West Atlanta Residents Restore Proctor Creek, Conserve Water, and Revitalize their Neighborhoods

Jan. 21, 2011 - PRLog -- The West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA), Community Improvement Association, and Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper are hosting a Rain Barrel Workshop for residents in the English Avenue/Vine City communities on Saturday, January 22, 2011 followed by a citizen-led clean-up of a tributary of Proctor Creek in Northwest Atlanta.

Georgia’s historic drought and ongoing water supply concerns have continued to bring attention to the importance of water conservation and water-smart landscape and gardening practices. A properly installed and maintained rain barrel can save a homeowner up to 1300 gallons of water during the three summer months alone. The workshop will cover: water issues in metro Atlanta, how to save water in your home and garden, and how to maintain and install a rain barrel. Participants will receive a free 60-gallon rain barrel, courtesy of Coca-Cola, that they will assemble and take home.

The creek clean-up will rid a tributary of Proctor Creek along Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard of illegally dumped trash, debris, and scrap tires.  Proctor Creek is one of the most environmentally impaired creeks in the metro Atlanta area, and the Proctor Creek Watershed has been a focal point for WAWA's environmental justice and community revitalization efforts for over ten years. The cleanup will be the English Avenue community near Lindsay Street Baptist Church on the corner of Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard and Lindsay Street. Registration will take place in the church parking lot at 550 Lindsay Street N.W., Atlanta 30314.

Saturday’s events are a part of a series of neighborhood restoration initiatives that include weekly sampling and monitoring of bacteria levels in Proctor Creek and community workshops to rain educate residents about protecting water quality and conserving water. Since the start of the series in 2010, 35 English Avenue/Vine City residents have been trained as Proctor Creek Watershed Monitors, and over 5,000 pounds of trash and debris have been removed from Proctor Creek and its tributaries.  

Facilitated by WAWA, with support from Environmental Community Action (Eco-Action) and the Georgia River Network , the overall project is funded, in part, by the Turner Foundation.  Other project partners have included the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness, the Office of District 5 Fulton County Commissioner Emma Darnell, Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA EPD), and the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management.

Members of the Community Improvement Association, a citizen’s group based in and made up of residents from the English Avenue/Vine City communities, are playing a leadership role with WAWA in providing technical skills training and the creation of Proctor Creek Watershed restoration projects to engage Northwest Atlanta residents in improving the environmental health of their neighborhoods.

WHO:   West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, English Avenue Community Residents,          
                    Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper

WHEN:   Saturday, January 22, 2011
   10:00 am – Noon (Rain Barrel Workshop)
   1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (Proctor Creek Clean-up)

WHERE:    Rain Barrel Workshop - 435 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd, Atlanta, GA 30314      Creek Clean-up – 550 Lindsey Street N.W. Atlanta, GA 30314

The mission of the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance is to to improve the quality of life for residents in West Atlanta by protecting, preserving, and restoring our community's natural resources.

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The mission of the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance is to to improve the quality of life for residents in West Atlanta by protecting, preserving, and restoring our community's natural resources.