LATEST NEWS:Paddle with the Riverkeeper this Memorial Day Weekend!
Want to have fun this upcoming Memorial Day weekend? Join us in celebrating the beginning of the summer with a paddle trip down the beautiful Savannah River.
We will depart Saturday morning (May 26th) at 8 am from Burton’s Ferry Landing on Hwy 301 in Sylvania, GA and end Monday afternoon (May 28th) at Ebenezer Landing in Rincon, GA. The days will be spent exploring primitive oxbows, searching for gators and birds, and learning about the history of the area. Nights will be spent camping along the banks of the river and enjoying storytelling around a campfire (if it is not too hot)! This is a fantastic opportunity for families to relax and enjoy beautiful scenery all while spending quality time together. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit our Paddle with the Riverkeeper page or contact Jennifer Gut, Program Manager. SRK travels to River Rally and Beaudreaux nets frequent flyer miles!
On May 4th, Tonya, Amy and Beaudreaux traveled to Portland, OR for the 2012 River Rally and Waterkeeper Alliance conference. This year celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act and was the first year the conferences were held under the same roof. SRK presented its Canine Sewage Detection Program at the conference, which hosted over 700 attendees from organizations all over the world! SRK was thrilled at the opportunity to show other groups how a canine program can help them fight illicit sewage discharge in their own watersheds, and provide them with resources to develop these programs back home.
Also, River Rally participants had the opportunity to purchase their official 2012 River Rally T-shirts- which featured the winning design by Communications and Development Manager Amy Rothe! Rally Ho! Savannah River ranks on SELC's top 10 Endangered Places 2012
The Southern Environmental Law Center recently announced its Top 10 Endangered Places of 2012, which includes the Savannah River. SELC attributes this listing to the proposed Savannah Harbor Deepening, which would compromise aquatic wildlife habitat, freshwater marshlands and drinking water for the city of Savannah and other communities.
Benderdinker was a huge success!
Wow! April 28th's Benderdinker Paddle was the one of the Southeast's LARGEST paddle event in history! Over 400 paddlers, kayakers and partygoers joined together to float down the Savannah and raise money for local charities- including the Savannah Riverkeeper! Riverkeeper Tonya Bonitibus was among the paddlers, and she took some great photos of the event. The Savannah Riverkeeper would like to give special thanks to everyone who made the Benderdinker paddle happen- we appreciate your support! Please visit our BENDERDINKER page for more info.
Army Corps issues crucial reports and YOUR input is needed!The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently issued final reports concerning proposed projects on the Savannah River. These projects include the controversial Savannah Harbor Expansion Project and the Savannah River Basin Drought Plan. Please take a moment to review the reports and leave comments and ensure YOUR voice is heard! The Savannah Riverkeeper will provide a link to public comments as they become available. For more information on the Corps proposed projects, please contact Tonya Bonitatibus, Riverkeeper.
Another Kaolin Spill on Reedy Creek
On March 23rd, another Kaolin Spill occurred on Reedy Creek- the 3rd spill in 6 months. The spill was traced to a broken valve of the Thiele Kaolin facility in Sanderville, GA. Please stay tuned and SRK will keep you informed of any updates regarding the spill.
To watch Tonya's video of the spill, click here. To read WFXG Augusta's report, click here. SRK Speaks Out Against Army Corps Lack of SHEP Pollution Controls
On February 3rd, the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on behalf of the Savannah Riverkeeper, the Coastal Conservation League and the South Carolina Wildlife Federation. The claim states the Army Corps failed to obtain South Carolina pollution control permits necessary to deepen the Savannah Harbor. The claim also states that dredging to deepen the river to the planned 48 feet will stir up toxic cadmium and other pollutants and discharge these pollutants into the Savannah River. Exposure to certain forms and concentrations of cadmium is known to produce toxic effects on humans. To read the SELC press release, click here or visit our Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) page.
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