News
Athens-Clarke Partners with Upper Oconee Watershed Network to Mark Streams
Jun 13, 2005 by Cail Hammons
New signs at stream crossings will help build public interest in water protection
Several Athens-Clarke County (ACC) departments have partnered with a local water protection group to increase public knowledge of area streams through new signage. ACC Public Utilities and the Transportation and Public Works departments worked with the Upper Oconee Watershed Network (UOWN) to place signs where local roads cross over streams or creeks. The new signs bear the name of the stream on a blue background.
Initially, sixteen signs are being installed along Trail Creek and its two major branches. Trail Creek originates where two smaller creeks, the East Fork Trail Creek and West Fork Trail Creek meet in the northern portion of Clarke County. On its way to the North Oconee River at Dudley Park, the creek passes underneath the Athens Loop 10, Vine Street, and East Broad Street, often times unnoticed by motorists on the road above.
“Many of these crossings are in the shape of culverts of pipes, so motorists may not even realize that they are passing over a creek,” explains stormwater education coordinator Cail Hammons.
The idea for the streams signs project originated with UOWN board member, Gerald Walzer. As Walzer traveled abroad, he noticed stream signs were a regular part of the public landscape throughout several European countries. He brought the idea of pushing for stream signs at road crossings in Athens-Clarke to UOWN. The group worked to identify all of the locations within Clarke County where county maintained roadways pass over streams or creeks and contacted local government officials to get the project started.
For UOWN, the stream sign project represents an educational effort to help to create a sense of stream ownership within the community. “When people know the name of a stream they can make connections between that stream and the overall system of streams and rivers that make up our watershed,” explains UOWN president Jessica Sterling.
Both the Transportation and Public Works and the Public Utilities departments have worked with UOWN to create the pilot project that placed signs on Trail Creek crossings. The next step for the project is to gauge public interest in seeing these signs placed on stream crossings across the county. The group plans to conduct a public opinion survey later in the summer.
“Our hope is that the project will gain community support,” explains Sterling. “We would like to see these signs all across town.”
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Media Contacts: Cail Newsome Hammons Athens-Clarke County Transportation and Public Works (706) 613-3440 ext. 384
Jessica Sterling Upper Oconee Watershed Network (706) 338 9052
Tagged: upper oconee watershed, uown, water pollution prevention
