Healing Waters Donations at Unicoi Outfitters

There is a Fly Fishing Gear Box located at Unicoi Outfitters for donations to the Healing Waters program for our Veterans. Please drop by and contribute any new or used items to benefit the program.... thanks

Casting for Recovery Donation Challange

Beverly Booth from "Casting for Recovery"  was our guest speaker at our monthly meeting last night. This program provides retreats for women with any diagnosis of breast cancer in any stage of treatment or recovery. The Georgia program sponsors a weekend retreat at our local Smithgall Woods and fly fishing activity at the Nacoochee Bend (Unicoi Outfitters). This annual event is provided to these women totally free.

Application is on-line at http://castingforrecovery.org/retreats/georgia

Our TU chapter donated $2500 toward the expense of this program and challenge other TU's to do the same. Rabun Chapter of Trout Unlimited Blue Ridge Mountain Trout Unlimited #696 Oconee River Chapter of Trout Unlimited Upper Chattahoochee Trout Unlimited Georgia Trout Unlimited Gold Rush Chapter

The photo is the Foothills president, Bruce Johnson handing the check to Beverly Booth.

Foothills December Mothly Meeting

Our guest speaker this month is Beverly Booth.  Beverly is the Program Coordinator for Casting for Recovery - Georgia. 

The mission of Casting for Recovery is to enhance the quality of life of women with breast cancer through a unique program that combines breast cancer education and peer support with the therapeutic sport of fly fishing. The retreats offer opportunities for women to find inspiration, discover renewed energy for life and experience healing connections with other women and nature. Casting for Recovery’s retreats are open to breast cancer survivors of all ages, in all stages of treatment and recovery, and are free to participants.

Foothills monthly meeting is Thursday, December 8th  at the United Community Bank located at 468 W Louise St in Clarksville. As usual, begin at 6:30 PM with our program starting at 7:00 PM.  We hope you'll join us and BRING A FRIEND!

2017 Trout Camp brochure and application

2017 Trout Camp brochure and application are available at this link: http://georgiatu.org/wordpress/news/trout-camp/  

Our Chapter sponsors two kids for this special program in early June each year

Healing Waters Hats & Knives

Healing Waters Knives and Hats for sale at Unicoi Outfitters with proceeds to benefit Project Healing Waters. Hat or knife $20 each. Hats are going fast, plenty of knives.

Gainesville Times article of Healing Waters Event

Gainesville Times article on Healing Waters event at the Nacoochee Bend on Veterans Day.... Hosted by Unicoi Outfitters and Trout Unlimited

Click here to read article

Bob Lux with a big lake trout

Got this picture from Bob Lux with a big lake trout he caught on the Niagra River a couple of miles downstream from Niagra Falls

Amazon Smile

Mike Kovanich mentioned at our last meeting that he had been using "Amazon Smile" to make hi on-line purchases and designating our TU as a charity to receive a donation from Amazon as part of the purchase. Below is what Mike has sent us on how to do that....

To access amazon for the charitable donation you need to go to this link. Your purchase will generate a donation to Foothills TU. Go to the attached link and then save it to your favorites bar and each time you access it and purchase the donation goes automatically goes to us. Mike

https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1928230

Project Healing Waters VA Fishing Event at the Nacoochee Bend

The Project Healing Waters group that meets at the Oakwood VA clinic is supported by volunteers from Georgia Foothills and Gold Rush TU Chapters. They meet bi-monthly and tie flys, build rods, and on occasion go fly fishing... this is one of those occasions.
At this event, the veterans met for a BBQ cook out and then take on an afternoon for fly fishing in the trophy waters of the Chattahoochee. The trophy stream section is donated by the Unicoi Outfitters just upstream from the event. Each veteran is provided their own guide from either the Georgia Foothills or Gold Rush Chapters.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE PHOTO ALBUM OF EVENT

Foothills stock Smith Creek this week for DH

HEALING WATERS FLY FISHING DAY

FOR VETERANS HOSTED BY UNICOI OUTFITTERS AND TROUT UNLIMITED

FRIDAY NOV. 11^th 2016

FREE BBQ LUNCH STARTING AT 11:00

 AFTER LUNCH – FLY FISHING NACOOCHEE BEND IN HELEN,GA.

FOR MORE INFO CONTACT rbtgofish@gmail.com or call 678-316-1288

November Meeting Program

Our guest speaker for the next Foothills meeting on November 10th is David Vinson. David is the Zone Wildlife Biologist working in the Chattahoochee National Forest, the Chattooga River and Blue Ridge Ranger Districts. His presentation will be "Forest Service Fisheries Initiatives in Northeast Georgia". Invite a friend to our meeting!

Foothills monthly meeting is Thursday, Nov 10th at the United Community Bank located at 468 W Louise St in Clarksville.
6-6:30p social time 7-8p Program

Chattahoochee River Headwaters Stream Restoration

Below you will find information information regarding a 319 request that will be submitted for this funding cycle on the Upper Chattahoochee. I spoke with Nathan and Dale about trying to replicate some of the 319 work we’ve been doing here in Habersham County. Much of our success can be directly attributed to establishing formal collaborative partners on key projects. In the next few days you’ll be receiving information about how to connect with this project. Please consider joining the effort.

Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks in advance for your help!

Steven Patrick
Agriculture & Natural Resources
County Extension Coordinator
University of Georgia Extension
Habersham County, Northeast District
(706) 754-2318 stevep@uga.edu



Dale Caldwell
Headwaters Watershed Protection Specialist
Chattahoochee Riverkeeper
C: 770-530-3961
www.chattahoochee.org
Keeping Watch Over Our Waters Since 1994!
 

Nacoochee Valley, Sautee Nacoochee

Summary and Site Location: In the Appalachian foothills of northeast Georgia, the headwaters of the Chattahoochee River flow through Sautee Nacoochee, an unincorporated community in the eastern central part of White County. Within the Nacoochee Valley and approximately 550 feet downstream of the confluence of Sautee Creek, a 250-foot section of a highly eroded and unstable outer bank of the Chattahoochee River results in heavy sediment pollution, negatively impacting habitat for desirable flora and fauna in a “303(d) listed for biotic impairment (Bio F)” section of the river, which is also located in a “Priority HUC-12 Watershed”. This erosion also causes channel deepening and widening, prohibiting floodplain connection. This disconnection starves the adjacent wetlands of water and exacerbates downstream flooding.

Proposal: Conduct a stream restoration project with the following goals:

·         Improve water quality by eliminating bank erosion and resulting sedimentation, contributing to the possible delisting of an impaired segment of the Chattahoochee River

·         Improve habitat for desirable flora and fauna

·         Reconnect the stream channel with its floodplain in order to reduce further instream channel erosion and downstream flooding, and to preserve adjacent wetlands

·         Restore an aesthetically pleasing landscape to its natural and pre-impacted state

This project will restore 500 linear feet of stream, using Natural Channel Design (versus hard armoring or rip-rap installation). Natural Channel Design techniques use best available science and engineering in order to effectively remedy streambank erosion rather than diverting the problem elsewhere in the channel, a result typically seen when hard armoring banks. This design will incorporate:

·         Appropriate channel dimension (cross-section), pattern (plan view), and profile (bedform)

·         Stable streambanks constructed at a low slope, with appropriate matting and native vegetation

·         In-stream structures (e.g., offset boulder cross vane, boulder cross vane, log vane, log/boulder J-hook, brush toe) to provide bank protection, grade control, streambed diversity, and improved habitat

·         Riffles and pools in the streambed to promote habitat and energy dissipation

·         Off-line pools constructed in portions of the remnant channel, in order to provide riparian habitat and flood storage