No nonprofit organization achieves their mission alone. The support of the community is an absolute necessity and that support is not just financial, though financial support is crucial. Flint Riverkeeper is thankful for the diverse array of for-profit partners supporting our fight to protect the habitat, water quality, and flow of the Flint River. KUDU Grills and Founder Stebin Horne are one such company and their support over the last year has contributed to funds raised for our mission and outreach to the community.

Flint Riverkeeper's annual Knobby Knees Music Festival is June 12 and this is a great opportunity for your company to join us in protecting the Flint River. For more information on how you can support FRk and our mission as a for-profit company, click here or email Henry Jackson (henry@flintriverkeeper.org).

Knobby Knees Music Festival returns to downtown Albany on June 12 with Athens-based Futurebirds as headlining performer! 7 bands will perform from 2pm-Midnight, food and drink vendors will be on site, and all proceeds from this event directly support our mission! Tickets are available for presale on May 1 and will be sold at the gate on the day of the event. Kids 12 and under are free!

Erosion is a natural process and flowing waters should contain sediment, but the Environmental Protection Agency estimates only 30% of sediment is our rivers and streams is there naturally. 70% of sediment in our waterways is there because of human disturbance of lands surrounding the watershed. The most common releases come from construction sites. Even relatively minor projects such as a swimming pool or room addition to disturb the soils enough to cause a major impact on a local stream or river during a rain event. Federal law requires contractors to implement sediment control practices, such as silt fences, to prevent stormwater carrying dirt into nearby waters.

Management practices for controlling sediment are not always effective and FRk is constantly on the lookout for sites with failing silt fences and other problems so the issues can be quickly corrected. Also, changes to the landscape conducted by a property owner instead of a professional can also be a source of significant sediment entering the river. Flint Riverkeeper recently succeeded in our enforcement actions against a landowner in Meriwether County who had bulldozed a large section of the riverbank, removing native vegetation and topsoil, and exposing the clay layer to rainfall. This violation released large amounts of sediment into the Flint River just upstream of the Fall Line shoals, a crucial section of river habitat that must be protected at all costs. After FRk filed a report with the Environmental Protection Division, the landowner was fined $6,000 for damage to the bank and river and is required to develop and implement a plan to correct the destruction.

Too much dirt in the river has a direct affect on the life within. Murky waters block sunlight and aquatic plants which keep the water clean and provide habitat for the small organisms supporting all life in the river cannot grow. This reduces available food for target species like shoal bass and populations will decline. The muddy water will also clog the fish's gills and make it extremely difficult for them to breathe the oxygen dissolved in the water. Lastly, shoal bass make their beds in the rocky substrate along the river bed in the Fall Line shoals. If this gravel is covered in mud due to large amounts of sediment entering the river upstream, the fish will not be able to bed and reproduction will cease. If you witness muddy water flowing into the river or running off of a construction site, please contact FRk immediately so an investigation can begin. Too much sediment is a significant problem, it is not just dirt in the river.

May 8/9 - Mother's Day Shoal Lily Paddle - Click for More Information and for Registration.

Our annual Mother's Day paddle to view the shoal spider lily is back! This year, two trips will be offered so paddlers can choose the length of trip and technicality of waters they are comfortable with. FRk members can attend for free but must register and there will be a $10 charge for rented equipment. Non-members are welcome to join the trip for $45 and an additional $10 charge for rented equipment.

Adopt-A-Stream training is a full day workshop offered quarterly by Flint Riverkeeper. Trainings take place across the watershed. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer email RJ about our next training workshop! Location TBD!

Seven acts playing from 2pm-Midnight, Flint Riverkeeper's annual music festival is back! Local favorites and national touring talent will grace the stage while you kick back and relax outdoors with food from local vendors and ice cold beer from Pretoria Fields! The full lineup will be announced SOON and tickets will be available for general admission and VIP.

Lead by local historian and FRk Emeritus Board Member and Past President David Dixon, this half-day paddle is a fascinating experience exploring water treatment in the city of Albany, an old shipwreck, and much more!

Adopt-A-Stream training is a full day workshop offered quarterly by Flint Riverkeeper at our office in Albany, GA. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer but live at another part of the watershed send RJ and email and he will work with you to organize a training in your area.