Calling for the preservation of at least the top 10 of Georgia’s unspoiled rivers by 2010, Georgia PIRG has launched a campaign to Save Our Outstanding Rivers.

“Our last great rivers are among our state’s most beloved places,” said Georgia PIRG’s Jill Johnson. “They provide clean drinking water, popular sites for fishing, camping and hiking, and a home to a rich diversity of aquatic species.”

But dirt, oil and runoff pollution from rampant development has put even the most pristine of these waters at risk. More than 3,200 miles of our rivers have already been deemed too polluted for fishing and swimming.

Fortunately, the state has strong laws on the books that would allow the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to preserve and protect unspoiled waters.

Georgia PIRG’s Save Our Outstanding Rivers campaign is calling on the Georgia Board of Natural Resources to use these laws to extend immediate protections to priority rivers, including the headwaters of the Conasauga and Jacks Rivers.