MILLION-DOLLAR MARKETING IN ALL PRICE RANGES

her time as riverkeeper: From finding common ground with then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich on cleaning up the Chattahoochee and finding an ally in former Mayor Shirley Franklin to the early days of the tristate water war and a perilous paddle with former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt.

"I wrote this with the goal of helping waterway. A 15-mile stretch of the river had to be closed when E. coli readings spiked.

Bethea said Atlanta has made a remarkable turnaround in the last three decades when its crumbling infrastructure turned the Chattahoochee into a running sewer. But more work needs to be done.

"Atlanta was failing spectacularly in the '90s, but I would give them an overall grade of B now," she said. " In terms of sewers, I'd give them an A. They are complying with federal deadlines and continue to properly maintain the wastewater system. Stormwater runoff and flooding are issues the city still needs to work on."

The main takeaway from the book Bethea hopes is imparted to readers is to connect with nature, especially as climate change accelerates.

"I encourage people to find their own place to walk or visit regularly," she said. "Get to know it over the seasons, pay attention. It’s amazingly spiritlifting and fun and you learn a lot. In the frantic times we deal with, allowing yourself that opportunity to get out in nature can provide a lot of solace."

Upcoming book signings & events

■ Bethea will sign copies of “Keeping the Chattahoochee” at the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (chattahoocheeparks.org) on Aug. 15 at 7 p.m.