Citizens of the Week: Volunteers at Coahulla Creek

Published 8:00 am Friday, March 21, 2025

Volunteers gathered on four separate days during the past two weeks to plant trees along the banks of Coahulla Creek at the Prater’s Mill Historic Site. The effort was organized and led by the Limestone Valley Resource, Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council, a local nonprofit, and funded by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division with a grant from Clean Water Act funds.

“The overarching goal of the grant project is to improve the water quality in Coahulla Creek,” said Stephen Bontekoe, executive director of the Limestone Valley RC&D. “The volunteers helped strive toward this goal by taking part in the tree planting. Trees hold soil and stabilize the creek. A stable creek has less sediment (muddy waters) and makes for a healthier creek.”

The trees also assist in shading the stream which improves fish habitats, slows down algal growth and overall improves the stream.

Volunteers from numerous organizations such as Dalton State College, the University of Georgia, The Nature Conservancy, the Young Explorer Society and Whitfield County staff, as well as independent residents, installed trees.

“The physical efforts of planting trees will have a tangible impact, while their time creates matching value on the grant that allows for other projects to be funded by the state, such as improving agricultural runoff impacts and home septic repairs,” said Bontekoe.

For their efforts to improve Coahulla Creek, the Dalton Daily Citizen names these volunteers Citizens of the Week.