Georgia Watershed Conservation Foundation, Inc.

Purpose

The Foundation exists to protect human life, property, and public infrastructure downstream of dams and other water-retention structures in the watersheds of Georgia, by supporting the inspection, maintenance, rehabilitation, and safe operation of those structures and the mitigation of flood hazards.

It further exists to support fire-protection and emergency-response services in Georgia, including by preserving and improving access to water sources used for firefighting, and to protect freshwater resources, wildlife, and wildlife habitat, including through the control of erosion, siltation, and sedimentation and the promotion of environmental conservation and education.

Where we work

The Foundation’s purposes extend to the watersheds of Georgia. Its initial work is concentrated in the freshwater systems of north Georgia, among the most biologically diverse in North America. These include the Conasauga, Coosawattee, and Etowah rivers of the Upper Coosa basin, which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service describes as a hotspot for freshwater biodiversity, and the upper Chattahoochee.

Activities

• Grantmaking to support dam safety, inspection, and rehabilitation.
• Grantmaking to preserve and improve access to water sources used for firefighting.
• Wildlife and habitat conservation, including erosion and sedimentation control.
• Public education on watershed health, flood hazard, and freshwater resources.
• Capacity support for other conservation organizations working on the same problems.

Freshwater biodiversity

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Contact