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- Info
Conasauga River ecosystem -based assistance study
| Author: |
Limestone Valley Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. |
| Date: |
1996 |
| Periodical: |
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service; Cooperative Agreement Number 68-4310-5-13 |
| Abstract: |
The Canasauga River Ecosystem-Based Assistance Study (EBA) is one of ten pilot projects funded nationwide in 1995 by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). These projects are exploring new approaches to the way the NRS assists landowners and managers in caring for natural resources. The process is people working together using scientific principles to sustain land productivity and human welfare. The project starts with people who have a stake in the study area working together to determine goals and strategies for protecting the study area. The study area is located in Northwest Georgia and Southeastern Tennessee in an area known as the Western Blue Ridge Mountains. The study area, defined by hydrologic boundaries, covers 190,000 acres including 59 miles of the Conasauga River. Chatsworth, Ga., the largest urban area, is located near the southeastern boundary of the study area. The Conasauga River is one of the most biologically diverse in the nation. The Limestone Valley Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc., (LVRCD) was contracted to conduct the study which utilized seven steps of a nine-step planning process used by NRCS. The first step was to establish a steering committee of local citizens to assist in problem identification and direct the study. The steering committee hired a project manager to perform the study under their supervision. The project manager then directed a series of agency and public meetings to identify local concerns. The process continued by assessing resources, defining goals and objectives, and selecting alternatives to meet the goals. Watershed resources were assessed to determine their current condition. The overall condition of the ecosystem is good. However, the riverine ecosystem is under pressure and could be in jeopardy. Several species of fish and mussels are on the federal threatened and endangered list, and aquifers in the area are susceptible to infiltration from surface land use. The care and use of natural resources are concerns. |
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