Camp Creek
Approximately 7,500 people in Habersham County drink water that
comes from Camp Creek. That’s roughly 20% of the county’s
population or one out of every five people. You may be one of
these people and don’t even know it.
Considering that
70% of our bodies are made of water it can be valuable to
understand where our drinking water comes from and how clean it
is. When you turn on the tap at home, the water you drink either
comes from surface water (such as from a lake or river) or from
groundwater which is water located deep underground. Most water
receives some treatment before coming out of your tap. The
treatment process removes small particles and kills bacteria in
the water.
If you purchase water from the City of
Cornelia then you drink, bathe and brush your teeth with Camp
Creek water every day.
Camp Creek is a relatively small stream
about 5 or 6 miles in length. It is considered an important
tributary of the larger Soque River Watershed, meaning that the
waters of Camp Creek eventually flow into the Soque River.
Camp Creek begins in Mount Airy and flows into the reservoir pictured above. It then passes
by Cornelia’s drinking water plant located on Camp Creek Road and
continues northward into the city limits of Demorest. In Demorest,
the creek is captured by another dam, that forms Demorest Lake
located behind Piedmont College. Below this dam Camp Creek merges
into its larger cousin, Hazel Creek.
Camp Creek, like all streams, begins at a
higher elevation, called its headwaters, and flows
downhill. On this downward journey, smaller creeks and drainages
merge with Camp Creek adding to its flow. The headwaters of Camp
Creek begin in Mount Airy. All the land on the north side of
Dick’s Hill Parkway in Mount Airy drains to Camp Creek, while on
the south side water drains to the upper Broad River. This road is
considered a major watershed divide.
The Camp Creek Reservoir captures all the
water in the upper watershed behind a 28 foot earthen dam. Built
in 1966, this reservoir was originally intended for flood control
and sediment removal. It originally held between 50 and 60 million
gallons of water. Since then about one-third of the lake has been
filled with sediment. What is the size of the reservoir? How many
acres or square miles are within the upper watershed?
October of 2003, the cities of
Cornelia and Mount Airy partnered with the Soque River Watershed
Association to conduct the first large scale clean-up of the Camp
Creek watershed.
The effort yielded over 4 tons of garbage
and included potentially toxic items such as gas cans, tires, and
milk bottles filled with motor oil. The team also discovered
exactly how much sediment and mud have washed into the lake.
Several volunteers fell into chest deep mud!
Camp Creek has its share of problems. One
concern is the notorious “Dip” on Wilson Road. This stream
crossing is located just above the head of Camp Creek Reservoir.
Each time a car drives through the water, oil from the bottom of
the cars is washed into our drinking water! This unfortunate
situation has earned this spot a nickname, "the Mount Airy
carwash."
We need your help!
Help this new partnership keep your drinking water
clean by telling friends not to litter, keep bare soil covered
with grass or mulch, and share information about Camp Creek with
others in the community. |
