A drastic reduction in staff at key federal agencies could harm the Chattahoochee River, according to river advocates. The water that flows through the faucets in your home very likely comes from the Chattahoochee, and the proposed cuts by the Trump administration could threaten your drinking water.
🚨 What We Know: Chattahoochee Riverkeeper warns that staffing cuts at the U.S. Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency, and National Park Service threaten critical water protection programs. Without these federal partners, Georgia will lose vital information needed to manage the river and ensure the water is clean and safe.
The Trump administration plans to close the USGS South Atlanta Water Science Center in Norcross, which provides essential river monitoring services.
🔍 What We Don’t Know: The timeline for these cuts and exactly how many positions will be eliminated remains unclear. We also don’t know what specific programs beyond BacteriAlert might face elimination.
💧 Why It Matters: More than 5 million people depend on the Chattahoochee River for drinking water. These federal agencies help detect pollution problems, enforce clean water laws, and provide real-time water quality information that keeps river users safe.
When Fulton County’s Big Creek wastewater plant failed in June 2023, the BacteriAlert program helped detect high bacteria levels and identify the source of contamination.
🔢 By The Numbers: Federal agencies have monitored bacteria levels in the Chattahoochee for 25 years through the BacteriAlert program. More than 30 million tons of toxic coal ash sit stored along the river’s banks, requiring ongoing monitoring.
🌊 In Context: BacteriAlert operates river sensors at three locations throughout the 48-mile Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. The program helps river users make informed decisions about water recreation by providing real-time water quality data.
⏭️ What’s Next: Chattahoochee Riverkeeper has sent letters to lawmakers urging them to reconsider closing the USGS center in Norcross. The organization continues to monitor potential rollbacks to the Clean Water Act and Georgia’s coal ash management program.
🙋 Take Action: Contact your representatives about how losing USGS programs like BacteriAlert would impact you. Visit the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper website for fact sheets and to find your legislators’ contact information.
❤️ Remember The Golden Rule: Clean water protects not just your own health but the wellbeing of all people and wildlife that depend on the river.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
