The Upper South River from Moreland Road to Bouldercrest Road, a distance of approximately 3.4 miles. View Map

By Suzanne Welander

The author manuvers in swift water on Atlanta’s Upper South River. She reports seeing more wildlife, deer incuded, along the banks of this metro Atlanta stream than on most of her other river trips on more remote areas of Georgia.

Mothers Day 2008 wind-whipped us into a tailspin. Yes, we had just experienced a more substantial rainfall than any in recent memory, but with the 30+mph winds out of the west, our plans for a day paddling appeared dead until we remembered the due east heading of the nearby South River. The closest whitewater run to our house, the South also serves as the conduit for much of Atlanta’s (hopefully) treated sewage.  How bad could it be? With a tailwind at our backs, we loaded the boats and drove five miles to find out. (more…)

By Suzanne Welander

From Hiltonia Road to US Highway 301, about 3.2 miles. In the Savannah River watershed. Map

An intimate stream of primeval beauty near the fall line west of Augusta, Brier Creek threads a winding path through dense vegetation reminiscent of the Coastal Plain.

Brier Creek is simply a gem of a waterway, and for the most part, hospitable to boot. With the exception mentioned in the description below, access is very open. A hybrid of a winding plains stream and lowland swamp, the river corridor is intimate, private, and undeveloped. Our recent two-day float was exceedingly peaceful. While good campsites weren’t plentiful – this stream lacks the sandbars tucked into the inside curve of bends that define so many Coastal Plain rivers – they can be found. Our bottomland campsite, complete with camp toad, was blanketed in moss. (more…)

By Suzanne Welander

From Carters Lake Dam to Georgia Highway 136, about 8.5 miles. Map.

The Coosawattee is the host river for this year’s “Paddle Georgia,” June 20-26. The trip described here covers some of the same Coosawattee River mileage that will be covered in the Paddle Georgia 7-day, 92-mile experience.

All the whitewater bang in this section of river is limited to one small ledge at the put-in below the dam. If you’re not up for the splishy-splashy fun, this rapid is easily missed by starting your trip in the large eddy below the ledge. From here on out, the Coosawattee is a peaceful float, occasionally punctured by the increasing number of dead trees littering the streambed. Maneuvering is occasionally required to dodge the limbs. Being downstream of the dam has its advantages:  this section of river is continually fed, even in drought periods.

On June 20-26, 2009, the Coosawattee hosts Paddle Georgia, a fundraiser for the nonprofit Georgia River Network.  Participants registered for this multi-day float put-in upstream in Ellijay, continue through Carters Lake, and 74 miles downstream to Rome.

The Coosawattee River is the lost gem of North Georgia’s whitewater streams. Said to have rivaled the Chattooga River, the most dramatic portions of the Coosawattee now lie stilled beneath the surface of Carters Lake. A sense of what the Coosawattee was and what it has become is masterfully conveyed by James Dickey’s poem “On the Coosawattee.” It has been suggested that Dickey’s experiences on the river before it was dammed were a major influence on his novel Deliverance. The Ellijay and Cartecay Rivers meet in Ellijay to form the Coosawattee; 9.3 miles of pleasing Class I and II rapids remain of the upper section. Below the dam, the Coosawattee snakes along a sedate course across Gordon County before it merges with the Conasauga River to become the Oostanaula River.

DESCRIPTION: Below the Carters Lake re-regulation reservoir, the Coosawattee becomes a higher volume valley river that meanders through more populated areas. Farmland, industrial plants, and some woodland make up the stream-side environment. The Coosawattee merges with the Conasauga near Resaca and is, thereafter, called the Oostanaula River.

SHUTTLE: To get to the take-out for this section, take exit #320 off of I-75 for Georgia Highway 136 and head east, making sure that you follow 136 as it jogs to the left, then turns to the right and crosses the railroad tracks. Continue on 136 to the river. To reach the put-in, continue east on 136, pass US411, and turn left onto Old US411. After crossing the river (see the dam upstream on your right), turn right into the recreation area. Watch for the dirt road on the right that leads back to the put-in underneath the bridge.

GAUGE: Flows are dependent on dam releases from the re-regulation reservoir and can be found on the USGS Web site for the Coosawattee at Carters or Pine Chapel, Georgia, or by calling the Army Corps of Engineers at (706) 334-2248. The Corps adheres to a required minimum flow of 240 cubic feet per second (cfs). While the levels don’t change rapidly, a call to check the release schedule in advance of your trip is recommended.

This canoeing guide was adapted from A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to Georgia, by Suzanne Welander, Bob Sehlinger and Don Otey. Organized efficiently by watersheds, the book contains paddling guides to over 80 Georgia streams and rivers, plus the Okefenokee Swamp and the Georgia Coast, as well as a wealth of interesting and useful information about Georgia physiography and paddling in general. Order this and canoeing and kayaking guides for other states from Menasha Ridge Press.

By Suzanne Welander

From GA Hwy 128 to GA Hwy 127, a distance of approximately 29.3 miles. View map

The Flint River. In terms of wilderness beauty and spectacular vistas of varied terrain, the Flint is rivaled by no other large river in Georgia.

Looking for an unusual choice for a canoe-camping trip? Try the Flint River north of Lake Blackshear. It’s easily accessible, and as of late 2007, utterly devoid of any sight of human habitation. Sounds are another matter: since the surrounding land above the 4-12 foot river banks is relatively flat, motorized traffic sounds can and do permeate an otherwise primitive experience. That did little to deflate spirits on our three-day trip. The river’s narrow streambed is surprisingly intimate, especially given its girth in upstream sections. With ample sandy beaches for camping and leisurely breaks, this section of the Flint River delighted. (more…)

By Suzanne Welander

From Chicken Coop Gap to Alaculsy Valley, a distance of approximately 5.4 miles. View map

The Conasauga leaps to life high on the pristine slopes of the Cohutta Wilderness. Adventuresome paddlers with the rain gods smiling upon them can catch the adrenaline rush through the upper section, a steep descent through an isolated forest wilderness.

One of the most pristine whitewater runs in Georgia, this section of the Conasauga River is for experienced whitewater paddlers only. High in the headwaters within the Cohutta Wilderness, access is extremely remote and not for the unskilled or faint of heart. Since running it requires a two-inch or more rainfall in the headwaters, opportunities to paddle this section are rare. In the five years between my two runs, my recollection of the river’s steep pitch were almost completely obliterated by romantic memories of the pine sap perfume that permeated the river corridor after a hurricane-fueled deluge scored the vegetation on the banks. Five years later, the sparkling clear water was unchanged, and so was the surprisingly accelerating gradient! The January sun couldn’t penetrate the deep canyon that accompanied the steepest two miles. (more…)