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Welcome to the BRWA
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Dedicated to the protection and management of the Broad River and its watershed in northeast Georgia.

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Float the Broad!
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Learn more about group activities, places to put in, and how to experience Northeast Georgia's great treasure.

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DEDICATED TO THE PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE BROAD RIVER AND ITS WATERSHED IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA.

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DONATE & JOIN

Visit the LEARN MORE button to go to the join, donate, or renew options for the Broad River Watershed Association. Stay connected to learn about and stay involved with activities and events.

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Land, Water, People

The Broad River Watershed Association (est. 1991) is a non-profit, regional land trust dedicated to the protection and management of the Broad River and its watershed in northeast Georgia.

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Mission Statement

To preserve the Broad River as a free-flowing river system and to support land use compatible with the maintenance of water quality, scenic rural character, and the preservation of sensitive natural and historic areas and wildlife habitat.

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About Us

The Land Trust is a community based organization providing creative resource management strategies by working with land owners and land management agencies, by accepting and managing conservation easements and donations of property, and by increasing public awareness.

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The River

The Broad River is among the last free-flowing rivers in Georgia. It flows south from its headwaters in Banks and Stephens Counties through Madison and Elbert Counties to its confluence with the Savannah River at the Clarks Hill/Strom Thurmond Reservoir. The Broad River is critical to the health and economic well-being of the citizens of northeast Georgia. It provides drinking water for the cities of Royston and Franklin Springs and it is an industrial and agricultural water supply for the region.

The Watershed

The Broad River Watershed is approximately 944,000 acres and includes parts of thirteen counties: Banks, Clarke, Elbert, Franklin, Habersham, Hart, Hall, Jackson, Lincoln, Madison, Oglethorpe, Stephens, and Wilkes. Though parts of Lincoln and Hall Counties are technically in the watershed they are generally not included in the study area for watershed projects. Only a small sliver of Hall County (if that) drains into the Broad and the parts of Lincoln County that are in the watershed drain directly into Clarks Hill Reservoir. See Maps
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The Threat

The Broad River Watershed is in better condition than a lot of Piedmont rivers, but its threats are not taken lightly by its residents. Agricultural non-point source pollution, effluent from septic systems, landfill leachate, litter, construction in the floodplain, riverbank erosion, destruction of the vegetative buffer, lack of tributary protection, and poorly planned development all pose threats to the river. Additionally, lack of public access to the river encourages trespassing which contributes to the degradation of river banks and destruction of vegetation.
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