On May 19, the Coosa River Basin Initiative (CRBI) and Todd and Dale Carroll of Rome will host a “Pig Paddle & Party” on the Etowah River to raise money to support CRBI’s continued efforts to create the 160-mile-long Etowah River Water Trail.
Funds generated at the event will support the construction of a new boat launch on the Etowah River at U.S. 411 near Kingston. CRBI expects to break ground on the river access point later this year. The facility will include a parking area and boat ramp and will serve as a critical link in the Etowah River Water Trail. Currently, there are no developed public access points between Euharlee and Rome—a distance of 27 miles.
Tickets are $75 per person or $130 per couple. Tickets include canoe/kayak rental and shuttle services, a year’s membership in CRBI, dinner, drinks and a raffle ticket to win the Cedar Creek Park kayak. Tickets may be purchased at www.coosa.org
The RSVP deadline is Tuesday, May 14. For more information, contact Joe Cook at 706-232-2724 or via e-mail at jcook@coosa.org
The paddle trip begins at 2 p.m. followed by the barbecue dinner and canoe raffle. The six-mile trip is suitable for beginners and takes in a beautiful section of the river that includes Native American fish weirs and rock islands and bluffs at Reynolds Bend.
Copies of the Etowah River User’s Guide published by the University of Georgia Press in partnership with Georgia River Network and CRBI will also be available for purchase at the event. The book is 163-page comprehensive guide to the Etowah River printed on waterproof paper perfect for on-river use.
In addition to the Carrolls, members of the host committee include Paul & Janice Carter, John & Ali Freeman, Edward & Rachel Graves, James & Debbie Lossick, Nina Lovel, Mary Lucchese, Joanne Smith, Sara Treadwell, Jean Turner, Tony & Gwen Tuck and Tracy and Virginia Harman.
CRBI is a 501c3 non-profit organization and member of the international Waterkeeper Alliance. Its mission is to inform and empower citizens to protect, preserve and restore North America’s most biologically diverse river basin.
