steve houghton

Self-Love Overflows

Contributor: Aminta Liu
Stream Name: Etowah River

Silver River

Contributor: Alicia Windham
Stream Name: Silver River
Location: Marion County, FL

These are photographs from the pristine Silver River in North Central Florida. It contains one of Florida’s 1^stmagnitude springs and has one of the largest artesian springs in the world. The river’s entire length is surrounded by Silver Springs State Park which protects it from development. It is a wonderful habitat for manatees, wading birds and other wildlife. Not only is the Silver River a great place for canoeing and kayaking but also provides a perfect educational venue where the general public can learn about the river environment. With the ongoing degradation of nearby coastal and riverine systems, some manatees are seeking healthier habitats with abundant food and clean water like the Silver River. Healthy riverine systems such as these are necessary to the survival of animals such as manatees. Given the interconnected nature of our river systems, Florida residents, legislators and environmental managers need to continue to work together to restore the ecological balance of all our waterways and to provide suitable habitat for its wildlife.

Swimming is strictly forbidden in the Silver River, the underwater shots were taken with a point-and-shoot camera held over the side of a boat.

Flint River Smiles – Paddle Georgia

Contributor: Anne Ledbetter
Stream Name: Flint River
Location: GA

Sometimes, rivers just make people happy. I went on Paddle Georgia this June on the Flint River. Organizers pared down participation from a usual 300 to 400 participants to around 30 due to Covid, thereby making the trip a much more intimate experience. Another wonderful aspect of the trip was camping right by the river.

This week was a first for me, I had been a very tight quarantine bubble, focusing on keeping my 94 year old dad safe. The trip was a release, providing hope of returning to “normal”.

It was the joy of hanging out with people and being with someone long enough to get into interesting conversations. I have this wonderful appreciation of folks, both new friends and old. I love those silly little running jokes and random observations you hear from people that would not translate in any other situation but that very moment.

At one point I was hanging out with folks on a sandbar, we had pulled over for a hang out and a swim. Well, I started laughing and laughing an uncontrolled laugh that I had not had since the start of Covid. I felt all that Covid stress and anxiousness drift away. I felt a bit normal and comfortable and realized I would indeed be able to relax and just be with people in a post Covid world. I think it would be hard to mend and heal like this in any place but on the water.

Fish Weirs on the Etowah

Contributor: Steve Houghton
Stream Name: Etowah River
Location: Bartow County, GA

I love running the Etowah on a paddleboard, and the section from Euharlee to Hwy 411 is one of my favorites. The river here is Class 1 with small, easy rapids. Most of the rapids are caused by Native American fish weirs. The weirs are rocks piled into a v-shaped funnel that would concentrate fish in the narrow, downstream end. At the water level today, I was able to run all the rapids without catching my fin on any rocks. I have a single 2.5 inch whitewater fin on my NRS board. This section is often only a few feet deep in places and it’s great fun on a paddle board to be able to see the bottom. There are often large numbers of fish too. I saw a gar today that was at least three feet long, so big that it startled me a bit. The fish seem to congregate in the rapids and I sometimes find myself distracted from picking my way through the rocks because I’m watching the fish.

Looking back upriver at the Euharlee power plant towers

Light on Bell Creek

Contributor: Anne Ledbetter
Stream Name: Bell Creek
Location: Towns County, GA
Watershed: Tennessee River

Steve and I had planned to do a long hike from a friend’s house, but, when I started to get a migraine, the day took an unexpected turn. Instead of a strenuous hike, we decided to follow a creek and spend our time exploring and enjoying nature.

The stream dropped sharply from a high ridge and presented numerous cascades. These images capture the effects of great sunlight on moving water.

Looking for a Leak

Contributor: Anne Ledbetter
Stream Name: Poplar Creek
Location: Cobb County, GA (map)
Watershed: Chattahoochee River

I monitor Poplar Creek’s water quality for Cobb County. One of my neighbors, who has the creek in her front yard, alerted me to a change to the creek — the water was orange.

Orange is never a good color for a creek.

Notice the silty color at the top of the photo. Time to investigate…

I headed upstream, and within a quarter of a mile, the water looked like it had a higher concentration of silt.

Making progress. It looks like the silt is coming from the left side of the creek.

This is the pipe that was feeding the dirty water into Poplar Creek. I scrambled up a hillside, but came to railroad tracks and a fenced industrial area.

This seemed like a one-time event because the pipe was dry.

Cobb County Authorities always do a great job of coming out and checking on problems. So I called them and gave them the info I had gathered. Cobb county investigated but since it had been a one time event they were unable to find the source and follow up with anything. The good part though is now there is a record of the event so if it happens again there will be more information to correct the problem.

Rottenwood Creek Cleanup

Contributor: Anne Ledbetter
Stream Name: Rottenwood Creek
Location: Cobb County, GA (map)
Watershed: Chattahoochee River

Stacy Haire and Tim Phillips reached out to Mike Kahle with Cobb County Adopt-A-Stream about an illegal trash dump on Rottenwood Creek. Mike quickly organized a clean-up to prevent further damage as the trash would spread downstream with the next heavy rain.

Critters in a Corner

Contributor: Anne Ledbetter
Stream Name: Rottenwood Creek
Location: Cobb County, GA (map)
Watershed: Chattahoochee River

These images come from Bob Callan trail. This 3-mile paved trail feels quite urban at times as it runs under roads and past office buildings, but it also offers a remote, natural feel too . The trail parallels Rottenwood Creek to its confluence with the Chattahoochee River.