The ‘Horsepen Creek Improvement Team’ has been recognized as one of the recipients of Georgia Water Coalition’s 2023 Clean 13 Award. This award highlights and celebrates groups for their incredible work to promote, protect, and improve Georgia’s waterways.
Members of the ‘Horsepen Creek Improvement Team’ include: Camden County and its Department of Health, St. Marys River Management Committee, University of Georgia, GA EPD, Superior Septic, the watershed community of Horsepen Creek, and St. Marys Riverkeeper.
This project is a shining example of a successful public and private partnership that used the Clean Water Act to restore the health of a waterway and improve the health of the adjacent community who utilizes the river for recreation. Many partners from this project are now replicating this in the City of Homeland in Charlton County where GA EPD has identified Clay Branch and Hatchers Branch as impaired for fecal coliform from failing septic tanks.
Way to go TEAM! Your activation and dedication to protecting our waterways and public health is truly inspiring. I am hopeful that other counties will see this project as an opportunity to replicate it in their own communities and utilize the CWA for what it was designed to do – identify waterways with poor water quality and provide funding for projects to remediate and improve waterway health.
Read the full REPORT for all 13 recipients, GWC’s PRESS RELEASE, and the Tribune and Georgian newspaper article.
I would like to personally thank Rick Frey (Founding Riverkeeper), Anna Laws (past Riverkeeper), and St. Marys Riverkeeper Board Trustees (past and present) for their dedication to a healthy St. Marys River watershed and their diligent work in regularly testing the water quality of Horsepen Creek to quantify the positive impact from this project – 92% reduction in fecal coliform levels!
