Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

The Scientists in Parks Program is now accepting applications for the Summer 2021 Season. There are over 150 exciting internship opportunities in national parks across the country including Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area These paid internships contribute to natural resource management needs at parks with projects related to biological sciences, physical sciences, social sciences, and science communications/education. Please help us spread the word and share these SIP positions with interested candidates. A list of positions and how to apply can be found a https://www.nps.gov/subjects/science/scientists-in-parks.htm The application deadline is January 24, 2021. If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].

The wildlife disease called Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is affecting wild bird populations around the world, particularly waterfowl, raptors, and other avian scavengers. If you see a dead or oddly behaving wild bird along the Chattahoochee River, please contact the park at 678-538-1200. Let us know the type of bird (as described below), location, behavior, and date. For your safety do not touch dead or dying animals. The wild birds that are being infected invol...ve: * waterfowl, other water birds (wading, shorebirds), or gallinaceous birds (turkey, quail, grouse * raptors or other avian scavengers associated with a wild bird mortality event * waterfowl, raptors, or avian scavengers with neurologic signs (circling, jerky movements, unusual posture)

Are you looking for something fun to do after the Thanksgiving Feast? How about a going for a hike? The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area has more than 80 miles of hiking trails. Ranger Claire has a cute video from the Hewlett Lodge Visitor Center at the Island Ford location to give you some ideas.

This Thanksgiving, we would like to thank all our visitors, supporters, volunteers, and staff who make Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area such a special place. With more than 3 million visitors, the park is an amazing place for many to get outside and play. We are so thankful for everyone that recreates responsibly and practices the "pack it in, pack it out" motto to keep this park clean and inviting for all.

Ranger Claire has exciting news for those who would like to become Junior Rangers. Becoming a Junior Ranger is free and Ranger Claire will tell you all of the details to get started on your path to earning a coveted Junior Ranger Badge for the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Junior Ranger Booklets are also availble at the Park's Island Ford Visitor Center location. The Visitor Center is opened daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Often, other Federal Agencies request assistance in supporting their operations, as fire activity increases in western states, CRNRA was able to support this request by sending a Law Enforcement Ranger to Colorado for the Cameron Peak fire. Ranger Dottie assisted with security efforts by protecting the resources assigned to the fire, ensuring area closures, and occasionally chasing bears away from fire snacks left in the back of trucks. The Cameron Peak fire ignited on Augu...st 13 on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests near Cameron Pass and Chambers Lake. The East Thompson Zone Fire started on October 22 when the East Troublesome Fire spotted across the Continental Divide and became established in Rocky Mountain National Park between the Divide and Estes Park. The fires burned in heavy timber stands over rugged terrain. High winds combined with critically dry fuels drove fire growth. Cooler temperatures and widespread snow over the area has been dampening fire activity. The Cameron Peak fire turned into Colorado’s largest wildfire, with over 208 thousand acres burned and 458 structures lost. The fire is now over 90% contained. Image: Photo 1 - Black bear being chased away at The Stanley (D.V./NPS). Photo 2 - Partially burned out house, surrounded by snow and view of mountain range in back (J.Whaley/USFWS)

The Island Ford Visitor Center will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. Please enjoy the river and park trails, and we will reopen on November 27th. This closure is for the efficiency of the park as we traditionally experience low visitation on Thanksgiving Day. #recreateresponsibly

All park units and facilities have returned to their operational status prior to Tropical Storm Zetas visit. Thanks for your patience.

Today is Veterans Day. At 11am, "the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" the hostilities of World War I came to an end. Our work family, here at the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, has several prior service members. To all of the veterans, we send a note of appreciation! We want to thank everyone in our community that served, and send this note to our veterans employed here at the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area: Jennifer, Jerry, Robert, Tony, Rodney, Walter, Clinton, Frank, Brian, Otis, and Sheila. Photos: Courtesy of Clinton Morton, Walter Shelman, and Jerry Hightower

The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area is looking to retrieve the audio recording data from several devices removed from the park over the past several months. If you have seen a green box with two microphones tied to a tree, please return it as soon as possible so that we can retrieve the data. The data is important for the understanding of frogs and toad populations in the park. The devices can be brought to the Visitor Center at 1978 Island Ford Parkway, Sandy Springs, GA 30350 - no questions asked. If you prefer, please leave the device outside the Hewlett Lodge main entrance after hours. It is important the we get this data. Thank you for your help!

Roadways in the park have been cleared of downed trees and the units are now open. Drive with caution as there may still be small debris on the roads. The Island Ford Visitor Center remains closed as it is still without power. Stay tuned for additional updates. #RecreateResponsibly

Clean-up is underway from the remnants of Hurricane Zeta. Stay safe friends!

Today we are going to "chat" with Ranger Rodney and find out what he does at the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Rodney is extremely friendly and knowledgable about the park. Next time you come to the Visitor Center, please come in and say hello!

The water levels have dropped in the park so you should have no problems accessing any of the park units. Don't be surprised if you should find some silt deposits in the parking lots, roadways, and especially the boat ramps. Now's a good time to bookmark our Current Conditions web page at https://www.nps.gov/chat/planyourvisit/conditions.htm In the future you can check the water quality, flow rate, or water level before leaving for the park. #RecreateResponsibly

Due to recent rains from Tropical Depression Delta, flow rates and bacteria levels are at an unsafe level in the Chattahoochee River and its tributaries. Swimming and recreational boating is not advised until the flow rates and bacteria levels return to normal. Access to the Paces Mill, Whitewater, Johnson Ferry North, and Vickery Creek Parking Lots will be restricted due to high water levels. Access to the Gold Branch and Columns Drive will be restricted due to high water levels on roadways leading to these areas #RecreateResponsibly

National Public Lands Day is Saturday, September 26, 2020 and is a fee free day. National Public Lands Day was established in 1994 and is held annually on the fourth Saturday in September, National Public Lands Day is traditionally the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort. It celebrates the connection between people and green space in their community, inspires environmental stewardship, and encourages use of open space for education, recreation, and health benefits. T...his year, National Public Lands Day falls on September 26, 2020. National Public Lands Day is organized annually by the National Environmental Education Foundation, in cooperation with Department of the Interior, Department of the Army, and Department of Agriculture. The National Park Service is one of the event’s largest providers of sites and volunteers. Other participating federal agencies include the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, US Forest Service, and US Army Corps of Engineers.

Utility work at Johnson Ferry North has begun with clearing of trees in the 40' wide sewer line easement from Johnson Ferry Road to Morgan Falls Dam. Following the clearing of the easement a temporary access road will be built and trenching will begin for the new sewer line. Heavy equipment will be in use so please obey posted warning signs in the area. #RecreateResponsibly For more information about the project visit https://www.fcdiversion.com/

Good news about Paces Mill parking lot. The rain from Tropical Depression Sally had only a minor impact on the parking lot. Access to the lot has been restored so get out and have a safe weekend in the park. #RecreateResponsibly

Due to recent rains from Tropical Depression Sally, flow rates and bacteria levels are at an unsafe level in the Chattahoochee River and its tributaries. Swimming and recreational boating is not advised until the flow rates and bacteria levels return to normal. Access to the Paces Mill Parking Lot will be restricted due to high water levels. Use the Akers Mill Parking Lot for alternative access to the Palisades Unit west of the river. #RecreateResponsibly

Ranger Clinton Morton has been with the National Park Service for 19 years. In this video Ranger Clinton tells us about his work here at the park. We are spotlighting our team to help the community get to know more about why the CHAT is such an amazing place.

Today an army of volunteers descended upon the Chattahoochee River and surrounding lands to make this great river safer for all those who depend on it for clean water and recreational activities. This year marked the 10th anniversary of the annual community clean up called Sweep the Hooch. This event was organized by Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, National Park Service, and many other volunteer groups and individuals. Combined were a force to be reckoned with and made a dent in the amount of trash pollutants in the Chattahoochee Watershed. During the previous nine years of this annual event they had removed more that 113 TONS of trash with the help of more than 5,600 volunteers. How many tons of trash do you think they collected this year? Check back in a few days when the official weight from the trash has been recorded.