altamaha is Georgia’s largest river and the “largest freshwater river system east of the Mississippi River.” According to the Georgia River Network, the river corridor is home to many unique species, both plant and animal, which has earned itself the nickname the “Little Amazon.”
The organization’s website shows that the river corridor is home to “41 species of amphibians, 59 species of reptiles and 160 bird species” along with “100 different kinds of fish and 18 species of freshwater mussels” and is one of the few locations where the Georgia plume can be found. Tattnall County’s website claims that over 125 species of rare or endangered plants and animals exist along the Altamaha River.
In addition to the Altamaha, participants will also paddle down rivers like the Oconee and Ohoopee rivers for smaller portions of the journey.
The river expedition began at Bells Ferry Landing on the Oconee River and will finish in the city of Darien, about 50 miles south of Savannah. Along the way, paddlers will be able to stop at offsite river campsites, where they will participate in a variety of activities aimed at enhancing the environmental education aspect of the trip and connect paddlers with one another. Paddlers are also able to launch from different locations and days, customizing the journey to fit their needs.
The paddle expedition started in 2005, albeit smaller than today, and has since grown into the “largest week-long canoe/kayak camping adventure in the country,” according to the Georgia River Network.
For some, Paddle Georgia has become a yearly tradition. Terry Pate, one of the paddlers, said it was his daughter who originally called him about it, and after initially passing, he gave her a call back.
“How many times does your 28 year old daughter call and want to go paddling for a week, sleeping in the woods,” Pate asked himself.
That was 16 years ago — now the event is an annual tradition. Pate said they’ve since added his granddaughter to the trip, starting when she was just three years old.
For others, like Michael Wall, the trip is an opportunity to try something new while learning about the places in his home state.
“There’s nothing more beautiful or glorious than Georgia’s natural resources,” said Wall, who grew up in Southwest Georgia and said he isn’t as familiar with this side of the state and its natural resources. “I read a couple books about the heritage and the history here, and had to do this experience. One of the things I liked about it is that it’s so immersive… we’re going to get to know this part of the state, and I’m looking forward to that.”
The Altamaha largely remains undisturbed from development, and a 2021 investment effort saw nearly 11,000 acres near the river basin bought by Ikea’s parent company with the goal of “conservation.” Still, it is not immune from human interference; lower water levels and increased salinity in parts of the river have affected wildlife, the Georgia River Network said on its website — concerning, as the river is home to about a third of the state’s commercial and recreational fisheries.
Beyond natural beauty and gently flowing water for recreation, the river also serves as a source of water for agriculture in the region.
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