Georgia Rivers

The Chattahoochee was an "international river" Saturday as Georgia Rivers hosted 11 Refugee Women's Network members and six friends of Margie Cohen for the annual Margie Cohen Memorial Paddle on the Chattahoochee River. Women from Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Myanmar and more paddled from Morgan Falls to Paces Mill. This year, Georgia Rivers has provided four on-water experiences for Refugee Womens Network members and their children with trips and kayak training on Lake Allatoona, Yellow River, Etowah River and now the Chattahoochee River. Through a bequest from Margie Cohen, a early Paddle Georgia participant, the Summit Foundation supports these on-water adventures and Refugee Women's Network's efforts to engage recent immigrants and refugees in outdoor activities.

That's a wrap on the 2026 Georgia Rivers Gala! Thank you to everyone who sponsored, attended, donated, bid, bought raffle tickets, and helped create such an impactful evening.⁠
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Together, we raised $142,000 to protect and connect people with Georgia rivers and water trails - from the Chattahoochee River National Water Trail to the Okefenokee Wilderness Canoe Trail. Your support provides scholarships for underserved youth to experience kayaking, fishing, and camping on Georgia rivers.⁠
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We were especially excited to celebrate the Okefenokee’s designation as America’s newest World Heritage Site and honor the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for its work protecting the Okefenokee and Okefenokee Trail Ridge. ⁠
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Other honorees at the gala included Gail Priest, who was recognized for her dedication to the creation and promotion of the Dub Denman Canoe Trail on the Tallapoosa River; Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) for the legendary outfitter’s commitment to promoting publicly-accessible river recreation in Georgia; and Jim Butler of Butler Prather Trial Lawyers for his longtime support of Georgia Rivers.

The Muscogee Nation was acknowledged during the event as well to honor their history with Georgia waterways. Tracie Revis with Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative attended the gala and spoke on behalf of the partnership.

Check out the Georgia Rivers Gala album for more pictures!

With Rena Ann Peck

INFO REQUEST --> Georgia Department of Natural Resources seeks input from you about your outdoor recreation habits. Information from this survey will help guide the state in conserving outdoor recreation spaces and improving access to outdoor recreation opportunities.

Let them know how you are using the state's outdoor spaces! You must take the survey by October 2nd.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RGXTCXS?utm_campaign=&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

We are getting the Georgia Rivers Gala set up and ready for tomorrow! Thank you to Robin Conklin and the Conklin family for hosting us at their beautiful farm.

Pictured are Georgia Rivers Executive Director Rena Ann Peck and host Robin Conklin.

Don't forget to enter our raffle for a chance to win a Crescent Kayaks CK1 Venture Kayak or Cortland Line Company fly-fishing kit!

The CK1 Venture kayak provides a completely customizable platform for every kind of paddler. This kayak was designed to navigate a wide range of waterways with ease and versatility.

Another lucky person could win a complete 8′ 4-weight fly fishing outfit! The package includes a rod, reel, line, leader, net, carrying case, fly box, 8 flies, extra 3X leaders, and two sizes of nylon tippet.

The raffle drawing will take place on September 17 at the Georgia Rivers Gala. The winner of the boat doesn’t have to be present, but you must be present to win the fly fishing kit.

All raffle proceeds support Georgia Water Trails and river conservation.

https://rafflecreator.com/pages/55174/crescent-kayak-raffle-2026

The Georgia Rivers Gala is just around the corner. Thank you to our top sponsors!

All proceeds of this benefit will go towards protecting rivers in Georgia and getting people out on Georgia water trails.

A round of applause for Butler Prather Trial Lawyers, Georgia Power, Nantahala Outdoor Center, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Cox Enterprises!

Georgia Rivers Development Director Anna Calhoun will be competing in the Canoochee Paddle Race on October 3rd. We wish her luck 🛶 and can't wait to see her representing us!

https://www.griceconnect.com/local-news/aldebaran-outdoors-announces-return-of-the-canoochee-paddle-race-12640737?utm_source=Villager&utm_campaign=Content&utm_medium=Facebook_Graph&fbclid=IwY2xjawUWg01wZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR7bh0nrB9D2ce6ukIdbQkyeYQA9biXmj4A2JgfEFuhTeeriJGCLFt_v5ZD7pA_aem_OTD6VvlCta6QuJLNsDNNFQ