Future of the Flint program Aug. 19

Learn about The Future of the Flint River Tuesday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Pike Auditorium. Executive director of The Flint Riverkeepers Gordon Rogers will discuss issues facing the Flint at the legislative and local level. Rogers says the Flint River is the second most endangered river in the U.S. and plans are being discussed to place three dams on the river by 2035. ’This is our river. This is our water source, our recreational outlet, our scenic beauty and we need to be proactive in protecting her,’ said local master gardener Anna Evans. ’A dam would definitely impact us here in Pike County. They tried it once in the 1970s and it looks like they never put those scrolls away. Mr Rogers is coming to tell us many other things. One fact that he will bring out is that Atlanta is the largest city on the smallest drainage basin in the United States. The city of Atlanta needs water if it is to continue to grow and they are not likely to continue to get increased withdrawal permits from the Chattahoochee because of the Georgia-Alabama-Florida water wars. Atlanta can’t grow without water. So everybody that lives in the Flint River drainage basin or has a love for this river needs to come to hear this entire message. Please bring family and friends. Inform yourself, don’t wait to be surprised and angered by things that the government is planning for the Flint River. We must protect it.’’It’s fundamentally alarming to see rivers running dry in the eastern part of the country,’ said Ben Emanuel of American Rivers. ‘In the last decade in the upper Flint region, the river has reached alarmingly low flows and major streams have been dewatered throughout drought and non-drought years.’The Flint Riverkeepers monitor legislation that could affect the Flint River and any of its tributaries. They also help maintain the river’s beauty by sponsoring regular canoe and kayak trips to remove trash from the river. They listen to citizen concerns about what is happening along the river. Evans said Rogers presented a program about the river earlier this year. ’I had no idea it was the second most endangered river in the U.S. He told us many other things, such as Atlanta is the largest city on the smallest drainage basin in the U.S.,’ said Evans. ‘The city needs water and it isn’t likely to get an increase from the Chattahoochee because of the Georgia-Alabama-Florida water wars. There aren’t many spaces left to put lakes and the city can’t grow without water. We only recover 60% of the water used from the Flint. That’s really low compared to other rivers.’ The Future of the Flint River program is being sponsored by United Bank, the Pike Agribusiness Authority, Concord Garden Club, Pike Lion’s Club, Pike Kiwanis Club, Pike Chamber of Commerce, McIntosh Trail Master Gardeners, Citizens to Promote Pike, The Wednesday Market and A Novel Experience bookstore.