Paddle Georgia, A Project of Georgia River Network – Weblog

On Day 7 we celebrated the end of Paddle Georgia with a River’s End Party! 

Paddlers enjoyed a fish fry feast by B&J’s Steak and Seafood in Darien and toasted to a week of memories and new friends with sparkling water by EVRAH3 and beers by Molson Coors. A special thanks to the Darien Lions Club for hosting our celebration!

During River’s End Party we heard from Keith Parson and DuBose Porter who founded Georgia River Network 25 years ago. Keith shared how he sat at his desk at Georgia EPD and wished he could take greater action to protect Georgia’s natural resources, and rivers in particular. He contacted fellow fisherman DuBose Porter, a legislator from Dublin, and the two met up on an Oconee River sandbar to consider how they could form a statewide river advocacy group. They instantly knew the key to creating lasting change: build political will by engaging the public. And what better way to connect people with Georgia’s rivers than to get everyone on the river!  DuBose thanked us for growing Georgia River Network and continuing to bring hundreds of people to explore a different Georgia river each year on Paddle Georgia.

Unfortunately we were unable to paddle the last leg of the journey from Altamaha Regional Park to downtown Darien due to inclement weather. Menacing clouds throughout the day affirmed our difficult decision to stay on land. In the end, many paddlers enjoyed spending an extra day exploring Darien and the coast! And the good news is that we will be back to paddle the last section of the Altamaha River to reach Darien by boat. Stay tuned for a special paddle trip in the fall to finish what we started! 

We hope you join us for our reunion on the Altamaha River and join our many other paddle trips across the state! See our full calendar of events and sign up for an upcoming river adventure! 

Day 6 of the journey down the Altamaha River offered numerous off-the-main channel exploration opportunities, such as Miller Lake and many sloughs and creeks. This section of the river is nearly entirely protected by state wildlife management areas. It’s certainly wild and full of wildlife! Sloughs were the perfect places to stop for an encounter with nature, from gators to egrets. The massive buttress tree trunks of cypress and tupelo trees around Miller Lake amazed paddlers who docked to stand next to their ancient roots. 

Paddlers passed rich history along the river and used Paddle Georgia maps to read excerpts from Joe Cook’s Altamaha River User’s Guide to travel back in time. For example, the route on Day 6 passed the historic Upper Sansavilla Bluff. Based on archaeological records, European colonists lived on this bluff in the early 1600s, some 130 years before the founding of the Georgia colony. Sansavilla Bluff is believed to be the location of a Spanish mission between 1615 and 1650. In 1741, the Georgia colony established Fort Mount Venture on the bluff where Mary Musgrove, the famed translator for Gen. James Oglethorpe, and her second husband, Jacob Matthews, operated a trading post. Following the Revolutionary War, Sansavilla Bluff became the site of one of the first settlements in Wayne County, Williamsburg, which was incorporated in 1792. Today, it is part of the 19,500-acre Sansavilla WMA that stretches to Altamaha Regional Park.

A highlight of the day was a giant sandbar that hosted dozens of paddlers for lunch. Everyone got out to dip and splash in the river. It became a Pop Up Sandbar Party!

After 17 miles on the river we spotted the iconic old train trestle that marks Altamaha Regional Park, our campsite for the night. As we set up our tents, the clouds rolled in… and it rained.  But the rain brought a beautiful rainbow! We all ran from dinner into the mist to admire the rainbow. Just when we couldn’t be more amazed by the picture perfect arch, we were surprised by a double rainbow just a moment later! 

After a low country boil dinner, Rachel Parish and Sarah Cameron Sunde joined us again to share more river stories from their journey paddling from Atlanta to the Atlantic. We then hosted our annual No Talent Talent Show! The youth group once again got a standing ovation for their rendition of “Altamaha”, complete with a saxophone.

Day 5 was the hardest, but most rewarding day of paddling! This section of the Altamaha was very remote, flanked by wildlife management areas and no sign of human habitation beyond Doctortown and the RYAM pulp mill. The journey ended with a one-mile paddle upstream to Penholoway Creek. 

For paddler Georgia Richie, the paddle up Penholoway Creek was another faceoff with the challenging creek. She had flashbacks to her last paddle on the creek in 2012. Her husband chanted a clever, but irritating, “Paddle, Georgia! Paddle, Georgia!” as she kept a steady stroke to inch her way against the current. This year she knew what mindset to adopt: slow and steady, keeping a positive attitude rather than muscling up the creek with grim determination. A dozen years later, Georgia conquered Penholoway Creek again. 

So many paddlers surprised themselves on Penholoway Creek! To celebrate, paddler Cynthia Cox made stickers that said, “I survived paddling up Penholoway Creek!” Paddlers may have been sore and spent that night, but the spirit around camp was one of camaraderie and accomplishment. Many remarked that it was an honor to intimately see a rare slice of Georgia’s “Little Amazon” river by the water. 

The youth group made their own memorable bonds on Day 5 during a day trip to Jekyll Island. The group jumped in the waves, played chicken fight and saw sea turtles up close at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. They even stopped by College of Coastal Georgia for a campus tour by student Logan Zimmerman!

That night, Maggie Van Cantfort, Coastkeeper for the Altamaha Riverkeeper, joined us for dinner to share how the Altamaha Riverkeeper is working to protect both the river and watershed basin. Maggie monitors the Altamaha from the confluence to the coast, in addition to the Ohoopee River and 40 miles of the coast. A day in the life of a riverkeeper includes investigating alleged illegal dumping to waterways, collecting water samples and monitoring the river, and negotiating with commercial businesses or developers to minimize  negative impacts on the river, and advocating for legislation to protect the watershed. 

“We have a 14,000 sq mile watershed basin. Two people can’t monitor that alone. So we depend on all of you, and all the other people in the watershed,” Maggie said. She encouraged us to get involved with Altamaha Riverkeeper and take action! 

Maggie said that there have been great improvements that have resulted in a healthier Altamaha River, but we still have a long way to go to protect the river from industrial wastewater discharge and new threats, such as deadhead logging.

Day 4 of Paddle Georgia took us 15-miles down the Altamaha to Jaycee Landing. This section of the river is home to Beard’s Oglethorpe, Linder’s and Bug’s bluffs, all rising majestically from the river. Paddlers passed evidence of the river’s steamboat era and spotted wooden dikes built in the late 1800s to improve navigation and raise water levels. 

Jaycee Landing is a popular spot that connects the Wayne Co. and Jesup community to the wild Altamaha River corridor. The wide, accessible boat ramp, a fisherman’s dream bait shop and spacious parking lot, covered pavilion and boardwalk makes it a hub for the region. When Joe Cook noticed just how big the landing was, he wondered if the venue could host a larger river festival for both Paddle Georgia participants and the Wayne Co. community. He contacted numerous local organizations and soon a river fest was formed to celebrate the best of the Altamaha, from the ecology to the people. 

Wayne Co. Historical Society brought dioramas and Altamaha-ha posters, the Altamaha Riverkeeper brought education and a water quality test kit, Georgia DNR Wildlife Division showed off mussels and fish, and RYAM brought bowls of wood chips to explain how pulp and cellulose are made for many of the items we all use everyday. 

Over 100 kids from the local Boys and Girls Club arrived to Jaycee Landing to visit with exhibitors, learn how to identify trees by their leaves on a nature walk, and create fish print art (a special thanks to a group of youth who volunteered to keep the paint and prints under control!) 

After rotating through the stations, the kids gathered under a giant white circus tent to hear stories about adventures on the Altamaha River. Retired science middle school teacher Ken Suttles read from his book “The Swim”, a memoir about his 1997 awareness swim down the entire length of the Altamaha River. “Did you see any gators?!” the kids asked during the Q&A session. Yes, a pair of beady eyes did make Ken speed down the river. 

 Rachel and Sarah from Atlanta to the Atlantic celebrated all the friends they have met and stories they have heard as they paddled from the South River in Atlanta, down the Ocmulgee and now paddle the Altamaha River. “How do you charge your phone?” one student needed to know. Sarah took the opportunity to explain how she’s put her phone on airplane mode for most of the journey. This has resulted in many missed photo opportunities, but it’s taught her to take more mental snapshots and then scroll through the camera roll in her mind as she settles into sleep. And speaking of airplane mode, Rachel couldn’t help but interject the bizarre moment when she heard a strange buzzing over her tent. She peaked out of her tent to see experimental aircraft practicing flight patterns over the river and river bank!

While the kids loved these stories, they saw these speakers as the opening act for the main attraction of the day: snakes. Jason Clark with Southeast Reptile Rescue put on a snake show like no other. The snake whisperer presented each snake like a guest on his talk show, interjecting just as many jokes as he did facts about the slithering species that are often misunderstood. 

That night paddlers visited downtown Jesup for dinner. Dozens of paddlers packed the historic Strand Theater to watch “Okefenokee Destiny” and “Saving the Chattahoochee”.

On Day 3 we paddled the final passages of the Ohoopee River to return to the Altamaha proper for a 14-miles run along the Big Hammock Wildlife Management Area. We followed the path of poleboaters, rafthands and steamboat pilots from the 1800s past high bluff and massive sandbars. 

We had a reunion on the river! Paddlers met up with Atlanta to the Atlantic paddlers Sarah Cameron Sunde and Rachel Parish. The duo started at the South River in Atlanta over a month ago, floated down the Ocmulgee, and have now joined our flotilla on the Altamaha! Learn more about their adventure as they raise awareness of the South River and the communities it connects on its way to the Atlantic.

On Tuesday the youth took a break from paddling and instead visited Okefenokee Swamp Park in Waycross for a boat tour of our state’s famous blackwater swamp. Our dream for these youth was to connect them to Georgia’s rivers and waterways in a way they had never experienced before – they just had to see the Okefenokee! The students enjoyed spotting alligators and carnivorous pitcher plants, and marveled at the vast prairie and peatland over the east section of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

Since Day 3 was a moving day, paddlers returned to Watermelon Creek Vineyard, packed up camp, and set up tents at Martha Puckett Middle School in Jesup.

That night we heard from conservation professionals and legislators to review the 2024 legislative session and discuss topics likely to be addressed in the 2025 session. Former HD 89 Representative Becky Evans and Joe Cook discussed the best way to connect with legislators both at the Georgia State Capitol and year round. Rep. Evans encouraged us to email, but also call legislators to share what issues matter to us. 

During the panel we discussed our efforts to protect our freedom to float Georgia’s rivers and keep our waterways open for public access and river recreation. We need all paddlers to tell their legislators to support the state’s robust outdoor recreation economy by protecting existing river uses and the public’s right to boat down any stream that will float a boat. We also need paddlers to join Georgia River Network’s Paddle-a-thon competition and submit trip reports. Every adventure log we get during this campaign provides the valuable data we need to document the rivers and streams Georgians are using. Plus, you could win some $10,000 in prizes! 

Bouncing down the sandy road to the landing for our second day of paddling, paddlers Terry Pate, Rob Del Bueno, and Michael Wall reflected on an interview question posed by reporter Mark Lannaman with Saporta Report.

“What made you undertake this adventure?” Read their responses in Mark’s article in the Saporta Report! 

Paddle Georgia could not visit this region without taking a detour off the Altamaha River to paddle this section of the Ohoopee River. The landing was a beach of coarse golden raw sugar.  The water was cooler and clearer than the Altamaha with spritely schools of minnows.  The vegetation on the banks was lined with tupelo, river birch and willows leaning in close to listen to the steady trickle of the river flow. Keith and Shirl Parsons, one of the founders of Georgia River Network, was content to hang out at the landing to fish. They caught and released nearly four dozen fish in just a couple of hours!

Because the Ohoopee River runs through such dense vegetation, a “strainer buster crew” went ahead of the bulk of paddlers with a chainsaw to clear the water trail of fallen limbs and overgrown brush. Once safe paths were established, the rest of the paddlers naturally formed groups of three or four to work as a team to navigate the obstacle course of sharp creek bends and tree trunks submerged just under the surface. After clearing the strainer  themselves, many paddlers remained at their obstacle to guide other paddle pods safely through. 

At one strainer, Mike McCarthy speared a paddle into the streambed to mark the best paddle path. Meanwhile Duane Beckett waded in the streambed to guide each boat into the safest flow. Father and son team Roman and Lotem Kol stood in the river to ensure every boat paddled to the left of a submerged trunk with many branches. Barb Grimm navigated under strainers and around bends with her greenland paddle. Rob Del Bueno and Michael Wall created a perch out of a downed tree and shouted, “paddle right!” to everyone who passed by. 

Scott Hendricks and his sons Cole and Justin created an efficient assembly line portage system over a tree trunk that completely obstructed the water trail.  Paddlers got out of their boats and walked around the tree trunk on the bank while Justin guided each boat under the tree and Cole sailed the boats to the bank for paddlers to carry on their way. 

Surprises around every bend of the Ohoopee River sparked creativity. Ellie Zimmerman kept her eyes peeled for fishing bobbers to add to her massive collection stored in mason jars. Sarah, age 7, lounged like a mermaid on a sandbar bank, while her sister Simone, age 5, insisted she was not a mermaid, but a mermaid’s pet mullet. 

Back at camp, the horse at Watermelon Creek Vineyard perked up at the sight of a familiar figure. It was Janisse Ray, a beloved nature writer nationwide and local to the Altamaha basin. Watermelon Creek Vineyard is practically in her backyard, and our launch on the Ohoopee is one of Janisse’s favorite spots to set sail.

Janisse Ray is well known for “Drifting into Darien”, a memoir about her own paddle down the length of the Altamaha, but instead chose to invite us into a story from her book “Wild Spectacle” about a transformative paddle experience in the Okefenokee that brought out the warrior spirit within. Janisse encouraged our executive director Rena Ann Peck to keep fighting for the protection of the Okefenokee Wilderness Canoe Trail and fragile ecosystems within the swamp. She named Rena a Wilderness Warrior and considers her a fellow daughter of the flatwoods!

Janisse Ray left us with these parting words: we can all be warriors when we are transformed by the river and work together to protect the rivers we love. We were all inspired by her powerful words! Janisse wants everyone to harness the power of words and tell their own stories. Check out her latest book, “Craft and Current” on preorder now!

Our first day of paddling started with the essentials: a full, hot breakfast and Cafe Campesino’s Georgia River Network blend fair trade coffee. Once fueled up, paddlers hopped on school bus shuttles with their paddle gear to ride to the launch site on the Oconee River. Paddlers helped each other carry their boats down the ramp and sail off for the day’s paddle.

In just two miles, paddlers reached the confluence of the Oconee River and Ocmulgee River where the Altamaha River begins. At “The Forks”, paddlers witnessed a wide, panoramic view of the mighty Altamaha River for the first time. The surface of the river continued to  swirl with merging currents and spiraling eddies for about a mile as the Altamaha River found her own united strength. 

We stopped halfway through the day’s paddle for a pit stop and tour of Town Bluff Park and Heritage Center in Hazlehurst. We can’t thank them enough for their hospitality on Father’s Day Sunday! We stepped inside for water refills and AC, and peaked into the ever-growing museum of river and Native American artifacts. 

It was on this stretch of the Altamaha River that paddlers established their strokes. It’s natural for the first day to be a bit rocky, especially for beginner paddlers finding their sea legs. It takes a day or two to establish a rhythm to your stroke, embrace the tippiness of the kayak (without tipping out!) and discover and share tricks to stay cool and hydrated. Each paddler finds their flow with the river at their own pace. 

Just when a headwind made the day feel never ending, paddlers spotted a yellow blob in the distance, then noticed a familiar welcome banner. They had arrived at the historic Gray’s Landing! And the yellow blob? It turned out to be a hospitality tent by Georgia Power Plant Hatch! Team members from Georgia Power welcomed us at the landing to carry boats from the river landing to safe spots on the grass. The yellow tent had cold sodas, snacks, and bright yellow dry bags for each paddler! They were the most fitting gift, and many paddlers immediately put them to good use. 

However, Day 1 of the journey was not over: while paddlers loaded up the bus shuttle to return to camp at Watermelon Creek Vineyard, Georgia River Network staff and volunteers loaded each and every paddler’s boat onto trailers to ferry them to the landing for the next day’s paddle. A big thanks to this group of paddlers for sticking it out until every boat was delivered safely to the start for Day 2’s paddle! 

En route to Paddle Georgia 2024 on June 14 along a lonely stretch of I-16, my (mostly) trusty Chevy Colorado, veteran of more than a dozen Paddle Georgia journeys, finally gave up the ghost in a clattering of metal and whining belts. She limped into Dublin, and there she died.

Thankfully, Georgia River Network has friends all over the state, and DuBose Porter; publisher of the Dublin Courier Herald, former state legislator and gubernatorial candidate and founding father of Georgia River Network, came to our rescue. He loaned us his truck for the week and towed my Chevy to his mechanic who later pronounced it DOA.

Later in the week at our River’s End Celebration, DuBose and Keith Parsons, another of Georgia River Network’s founding fathers, gave an emotional recounting of the organization’s birth. It began with a simple idea—to grow the number of local river protection groups. During a sandbar meeting at DuBose’s property along the Oconee River, the organization took flight as a handful of individuals dedicated themselves to making that idea become reality.

Twenty five years later, there are river protection groups scattered all over the state and Georgia River Network is still going strong, working with those same local groups to protect places like the Okefenokee Swamp.

The organization’s birth story is a prime example of individual actions growing into a mighty movement, just as the tiny tributaries of the Altamaha add up to Georgia’s largest river.

For a week—less the cancellation of the final day due to threatening weather—some 300 people had the pleasure of exploring that river.  Here’s a few memories I’ll take with me from the journey.

The Next Generation

Over the past 19 years, we’ve seen many children grow up on Paddle Georgia. The youngsters that came on our early journeys are now in the workplace. I’ll note that among them are doctors, engineers, and nuclear researchers. I’m not saying that traveling down a river for a week each summer during childhood made them what they are today. I’m just saying it didn’t hurt!

This year, we watched as 7-year-old Jane Hawkins paddled along side her dad Christopher, in her own mini-kayak, firing off strokes by counting to 100…by fives. Dad’s tow rope was, of course, always handy. The Barkes family’s youngest two, Julieta and Javier, veterans of many a canoe journey, were as quick with the water cannons as they were with the paddle, and Ellie Zimmerman, daughter of Meghan Zimmerman and granddaughter of Terry Pate, participated in her eighth Paddle Georgia—she’s been at the event every year of her life in some capacity!  

So parents, keep those kids paddling. Our less-than-scientific study of those who grew up paddling shows that kids who paddle have a stroke up on the competition.

Symbols

Symbols are curious and dangerous things. We use bumper stickers, t-shirts, hats, flags to promote a cause, announce our beliefs or identify with a group. When we display them, we give those around us a hint of who we are.  But, a word of caution: symbols don’t always paint a full picture of the individual displaying them. That said, some symbols, regardless of the intent of the display, make others feel unwelcomed.

The Confederate flags displayed at riverfront fish camps—and, indeed, at a publicly-owned Glynn County park are just one reason that many Black paddlers don’t always consider Georgia’s rivers as “safe space.” For a large portion of our populace, that banner of the Old South signifies hate and persecution. This year’s contingent of 12 “Black Lite” paddlers drifted past these, and other symbols of the “lost cause.”

Certainly, all of us have the right to display our symbols of choice on our property, but we’d be wise to consider how others might interpret those symbols. Perhaps we’d do well to let our actions announce who we are rather than our symbols.

This year, about eight percent of our Paddle Georgia Navy were people of color; our goal is for our participants to reflect Georgia’s population. To protect the state’s rivers, we need everyone involved in loving Georgia’s rivers. That can’t happen if we fill our wild and public spaces with unwelcoming symbols. It will take time, but the day will come when all of us—regardless of the color of our skin—will have only snakes and gators to fear when we venture down a Georgia river. 

So, Black paddlers, keep on paddling. The rounds, bights and oxbows of the Altamaha are long, but they bend toward justice.

Obstacles and Perseverance

Our journey was not without its challenges. Strainers on the Ohoopee; headwinds on the Altamaha…and a mile-long paddle up Penholoway Creek at the end of a 22-mile day all conspired to leave us weary as we slogged into camp.  Then, of course, there was the tropical storm that derailed our last day on the water.

On this trip, perseverance was important. It enabled us to discover the charms of the Ohoopee, slide beneath massive tupelo and cypress trees in Miller Lake and be gobsmacked by a spectacular rainbow at Altamaha Regional Park. The end of the rainbow was—quite literally—at our final campsite.

Wilderness travel is like that. Almost without fail, enduring difficult journeys leads to amazing discoveries and personal growth.

I refer you to our Beard’s Bluff Bump map and the words of Canadian-based philosopher Matshona Dhliwayo: “Learn from a river; obstacles may force it to change its course, but never its destination.”

So, everyone keep on paddling. Take the lessons of the Altamaha with you. You never know what’s around the next bend or what magic you might create along the way. 

Birds

It was a “birdy” kind of week on the river. The Altamaha’s floodplain is wide, and birds like to live there. Birders have documented some 160 species in the basin. Bald eagles, swallow-tail and Mississippi kites, ibises, herons, egrets and even black-necked stilts and black-bellied whistling ducks graced us with their presence, but my favorite encounter was with a prothonotary warbler. Common in river bottom swamps, but ever illusive, they are among the most brilliantly-colored birds of the southeast. Ramsey and I spotted one in the “Sweatbox” near Barrington County Park, and to our delight, he seemed as curious about us as we were of him. It was the kind of animal encounter that makes 17 miles of hard paddling worth it.

Joe Cook

June 25, 2024

And a few other favorite images from the journey…

The Altamaha is like paddling a winding ocean where at every bend there’s a new beach to be explored. Our youth group led by Tixie Fowler of Gardens for Growing Community took full advantage of these play spots and horseplay inevitably ensued.

This year, over 300 paddlers joined our annual week-long canoe/kayak camping adventure on Georgia’s “Little Amazon,” the Altamaha River. Together we strengthened our paddle skills on Georgia’s largest river, navigated the wild waterways on the Ohoopee River, rallied to protect our freedom to float, paddled up the infamous Penholoway Creek, and were rewarded with the most magnificent rainbow and River’s End fish fry feast. 

Read on for each day’s highlights from Paddle Georgia 2024.

Paddlers Reunited!

We had so much fun on the first day of Paddle Georgia, and we didn’t even paddle the river!

The first day of Paddle Georgia is a day to check in, set up camp and reunite with river friends. Paddlers dropped off their boats at the first landing and then set up tents around the pond at Watermelon Creek Vineyard. 

We couldn’t have asked for a better home base for the first few days of Paddle Georgia. Watermelon Creek Vineyard, one hour northwest of Savannah in Glennville, is a full service Georgia farm winery on a  fifteen-acre site with a barnyard, pond, mill house, vineyard and winery complex. Owners Charles and Deborah Tillman have created charming details around every corner of the winery. After a full day of driving and preparing for the trip, paddlers sure enjoyed their muscadine wines and wine slushies! 

A handful of paddlers joined Saturday’s ACA paddle workshop led by Georgia River Network’s Andrea White to work on paddle skills and water safety before hitting the river the next day. The still surface of the pond was the perfect spot to practice efficient strokes and review safety procedures.

We had a joyous reunion at the check-in table! Over the course of the week, Paddle Georgia brought more than 300 people to the Altamaha River from 15 states and ranging in age from 5 to 83.  One couple came all the way from Malaysia! The youth group with Tixie Fowler’s Gardens for Growing Community returned, as did our Adopt-a-Stream citizen scientists to monitor the water quality in the Altamaha River. We also hosted six Georgia educators participating on scholarship to receive environmental education curriculum training and 12 individuals associated with Blacklight. 

That night we officially kicked off Paddle Georgia with dinner from our catered food truck, a welcome program and safety briefing. 

Our Paddle Georgia trip in May 2024 explored the Ocmulgee River and fall line region during a historic spring in Macon. – Grace Wilson

There was something in the air as soon as we arrived at the Amerson Park Jay Hall Memorial Boat Launch in Macon. The morning’s shower was clearing, but Macon was still thick with humidity and a subtle, but sustaining vibration in the air. 

Our paddlers arrived in Macon for the Ocmulgee River Adventure the same week a historic brood of cicadas emerged at the fall line. 

These cicadas didn’t scream when the sun intensified on their wings, and they didn’t create a cacophony of like chirping crickets. Instead, they maintained a steady harmonious hum like a fleet of idling cars or hovering UFOs. When you only get to host a reunion once every 13 years, you don’t want your large party to get a bad reputation as a nuisance.

This brood, Brood XIX, or the Great Southern Brood, was a chorus of four species of cicada that provided the soundtrack for the rest of our trip. For only living a few weeks, these groggy cicadas flew aimlessly about the Ocmulgee river bank and recklessly close to the surface of the water. They often drifted straight into paddlers and into the river. We created a game of rescuing these lethargic aliens, scooping them up with our paddles and allowing them to dry their wings on our kayaks. 

On the first day of the adventure we paddled the clear water of the Ocmulgee River and rested at large sandbars to seine fish and hunt for mussels. A bountiful bunch of white perch sparkled and flopped as the net was laid on the sand. The abundance of fish was a great sign of a healthy Ocmulgee River. A handful of brown mussels the size of coin purses were passed around to paddlers anchored bows in the sand. It was important to show off these freshwater mussels and share their ecological, and even economical, value. 

Freshwater mussels are filter feeders that cycle nutrients and process all the material coming down a river. Freshwater mussels can filter up to 30 gallons of water a day! They clean water in rivers and streams and create healthy ecosystems and healthy drinking water. The City of Macon gets the majority of its drinking water from the Ocmulgee River, and freshwater mussels in the river reduce the work of water treatment plants. Mussels are purists and sommeliers-  the Macon Water Authority was awarded “Best Tasting Drinking Water in Georgia” in 2023, and we believe the mussels are the ones to thank!

Even though the rivers and streams of the Southeast have more mussel species than anywhere else on earth, over 70% of freshwater mussels are at risk of extinction. Mussels are going extinct faster than any other land or ocean species. American Rivers is working to craft policy and practice to address the decline of freshwater mussels in Southeast rivers and streams. Learn more about their efforts in this brief 2 minute video:

Later on our voyage, we floated around a river bend and noticed the chorus of cicadas grew louder. But it wasn’t cicadas. A new track layer was added to our nature soundtrack: the roar of trucks and cars that whoosh down the interstate could be heard as the Ocmulgee turned to run parallel to I-75. We soon paddled towards a massive network of interstate bridges, the junction of I-75 and I-16. We sailed low under a total of six towering bridges, found a spot to slip through a narrow break in hidden construction equipment, and paddled in a single file line under a ramp and platform that tucked even more equipment out of sight under the bridges. We ended in urban Macon with our take out for the day’s paddle at Spring Street Landing.

Duck! Construction at the I-75 and I-16 merge didn’t stop our passage

Paddlers at Spring Street Landing in downtown Macon

…

Boats loaded, we headed over to the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. This ancient village (inhabited from c. 1350 to the late 1600s)is now slated to become Georgia’s first national park, and the first national park in the nation to be co-managed by a removed native tribe–the Muscogee Nation. The Ocmulgee mounds made national news⁠ just days before our trip with the introduction of a bipartisan measure to more than double the footprint of the roughly 2,800-acre Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park.

We strolled the many walking paths on the park grounds to two significant sites: the Earthlodge and Great Temple Mound. We ducked inside a tunnel to the center of the Earthlodge and imagined the 46 delegates seated around the village Chief’s bird-shaped stand. A network of wooden staircases brought us 50 feet to the top of the Great Temple Mound that offered panoramic views of downtown Macon below. Later that night we experienced the best of Macon and swapped stories at Fall Line Brewing.

The second day of the trip started at Popes Ferry Landing for a 12 mile paddle down the Ocmulgee River. This section of river was just north of the fall line, which offered a completely different river experience. While the river section on the first day of our trip offered a sandy bottomed river and larger sandbars, this section of the river offered a rocky bottom with shoals. Paddlers tested their agility around swift sections and even floated down shoals in their life vests. 

Kit Carson with Ocmulgee Water Trails has paddled many shoals

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Now that we’ve paddled two sections of the Ocmulgee River, we’re eager to go back and explore even more. The Ocmulgee Water Trail encompasses the entire river at over 240 miles, making it the longest continuous water trail in Georgia. Explore numerous river runs from the output of Lake Jackson to its confluence with the Oconee River at the start of the Altamaha River. Find river access points, research stream gauges and learn about points of interest on the Ocmulgee Water Trail in one spot on our Georgia River Guide mobile app.  Follow our calendar, we hope to host more paddle adventures on this iconic Georgia river! 

Grace Wilson