
With summer temperatures continuing across Northwest Georgia, the Coosa River Basin Initiative is reminding residents to check water conditions before swimming, paddling or enjoying area rivers and lakes.

With summer temperatures continuing across Northwest Georgia, the Coosa River Basin Initiative is reminding residents to check water conditions before swimming, paddling or enjoying area rivers and lakes.

Residents planning to swim, paddle, or play on area waterways this weekend are encouraged to check water quality before heading out.
The Coosa River Basin Initiative is once again offering its 2026 Swim Guide, which tracks bacteria levels at 29 monitoring sites across the Coosa River Basin through Labor Day weekend. That includes monitoring of the Chattooga River.
Courtnee Davenport, Outreach Programs Manager for CRBI, says water samples are tested for harmful E. coli. Results are posted each Friday at coosa.org. Sites marked green indicate low E. coli levels and are considered suitable for recreation, while red sites show high levels and mean visitors should use extra caution or avoid the area.
Davenport says bacteria levels often rise after heavy rainfall, and swimmers should wait 24 to 48 hours after a rain event before getting into area rivers and lakes.
The Coosa River Basin Initiative works to protect, preserve, and restore the upper Coosa River basin.

The Coosa River Basin Initiative’s Swim Guide will return for the summer season beginning Memorial Day weekend.

The public is invited to a free documentary screening Monday at the DeSoto Theatre in downtown Rome, focusing on PFAS contamination in the South and its impact on Northwest Georgia.

As warmer weather settles into Northwest Georgia, the Coosa River Basin Initiative is gearing up for another season of water safety monitoring ahead of the busy summer months.

The Coosa River Basin Initiative is keeping lines of communication open with local legislators on several water-related issues during the 2026 session of the Georgia General Assembly.