for

Recreation and Service on the Etowah

BY LAINE KIRBY WOOD

Consider yourself lucky that you live in the Upper Etowah watershed. Not only is it biodiverse, it is beautiful. The Etowah is a great source of recreation for fishers, kayakers and tubers, and new launch locations soon are coming to Cherokee County. Additionally, both reservoirs in our watershed are great for paddling, fishing or picnicking.

Hickory Log Creek Reservoir

The Etowah supplies drinking water for the five counties it flows through, as well as a significant number of Cobb County residents, by way of the partnership between Canton’s Hickory Log Creek Reservoir and the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority. Water is pulled from the river close to the I-575 bridge at Exit 20 (the red brick building) and helps to fill the reservoir, to ensure there is adequate water during drought conditions. The reservoir is open to the public for fishing, kayaking and canoeing. No motorized vessels or swimming are allowed, making it safe for novices to paddle. It encompasses 411 acres at full pool, with 15 miles of shoreline, and it is surrounded by a 15-foot buffer. It holds 5.77 billion gallons of water and supplies 44 million gallons per day.

A day-use fee of $5 is collected onsite off Bluffs Parkway in Canton, or a $50 annual pass can be purchased at the permitting office in Canton City Hall, Room 219. www.cantonga.gov/ government/departments/reservoir.