Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, March 27, 1969
Alcovy Watershed Project
(Continued From Page 1)
ed project which would be de
trimental to fish and wildlife
values. In our view, any such
project would be similar to a
situation in which the State Game
and Fish Commission might use
public funds to build a duck pond
that might flood out part of In
terstate 20, also built with public
funds.
We are very much disturbed
to see an agency of the U. S.
Department of Agriculture pro
posing the drainage of a large
acreage of wetlands, while at
the same time another federal ag
ency in the Interior Department
is spending millions of dollars
to preserve and develop wetlands
for waterfowl. By the same tok
en, the 4,327 acres of wetlands
for wildlife that would be drain
ed under this plan represents
more acres of waterfowl habitat
than is owned by the State of
Georgia today.
The total loss of valuable wild
life habitat that would be unfa
vorably altered by this plan ex
ceeds the total acreage of many
game management areas of the
State Game and Fish Commis
sion. In addition to the 4,000
acres of swamplands that will be
lost to waterfowl, the more than
8,000 acres of forested land to be
cleared for pastures would be es
sentially lost for deer and squir
rel, two of Georgia’s three most
hunted species of wildlife.
The wetlands in question serve
as resting, roosting, and feeding
places for mallard, black ducks,
and wood duck, which also nest
there. In fact, they are the only
duck hunting areas in Newton
County. As a result, deer have
become numerous enough for the
State Game and Fish Commis
sion to authorize a one day doe
hunting season in the county for
the past two years. It is also
interesting to note that the lar
gest Boone and Crockett Club
deer rack of the 1967 Georgia
hunting season was bagged by a
hunter in Newton County, in the
Alcovy River Swamp. Being close
to Atlanta, the area receives
heavy hunting pressure.
In addition to the primary spe
cies of ducks, deer, and squir
rels, the wetlands provide a home
for cane - cutter rabbits, rac
coons, and fur bearing species
like mink, otter, muskrat, and
beaver. They are potentially a
refuge area for wild turkeys
and bear.
But if the 4,000 acres of wet
lands are drained and 8,000 ac
res of forests removed, all of
these species will virtually dis
appear from the area permanent
ly, if the planned modifications
are maintained in future years,
as the work plan calls for. At
the same time, they will not be
replaced by cropland game spe
cies like quail or doves if the
primary land use is to be pas
ture lands, since grasslands pro
duce little food for either spec-
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les.
In addition to game animals,
draining of the wetlandsand chan
nelization of 80 miles of stream
beds in the project areas will
have a serious affect on the fish
population of the affected
streams. The Alcovy River is a
good fishing stream at certain
times of the year, primarily for
bream and catfish, although there
is some bass fishing as well.
Backwater sloughs and pool
areas that would be eliminated
by channelization are the best
places to fish, as well as im
portant food producing and rest
ing areas for fish.
In addition, trees that pre
sently border the stream bed
are important to maintain cool
er temperatures in the pools.
Their removal in a channeli
zation project would tend to in
crease water temperatures,
making them less desirable for
fish and the aquatic organisms
they feed on. Removing the
stabilizing Influence of the tree
root systems from the stream
banks will result in greatly in
creased erosion of the stream
bank that will not be adequately
controlled by tall fescue and white
clover.
The State Game and Fish Com
mission is seriously concerned
about the siltation that inevitab
ly will occur in the Alcovy during
the project work, which will last
over a period of at least seven
years, if funds are provided on
the planned schedule. This will be
multiplied by what we believe
to be unnecessary channelization
which the stream will not re
cover from in the next half cen
tury.
This is especially disturbing
at a time when the State Game
and Fish Commission is spend
ing thousands of dollars on re
search and management pro
grams on Lake Jackson designed
to Improve fishing there which
are dependent on a high water
quality in the Alcovy River. Only
two weeks ago, the Commission
stocked 150 adult white bass into
Lake Jackson in an effort to es
tablish this popular game fish
there. At the same time, we have
outlawed commercial fishing with
nets in the Alcovy and in the lake
to help these fish to enter the
river on their annual spring
spawning run, to populate the
lake naturally. Wildlife rangers
of the Commission are spending
a great deal of time patrolling
the river mouth to prevent il
legal poaching there.
Since the Alcovy is the most
unpolluted stream flowing Into
Jackson, it is essential if white
bass are to succeed there, since
the Yellow River is heavily silted
and the South River receives a
large portion of the City of At
lanta’s untreated raw sewage.
For this reason, only the Al
covy Is suitable for white bass
spawning, and that could be ruin
ed by channelization produced
siltation, high temperatures,
shallow water, and swifter, fluc
tuating current.
It has been clearly establish
ed by scientific investigation in
several southeastern states that
channelization seriously da
mages stream fishing. For in
stance, a study of 23 channeled
streams made by the State of
North Carolina’s Wildlife Re
sources Commission showed that
game fish in the streams were
reduced in number and weight
by 90 per cent. The data also
revealed that no significant re
turn toward the natural stream
population occurred within a 40-
year period following channeliza
tion!
A recent report of the State
of North Carolina on SCS chan
nelization projects contained the
following section and I quote:
“Os three completed projects
in eastern North Carolina, we can
point to none which has not been
highly destructive to wetland
wildlife. Os several projects
currently in the planning or active
state, we can point to none for
which the final approved plans
include adequate provision for
the protection of wetland wild
life resources.’’
A similar study of a stream
before and after channelization
was made by the Mississippi
Game and Fish Commission. Be
fore channelization, the stream
under study had a good population
of large size game fish, averag
ing 240 pounds per acre. After
channelization, that poundage
dropped to only five pounds. Wh
ere the stream originally
contained five bass averaging
about two pounds each in size,
the same area after channeliza
tion contained four bass with a
total combined weight of two
tenths of a pound all together.
Where fishing was once good for
crappie, bluegill, and flathead
catfish, none were found after
wards. Instead, the study area
contained 1,480 minnows and 18
game fish weighing five pounds,
compared to the previous 887
game fish and minnows weighing
240 pounds.
In the event that the project
sponsors would be interested in
having copies of these scientific
studies, we will be happy to have
copies made for them.
As a result of studies of this
nature, the Southeastern Division
of the American Fisheries
Society adopted a resolution at
their October conference in Bal
timore calling on the Tennessee
Valley Authority, the Soil Con
servation Service, and The U. S.
Army Corps of Engineers to halt
all small watershed projects until
their adverse effects on fisheries
and economic values have re
ceived more study.
We would like to point out that
the State Game and Fish Com
mission would not be opposed
to making the Alcovy passable
for small fishing boats or ca
noes by careful removal of trees
blocking the main channel. This
could be done without channeli
zation or the use of heavy con
struction equipment. The State
of North Carolina uses an amaz
ingly effective winch utilizing a
small portable chain saw motor
to clear logs from fishing
streams in eastern North Ca
rolina, without disturbing the st
ream bottom or banks. Such a
service by the watershed project
in place of destructive channeli
zation would be welcomed by the
State Game and Fish Commis
sion, sportsmen, and small plea
sure boaters. With proper main
tenance, the Alcovy would be one
of Georgia’s finest natural scenic
areas so close to a major met
ropolitan area.
We feel that this aspect of the
Alcovy as it is presently being
used or as it could be used In
the future for recreation has
not received sufficient attention
in the two work plans. In
examining them, we are unable
to find any economic figures for
the loss of hunting, fishing, boat
ing, or outdoor recreation bene
fits, present or future. For this
reason, we feel that more study
should be given to the proposal
before final plans are drawn, and
a concentrated effort made to
establish the fish and wildlife
recreational and economic values
of the Alcovy Watershed should it
be allowed to remain unchan
neled and with its swamps un
drained.
However, based on our care
ful review of the work plans
and the objections that we have
presented today, it is our posi
tion that we cannot approve the
projects as they have been pre
sented to us, without further
study of the wildlife losses and al
terations to the Watershed Plan
to eliminate our objections.
We therefore call on the State
Conservationist of the Soil Con
servation Service and the re
gional director of the U. S. Bu
reau of Sport Fisheries and Wild
life to meet with us in an effort
to resolve these differences to
the mutual satisfaction of all in
terested parties, before final
plans are drawn.”
After much furor over the pro
posed project, and in some cases
criticism of the Game and Fish
Commission, the Commission is
sued a news release on March
21, defending the right of its di
rector, George T. Bagby, and
professional game and fish bio
logists to criticize the proposed
river dredging and wildlife wet
land drainage.
At its regular meeting In At
lanta Thursday, March 20, the
Game and Fish Commissioners
heard a report from the Com
mission’s Director, George T.
Bagby, on small watershed pro
ject activities of the U. S. Soil
Conservation Service, an agency
under the federal Department of
Agriculture.
Bagby said stream channeli
zation and drainage programs In
itiated and financed by the SCS
posed a dangerous threat to fish
and wildlife habitat, and that “it
is the duty and the obligation
of the State Game and Fish Com
mission to Inform the people
what the effects of these pro
jects will be, withour being ac
cused of irresponsible criticism,
without being called liars, without
being threatened with political
reprisals.”
The issue reached the Com
mission after a Game and Fish
Department spokesman deliver
ed a report two weeks before to
the Soil Conservation Service
critical of proposed stream chan
nelization and drainage above
Lake Jackson, a popular middle
Georgia fishing reservoir. The
report said Commission game
and fish biologists believe the
proposed work would destroy
fishing In the Alcovy River and
possibly harm fishing in Lake
Jackson as well as a result of
dredging and channeling of 80
miles of the Alcovy and two of
Its tributaries, Big Flat Creek
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and Cornish Creek.
The report noted that the SCS
work plan called for the drain
age of 4,000 acres of swamp
land adjacent to the river, and
the anticipated conversion of 8,-
000 acres of timberland into
open pasture, causing a 12,000
acre loss of deer habitat and
an extensive waterfowl area.
Reacting to the report, a de
legation of local landowners and
sponsors of the Alcovy water
shed project from Walton, New
ton, and Gwinnett appeared be
fore the Game and Fish Com
mission meeting to protest the
staff report, and to call on the
Commission to approve plans
for the project.
Several of the speakers denied
that the Alcovy River and Its
swamps were good hunting and
fishing areas, and said that the
project would not hurt Lake Jack
son, although more than 30 Jack
son cabin owners and fisher
men appeared in opposition to
the project.
“The watershed plans could be
changed to prevent this damage,”
Bagby told the meeting. “En
larging the reservoirs instead of
channeling the river is the ob
vious answer.”
Director Bagby emphasized to
the Watershed Group that the
Commission did not oppose the
proposed reservoirs in the Al
covy project, only the down
stream channelization and drain
ing.
“Public Law 566 does not give
veto power over these projects
to state game and fish commis
sions,” Bagby said. He told the
group that the SCS was required
to submit final plans of the pro
ject to the state wildlife agenc
ies and the U. S. Fish and Wild
life Service, but that their com
ments were not binding on the
Soil Conservation Service. The
SCS has already submitted their
final plans for the project to
Congress with their request for
funds, in spite of objections to
the channelization and drainage
portions of the plan.
“The false statement has been
deliberately and maliciously
made that the State Game and
Fish Commission and its Direc
tor have opposed the approval of
the Alcovy River Watershed Pro
ject,” Bagby said. “This is a
barefaced lie. We are not try
ing to kill this project. We don’t
have that authority. We are not
trying to keep these three coun
ties from having seven large lak
es for recreation and municipal
and industrial water supplies,”
he said. “We have objected to
one portion and one portion only
of the proposed watershed plans,
and that is the channelization
and drainage of the Alcovy Ri
ver above Lake Jackson.
Bagby told the Commissioners
that the Department had exerted
considerable efforts over the
past three years to improve fish
ing in Lake Jackson, and that the
results had been successful. He
said that the U. S. Fish and Wild
life Service recently had pro
mised to give the State 23,000
saltwater striped bass to stock
in the lake as a result of the
detailed scientific work the Com
mission had carried out on Jack
son and nearby Lake Sinclair.
At the conclusion of the meet
ing, the Commissioners unani
mously passed a resolution sup
porting the right of the Director
and his staff to inform the public
of adverse effects of such pro
jects or portions of them on fish
and wildlife habitat.
The U. S. Soil Conservation
Service has not tried to defend
its plan because they say it is a
local project that they were asked
to plan for the district office and
therefore it is not “our” project
at all.
The Alcovy Watershed Project
can still be stopped or changed If
enough public interest is aroused.
Some alterations In the way the
present plan is to be carried out
most likely will be necessary.
Representatives of the SCS
have said that the wrong Impres
sion has been given concerning
the drainage of private land In
this project with public funds.
It was pointed out that land
owners themselves would have
to pay "out of their pockets”
to have ditches dug on their pro
perty to tie Into any channels
proposed in the Alcovy Water
shed Project.
The Soil Conservation Ser
vice does not agree with the
Georgia Game and Fish Com
mission concerning that the extent
of damage that the Commission
has said will be done to wildlife
habitat or to fishing in the Al
covy River and Jackson Lake.
With enough pressure from
the public a medium of com
promise that will serve the best
Interest of wildlife, fish, and
people can be found. The Alcovy
Watershed Project is needed In
the area it is proposed, but
none of the advocates of the
plan have any intention of It
sacrificing Georgia wildlife ha
bitat and fishing grounds in the
name of progress.
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