Paddling Through History Shines Spotlight On Etowah River

CARTERSVILLE, GA -- On Sunday, Oct. 9, the Coosa River Basin Initiative will give local residents a chance to discover more than 1,000 years of human history in the Etowah River Valley during its Paddling Through History event.

The event, a fundraiser to generate support for CRBI and its efforts to protect the Etowah River, will be held at Valley View Farm in Cartersville.

Paddling Through History begins with a tour of the historic farm, a circa 1848 plantation home that was occupied by Union troops during the Civil War. After the tour, patrons will stroll to the river for a six-mile paddle trip from the farm to Euharlee.

Along the way, they’ll paddle over 1,000-year-old rock dams built by the area’s original inhabitants. Native Americans used these rock weirs to capture fish, and dozens of them cross the Etowah between Cartersville and Rome.

A catered dinner by Johnny Mitchell’s Smokehouse will be served in the courtyard of the historic Valley View home following the paddle. The after-dinner program will include a kayak giveaway courtesy of Cedar Creek Park.

“This is an event that we’ve held for several years and it is always a crowd pleaser,” said CRBI Membership and Event Coordinator Shira Kerce. “It shows just how important a role the river has played in our history from Native American culture to the Civil War to the present day.”

Tickets to the event can be purchased online at www.coosa.org. The suggested donation is $75 or $130 per couple and includes canoe/kayak rentals for the paddle, dinner and beverages, a chance to win a new recreational kayak, and a year’s membership in CRBI. Only 75 tickets to the event will be sold. The event begins at 1:00 p.m. and runs through the early evening.

CRBI is a 501c3 non-profit organization and member of the international Waterkeeper Alliance. Its mission is to inform and empower citizens to protect, preserve and restore North America’s most biologically diverse river basin.

For more information, contact Shira Kerce at 706-232- 2724 or skerce@coosa.org.

---

Image via CRBI