Community Corner

Monday on the River

The Jones Bridge Park is usually brimming with activity on the weekends but weekdays often offer a quiet respite for those who have the day off.

Jones Bridge Park, the popular Peachtree Corners park is often abuzz with activity on Saturdays and Sundays. It's one of only two Gwinnett County parks with direct access to the Chattahoochee River.

On the day we were there, the current was strong due to the recent release at the Buford Dam.

The Corp of Engineers which monitors and releases water from the Buford Dam cautions boaters, fishermen and swimmers to be aware of the release schedule as the water can rise quickly.

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The Chattachoochee River Keepers, a watchdog group, offers information on the river.

For local metro Atlanta dam releases, call:

Find out what's happening in Peachtree Cornerswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Buford Dam (below Lake Lanier), 855-326-3569 or 770-945-1466

For water quality information go to Surf Your Watershed and for step (1) select "ZIP Code," for step (2) enter your 5-digit code, and then click "Submit."

BacteriAlert:Β  Learn about the BacteriAlert program here; for bacteria readings in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (CRNRA) click here.

10 Facts About the Chattahoochee River

1. "Chattahoochee" is an Indian word which means β€œriver of painted rocks”, possibly referring to the many colorful rock outcroppings in and along the river.

2. The source of the river is a tiny spring located several hundreds yards below the Appalachian Trail in the southeast corner of Union County.

3. The river flows southwesterly through Georgia to merge with the Flint River in Lake Seminole on the Florida border, where its name changes to the Apalachicola as it meanders through Florida to the Gulf of Mexico.

4. The headwaters of the Chattahoochee River which drain into Lake Lanier above Atlanta comprise the smallest watershed, or drainage area, which provides a major portion of water supply for any metropolitan area in the country.

5. The Chattahoochee River is the second southernmost trout habitat in the United States (other: Guadalupe River, Texas) and is also one of only two trout streams in North America that flow through a major urban area (other: Bow River, Canada).

6. The Chattahoochee River Basin supplies more than 70 percent of metro Atlanta's water for drinking and other needs -- an annual average of about 450 million gallons per day.

7. Metro Atlanta's sewage treatment plants release approximately 250 million gallons of treated wastewater into Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River every day.

8. In 1957, the Corps of Engineers completed Buford Dam, 50 miles above Atlanta, and created Lake Lanier, the most visited federal lake in the U.S. Lake Lanier contains 38,000 acres and 700 miles of shoreline.

9. In the mid-1970's, the Corps of Engineers built West Point Lake, which is 85 miles south of Atlanta and has 25,900 acres and 525 miles of shoreline.

10. The Chattahoochee River is one of the oldest and most stable river channels within the United States, since it's essentially "locked" in place, flowing along the Brevard Fault Zone, and cannot meander and change course over time like most rivers.

Source: Chattahoochee River Keeper

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