Georgia - Conasauga River Partnership, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

The Conasauga River rises in the Chattahoochee National Forest in Georgia and wanders in and out of Tennessee six times before heading southwest through Dalton. It is the headwaters of the Coosa River. "This 91-mile river ranks in the top 10 of 2,000 small watersheds in terms of diversity of species--mostly freshwater fishes and mussels," says George Ivey, a Nature Conservancy employee working for the Conasauga River Alliance (CRA), adding that a number of species are endemic to the Conasauga. "So, there are a lot of reasons for conservation groups to be here." Many others are interested, too--"for lots of different reasons. The Conasauga is the source of water for the carpet industry. Dalton is the 'carpet capital of the world,' making three quarters of the country's rugs and carpets. The dying process requires vast amounts of water--30 million gallons per day--which comes from the Conasauga, its tributaries, and springs. The Conasauga also is a source for some drinking water, agricultural irrigation water, and water for cattle. And, it's a popular recreation spot for boating, fishing, swimming, and hiking."

These diverse groups began coming together in 1994. The Limestone Valley Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council undertook an ecosystem-based assistance study. In 1995, Charlie Freer, RC&D Coordinator, organized meetings of local citizens throughout the watershed to discuss the problems in the Conasauga watershed.

"We were one of the few ecosystem-based pilot projects in the country," says Cindy Askew, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) District Conservationist in the area. "A lot of groups were dabbling--the Institute of Ecology at the University of Georgia, Fish and Wildlife Service, and others. The Nature Conservancy was also interested. So, we put together the steering committee of locals, including carpet industry people, farmers, loggers, school teachers, and anyone who wanted to come." The steering committee prepared a 40-page report on the challenges, problems, and possible solutions. When it was done, Ivey says, "people didn't want to let the report just sit on a shelf and gather dust, so they reorganized [into the Conasauga River Alliance] to implement the recommendations of the report."

That implementation, in terms of getting things moving on the ground, involves "some really good partnerships," according to Askew. In addition to USDA programs, she says, "We've got other entities that would pick up parts of cost. The Fish and Wildlife Service will spend some money. The Nature Conservancy will help, too. We also have access to some 319 funds from EPA [the Environmental Protection Agency], so we can do some leveraging."

Askew has developed a number of continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts and enrolled nearly 200 acres of riparian areas. One of the first to enroll land in CRP for conservation buffers was Steve Bass who farms at Chatsworth, below Fort Mountain and the Cohutta Wilderness in the Chattahoochee National Forest. The land is on a floodplain of Holly Creek, a Conasauga tributary, and has several small feeder streams running through the property. Askew says Bass used to let cattle graze the whole place, but has begun some rotational grazing. "He didn't like having the cattle in the creek, and he knew there were water quality impacts, but he couldn't afford fencing. When he found he could get half the cost of the fence through CRP, he signed up."

From Bass' perspective, "The program has been good. CRP is paying for the buffer strip. I had to set the fence back at least 35 feet, so it took up 70 feet plus the stream width. I didn't lose so much land, but I felt like I gained; it was well worth my time to put it in. It helped me break down the farm into more pastures; it gave me the ability to handle my cattle better. So, it did more than just help water pollution and stop steep bank erosion, but helped me manage the place better."

Bass has not fenced off Holly Creek, however, based on experience of having to replace property line fencing after heavy rains. "I don't even fertilize until I've had three floods every year," Bass says. "It would be nice to fence, but I am afraid the maintenance cost would be too much. I'd like to see more of this type of stuff done up this creek; it's one of the few unpolluted streams coming through there."

Askew also is working on buffers and CRP with the Petty Dairy, run by Carlton Petty, three of his sons, and four grandsons. Petty grew up on a 40-acre farm he still owns. "I was raised up during the depression, so I know what it is not to have any money." The Petty Dairy now has 7,000 acres on farms in north Georgia and over the line in Tennessee. They raise dairy and beef cattle, soybeans, corn, hay, and pasture.

The Pettys have enrolled over 170 acres along several miles of Conasauga riverfront that they own. The buffer strip is up to 150 feet wide, in some cases helping to straighten the fields. "As far up as we are [in the watershed], it's a really pretty stream--clear, and not too much waste goes in above our farm. We planted a bunch of trees--mixed hardwoods, poplars, and a few others in with the poplars." The Pettys have a lagoon system to handle animal waste from their confinement operation.

Andy Strike is County Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency in Bradley and Polk counties, Tennessee, but he covers north Georgia and has worked with Askew to lay out CRP buffers. "If a field has been flooded, put it in CRP and sow it down. You might say, let the river run through it," he says. In a memo to his supervisor, Strike wrote, "I have spent many hours developing and implementing this project. The benefits of this should be seen for years. Of all the fish, mussels, and aquatic species of the Conasauga River, 25 species are considered rare. One species of fish, the Conasauga logperch, is found in a 12 mile section of the river and nowhere else in the world! Many farmers and other landowners along the river have managed their lands well, and the river's native species have benefited from their careful land use."

As for Petty, he says, "We're trying to get the land to where it will be left better for our children and grandchildren. If I didn't think it was to their best interest, naturally I wouldn't do it. We hope we're doing the right thing." Ivey certainly thinks so, "The Petty family has signed up 15 miles in CRP and we'd have been happy with only three!"

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