For decades, the Chattahoochee River was too filthy for recreation. Now, things have changed. - Atlanta Magazine
Until recently, it wasn’t prudent to paddle a part of the Chattahoochee River south of Atlanta. The river was septic from sewage and sludge in the late 1960s. In 1994, a new nonprofit Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (founded by my mom) started to clean things up, sue polluters, and monitor the waterway’s condition. Gradually, the river began to reawaken.