Chattahoochee River

The past few years saw the Chattahoochee River become a serious issue to all the people who live in its drainage basin. The unusual practice of defining the Georgia border to be the illusive high water mark of 1856 has created confusion and a myriad of problems for over 100 years and continues today. Valley gets all of its water from the Chattahoochee and discharges its used, treated water back into it. Access to and use of the Chattahoochee River Basin is vital to the city of Valley. Drought conditions caused heightened awareness that this water source was limited. Three states - Alabama, Georgia, and Florida - are involved in a tremendous effort to reach an out-of-court settlement that specifies how each state will use and preserve this important source. This consortium has been a shaky alliance from its beginning. Great attention will continue to be paid to the river and the ongoing " river wars " currently being fought.

The City of Valley’s interest in the river was enhanced as a result of a study that was completed in 1999. The DesignAlabama group - a team of professional architects, planners, and engineers - carried out a detailed study of the city. The intention was to have the resources within Valley identified and a broad plan put into place to develop those resources. One major resource that was identified was the Chattahoochee River. This and other resources were meant to be the basis of Valley’s first formal Ten-Year Plan.

The Valley City Council accepted the idea of river development and took actions to develop its three river properties. A professional architect was hired to create overall development plans for the Old Shawmut Airport, the Langdale Boat Landing, and the RiverView Boat Landing properties. Funds received from surplus property sales were dedicated for developing these areas. The council passed a resolution officially identifying the river as a major resource and tourism as a real industry that needs to be developed. A council member was named to represent the city in river-related matters and to bring any commitments back before the council for approval. In addition, 10 city officials were sent to a special summit in Eufaula that was organized by Voyage of Discovery, a tri-state group whose purpose is to promote and protect the Appalachi-Chattahoochee-Flint rivers. Valley had more participants there than any other city from the three states. Since the Eufaula ACF River Summit, the Voyage of Discovery’s Board of Directors elected council member Arnold Leak to its Board, thus giving Valley a place at the table and realizing one of Valley’s many river-related goals.

In the coming years, Valley will continue to develop contacts and relationships with other governmental entities that have similar interests. It is hoped that city and county governments in both Alabama and Georgia will join in with a new group that is being organized. The Middle Chattahoochee River Stewards, Inc., a private non - profit corporation, will concentrate on the Chattahoochee River from the base of West Point Dam to the northern-most reaches of Lake Harding. The City of Valley will work on its river properties while coordinating river issues through the new organization. An ex-officio member of the MCRS Liaison Committee represents the Valley City Council to ensure good communication between the city government and the corporation on all river matters. Many contacts have already been made, including discussions with Voyage of Discovery and the Chattahoochee River Keepers organizations.

The city initiated formal development of these areas 2 years ago by earmarking proceeds from surplus land sales for architectural plans for each of the three proprieties. In 2000, the city contracted with Pearson Landscape Architecture to produce a conceptual design as a basis for a Valley Riverfront Master Plan. The plan was presented to the council this year, thus completing the first phase of development for the city river properties. Volunteers are needed for this project. Valley citizenship is not required to work as a volunteer. Call City Clerk Martha Cato, @ 334-756-5228, to offer your time and services.