By SUZANNE WELANDER

Factory Shoals Recreation Area
The distance is less than a mile. See map.
Rich in beauty and diverse in flora and wildlife, the Alcovy is born in Gwinnett County near Lawrenceville and flows south to drain Walton and Newton counties before spilling into Lake Jackson where it meets the Yellow and South rivers to form the Ocmulgee.

Not for the faint of heart, the Alcovy’s Factory Shoals section tests mettle with no-warm up. Paddlers put in above the bridge and run a quick loop down the series of rapids (White Shoals) to the first pool – then carry back up and repeat – or continue on to the more intense Ocoee-like Factory Shoals section that quickly reaches Class IV difficulty. At 1.7 feet on the bridge, the river right side of the last drop into the lake looked retentive as duct tape; the river left channel was playing host to a dead tree. No thanks.

An easily accessible Piedmont stream rich in beauty and diverse in flora and wildlife, the Alcovy is born in Gwinnett County near Lawrenceville and (more…)