Georgia Natural Wonder #206 - Etowah River - Tunnel Section and Beyond. 1,201

[Top Row Dawg]

Georgia Natural Wonder #206 - Etowah River - Tunnel Section

Our 10th post on the waterways of this river will probably not be our last. Looking at the map, there are several tributaries with waterfalls and water features. We covered the run over Etowah Falls in our last post and we detailed our 8 previous Wonders in that 9th post (GNW #205). Today's post is interesting yet again because of man made engineering like several prior post on rock quarries, railroad passes, and so on.



The Etowah River runs through the heart of the Northern Georgia gold mining region. Dahlonega is recognized as the capital of Georgia gold, but it was the surrounding rivers and hills that actually provided the precious metal.


Etowah River up near Dahlonega.

We did a detailed tangent on the ghost town of Auraria with our last post.



Today we return there and float the Etowah River down to Highway 136.

American Whitewater


Map for today's float.

River Description

The 8.8 mile lower section of the Upper Etowah River is much flatter, with only Class I-II rapids, but it has pleasant woods and bluffs.



The put-in is on Castleberry Bridge, just west of the ghost town of Auraria.


Big Rocks at Castleberry Rapids above bridge, as noted in our last post. Good opportunity to get wet right off bat.

There was some gravel parking on either side of the bridge and lots of trash cans, but the actual launch site was rather rough.The action starts right away with a small rapid just beyond the bridge.


Small rapids, chances to chill.

It is a chance for you to test your whitewater skills before things get more exciting.



There are quite a few small shoals along this section.



The rapids between Castleberry Bridge and the tunnel can be a little scrappy below 200 cfs, though the Waterfall Section immediately upstream can be run smoothly a little lower. Other than about 4 rapids, the rest of the Tunnel Section is usually fine all year round and is essentially flat water.



Rivers Cave & Shoal - Just below Castleberry Bridge is the “cave” of the gold robber, Guy Rivers. Local legend holds that Guy earned his keep by stealing gold during the heyday of the region’s gold rush. High on the bluff here, you’ll see an overhanging rock that forms a cave-like structure.


Sample cave along Etowah downstream more.

This, it is said, is where Guy hid his ill-begotten loot.


Cave/Mine along ruins of mill up side creek of Etowah.

The legend of Guy Rivers persisted for years, but historians now agree that the tale is fictional.



An island blocks the river just below the entrance to the tunnel and is followed by a series of small shoals. Since much of the river’s flow is diverted here, these shallow shoals can be particularly nettlesome. 


This may be some of the bigger rapids above Castleberry Bridge.

Etowah Tunnel

The lower section also includes a truly unique feature: 3.5 miles below Castleberry Bridge, much of the river's flow disappears into a quarter-mile long abandoned mining tunnel on river left.



Mining Tunnel - On river left here you’ll find what is perhaps the most talked about feature on the Etowah - a cut that channels the bulk of the Etowah’s flow through a two-tenths of a mile tunnel. The flow re-enters the main channel of the river a mile downstream. The tunnel was begun in the 1890s in an effort to drain the Etowah to mine gold in the main channel that loops around this ridge, but wasn’t completed until 1932 when dynamite and jackhammers were used to finish the task. The gold deposits that were the expected reward of this ambitious endeavor never materialized.



The Etowah Mine Tunnel was a diversion tunnel. Miners built it to reroute water from a loop in the river where they thought there was gold. They built a dam across the river just below the tunnel so that all of the water would flow that way instead, leaving a dry river bed for mining. According to news reports it didn’t work and the miners didn’t find gold, but the river tunnel remains.



Today, a ride through the tunnel is a much sought after novelty, but one that should be undertaken with great care and only in medium to low flows. Look for a fast-moving stream running away from the river to the left and into a big hole in the side of the mountain: eddy out at the split to check for debris, strainers, etc.



Get out of your boat and look for the light at the end of the tunnel: if it beckons, even advanced boaters will enjoy the ride. If you can't see the light from the far end when scouting, or if it is partially blocked, avoid the tunnel and stay on the main river.



Dark, loud and wavy, the tunnel is an intimidating challenge for any first-timer. The upper half of the tunnel includes two waves sufficient to roll a boat: the lower half is generally flat water until the hole on the right at the tunnel exit. A rock on river right shortly below the exit can also be a hazard if you exit the tunnel out of control. If possible, safety dictates that you move downstream from the exit to the re-confluence with the main river in order to avoid danger from boats following through the tunnel.



It should not be attempted if the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel” cannot be seen or is obstructed. A small ledge in the middle of the tunnel provides added excitement. Local outfitters advise against it, saying “an entire outfitter store could be stocked with the gear lying at the bottom of that tunnel.”



There are slides in the tunnel (to correct the alignment of the crews working from each end to drill it), there's virtually no light and the noise is intimidating, so hang on, stay seated and keep your limbs in the boat for a fun ride.



There's also a hole at the end of the tunnel on river right and a potentially dangerous rock shortly below the tunnel exit, also river right.



Because the tunnel is extremely dark, it is important to leave enough time between boats so that anyone swimming in the tunnel can reach safety at the lower end. The tunnel is a challenge, especially at higher water levels, and first-timers should be in a group that includes someone who knows the tunnel.



According to Roger Nott 400 cfs is OK but on the high side for the tunnel. Be alert and keep your brace handy. To run the tunnel conditions have to be just right. If the river is too high you might not make it through. With the rough weather and Hurricane Ida on the way we had been keeping a close eye on river levels. If it’s too low, you could get stuck on rocks in the middle of the tunnel. There’s also the possibility that debris could get washed in and block the route.



Fortunately, conditions were right for us and we could see the opening at the end of the quarter mile long tunnel. Even so, we let Tim go first and stationed him at the end. George was at the entrance. We were all equipped with helmets and headlamps.

Take a trip.

One by one we entered the tunnel.



The rest of the trip passed without incident. The scenery continued to be spectacular.



There were several neat swimming holes and beaches where I would have loved to pull up and spend some time.



We passed an old abandoned house that looked like it was going to be swallowed by the river.



It was bordered by some of the most massive canes that I had ever seen. If I had been with my regular group we would have stopped to explore. At the very least I insisted on catching an eddy so that I could at least take a couple of photos. Beyond this were old bridge abutments.

Landrum/Bamboo

The wooden structure on river right is the remains of Jenkins Mill and the community of Landrum. Landrum is one of four settlements that formed along the banks of the Etowah in Dawson County’s “Big Savannah” valley during the 1800s. The mill, which was built prior to 1900, harnessed the river’s power to grind corn. Rock bridge piers just downstream mark the original crossing of the river in Landrum.



Like the mill, the bamboo stand next to it is another imprint of man on the landscape. Bamboo is a non-native introduced species, and the Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council includes it on its list of threats to Georgia’s natural areas. Bamboo can quickly take over habitat of native species and significantly alter ecosystems. It should not be confused with native river cane, a smaller cousin of the invasive bamboo. 



Zoo Atlanta, however, is making good use of Georgia’s invasive bamboos; the Zoo feeds them to its pair of giant panda bears who eat up to 220 pounds of the stuff each day.

Dog Hobble

On river right here is a good place to see dog hobble, a plant common to stream banks in the Southern Appalachians. Like its close relatives rhododendron and mountain laurel, this member of the heath family is an evergreen making it easy to identify during the winter months. In the early spring, it produces clusters of small, white bell-shaped blossoms.



Its common name is derived from its dense tangle of arching branches that make traveling through it a chore. Hunters will tell you that bears run through stands of dog hobble to distance themselves from pursuing hounds. The leaves and flower nectar are highly poisonous to both humans and animals. 

Highway 136 Bridge

The usual take-out is under the Highway 136 bridge. Both banks are steep enough to be a challenge when carrying a boat and other gear, and the designated roadside parking area is 100+ yards west of the bridge. Some roadside parking is available on the east (river left) side of the bridge, the climb is easier (or, more accurately, less difficult) on river left, and a gradually climbing path leads from the downriver side of the bridge to the roadside at the southeast corner.



Take out on either side of the bridge, depending largely on where vehicle is parked. The hill to the left is less difficult, but be careful of rocks at water's edge under the bridge.



Soon we were at the bridge where we would be taking out. The east bank was rocky with rip rap, the west bank at least had a sandy area where we could pull the boats. As with the put-in, the route to haul out our boats was steep and challenging, especially after a draining run like this.



Ralph H. Phillips
June 26, 2007

Floated the Etowah between Castleberry Bridge and GA 136 on 6/23/07. Haven't had much rain in this area for quite some time, but the river moved pretty good, only had a few times when my boat scrubbed and had to get out and walk a few feet. As said above, stay right at Sawyer's Island (I think it's the first island you come up on), the river to the left is completely blocked. I ran into two spots where a tree blocked the path of the river: one at the cave entrance and one not far above the 136 pull-out.



Both are pretty easy to get over. Even at low water levels, the waterflow thru the cave is very quick and deep enough. The ride thru the cave is not one to be missed, one of my best experiences on the river. But be prepared, it is very dark in there. A headlamp may not be a bad thing to have with you.



Directions:

To reach the access at Castleberry Bridge, take Castleberry Bridge Road west about a mile from Auraria Road (the turn is at the largely abandoned town of Auraria, 6.7 miles north of Highway 136: look for a 'historical site' marker on the left or an old, brown, abandoned hotel building on right) or east about 3.1 miles from Highway 9 (the turn from Highway 9 is 5.1 miles southwest of the put-in or 2.1 miles north of Highway 136 (turn just past the tall water tank on the right)). Roadside parking is available and the access is down the path at the northwest corner of the bridge.



To reach the Highway 136 take-out, follow Highway 136 west from Highway 400 or the south end of Auraria Road or east from Highway 9. The designated parking area is roadside and west of the bridge, at the end of the long guardrail on the north shoulder of the road: parking is also available on the other three corners of the bridge. Be careful, as traffic on Highway 136 tends to move fast and lines of sight are limited.



Before we leave today's Wonder, I present images from the site that described today's float where I weaved her commentary in with American Whitewater details.





The helmet camera.



Etowah River Trail

Now we are through with today's float and Wonder, but it was short compared to recent post. So many counties involved so no tangents there. We did find this Etowah River Trail that detailed all the floating down toward Rome. So we touch on the highlights of the rest of the Etowah, but some of these may be separate Wonders one day.



Gold Dredge - Imagine a 90-foot long, 25-foot wide boat on the river here. Hard to imagine, but sitting on the river bottom near here are the remains of a wooden dredge barge that operated in this section of river from the 1890s through the 1920s. The barge dug sand and gravel from the river bottom in hopes of extracting gold. To move up river, the barge employed wenches tied to riverside trees. Powered by a steam engine, the wenches would pull the behemoth up river and the shovels of the dredge would deepen the river as it went. The barge met its demise when one riverfront property owner denied the barge operators use of his trees.


Modern day dredge.

Oxbow Cutoff and Big Savannah - On river right is a feature unusual to North Georgia rivers - an oxbow lake like those so common to coastal plain rivers of South Georgia. Though not visible from water level, the pasture beyond the bank holds the shallow lake that was cut off as the Etowah carved a straighter course through this Dawson County valley known as “Big Savannah.”  Some 2.5 miles long and nearly a mile wide, the Savannah is perhaps the most distinctive bottom lands in the county.



Cow Fence - A unique tire fence across the mouth of this creek on river right serves to keep cattle out of the river. Unfortunately, the cattle appear to have free reign within the tributary. When livestock congregate around streams, they contribute to bank erosion and when they defecate, they contribute to elevated bacteria levels. It should come as little surprise then that in 2010 Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division identified the next eight miles of the Etowah as “polluted” due to high bacteria levels.



Corn Maze - On river left is Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze, a local attraction established in 2002. The maze boasts of 12 acres of corn with some four miles of winding paths. It can take as little as 30 minutes or as long as two hours to complete the challenge. Humankind has built mazes and labyrinths for centuries - most notably during the European Renaissance when puzzle hedges were designed in estate gardens to amuse the aristocracy. Since the 1980s this art form has experienced a second renaissance. The first corn maze in the U.S. was cut in 1993 and since then their popularity has grown at an amazing rate. In 2008, those that keep track of such things estimated that there were more than 800 in the U.S. The brains behind the first American corn maze was Don Frantz, a Broadway producer with Disney’s The Lion King and Beauty & The Beast among his credits. He came upon the idea while flying cross country. Staring down at the miles of corn fields, it dawned on him that there was no need to spend years growing hedgerows. In 1993, his first attempt was visited by 10,000 people and raised more than $55,000 for farmers who had been victimized by flooding.



Bridge Pilings/Dougherty Community - The stone pilings here mark the site of a former bridge that crossed the Etowah into the community of Dougherty, one of several circa 1800s towns that grew up in this fertile valley.



The community centerpiece was a grist mill at the mouth of Palmour Creek on river right (shown as Palmer Creek on current maps). The mill operated until the 1930s.



Rock Island - A rock island splits the river here and creates a fun shoal between river left and the island. The massive eddy and pool on the downstream side of the rock is an excellent swimming hole.



Eagle’s Beak - So called because the route the Etowah takes here resembles a bird’s beak and body. At this location, you’d be on the top of the beak and the stretch that runs parallel to Old Federal Road below the take out forms the bottom of the beak. The tip of the beak is the river’s sharp bend at Old Federal Road. Forsyth County owns the property on river right below the bridge and has plans to develop the land as a public park. The park will include canoe and kayak launches on the river.



Old Federal Road & Scudder‘s Inn - You’d hardly suspect it now, but this two-lane road was once the major thoroughfare by which early settlers entered the Cherokee Nation of North Georgia. A trading path as early as 1731, the old route evolved into the Federal Road through the efforts of various people rather than the federal government. Among the most important were the Cherokee Indians who constructed portions of the road in exchange for the right to operate inns and stores as well as ferries on the more than 80 streams and rivers that the road traversed. In the 1820s, the going rate for a ferry crossing was $1 for a wagon and four horses, 50 cents for a man and horse and one cent each for hogs, sheep and goats. It remains unclear whether a ferry operated at this crossing of the Etowah. Of course, enterprising whites also moved in to profit off travelers, often resulting in conflicts with the Cherokee. A quarter mile east of the river here, American citizen Jacob Scudder operated an inn from 1817 to 1831 and refused to pay taxes to the Cherokee for that privilege.


Scudder Inn and Family.

The Cherokee retaliated with fines and the seizure of some of his property. With the removal of the Cherokee and the advent of new roads, use of the Federal Road declined. Railroads further reduced the road’s significance. It is believed that Ft. Campbell, a Cherokee removal fort that operated from April to June 1838, sat along the banks of the Etowah here. It was here that local Cherokees were rounded up before their forced migration west to Oklahoma.


Grave Jacob Scudder

(1838), Hightower (Fort Campbell) A GA state militia stockade used for the Cherokee Removals. Located on the north side of the Federal Road, just west of Jacob Scudder's trade store. Garrisoned by troops from April to June 1838 (stockaded in May). No remains. Later historians called it Fort Scudders or Fort Eaton, which were not correct.



Woodhaven Bend - At this bend in the river you’ll find a boat launch and pavilion, marking the start of this upscale subdivision that the Etowah winds around for the next two miles. The equestrian estate neighborhood was the vision of Robin Loudermilk, CEO of the Atlanta-based rent-to-own company, Aaron Rents.



Ultimately, plans call for some 33 homes to occupy the 280-acre site, but unlike other subdivisions along the river, none are nestled on top of the river. That’s because development of the property included the preservation of a 150-foot buffer along the river. All residents of the neighborhood have access to the river via walking paths and several boat launches—a development plan that better protects the river corridor and better serves the residents.


Of course, residents have to pay for the pleasure of these river amenities. In 2004, the first homes in the subdivision started at $800,000.

Yellow Creek Road Iron Bridge - The remains of the iron bridge mark this former route of Yellow Creek Road and the site of a tragic incident in 1905 involving the superintendent of the Franklin-Creighton Gold Mine. That incident likely precipitated the construction of the bridge.


Axson, wife, child. Woodrow and Ellen Wilson.

This account appeared in the April 28, 1905 issue of the Rome News-Tribune: “A terrible tragedy was enacted at Creighton Wednesday afternoon when Edward Axson, wife and baby were drowned in the Etowah river. Mr. Axson accompanied by his wife and child were going to a picnic a few miles distant from Creighton. He was driving a nettlesome span of horses. About one-fourth of a mile from the river the horses ran away. Instead of a bridge the river is crossed by means of a flat and this is always left on the bank directly in the path of the road. The horses dashed across the flat, carrying their human burden and plunged into the river, which was about 15 feet deep at this place. Mr. Axson sought to rescue his wife and child. He gathered them under each arm and struggled to gain the task, but it was too great a burden. The bodies of Mrs. Axson and baby were washed towards the dam and were found immediately. Mr. Axson's body was not found until late yesterday.” This was of particular interest to Romans as Axson was a native son, the brother of Ellen Axson Wilson, wife of Woodrow Wilson who in 1913 would become the country’s 28th president. The remains of the dam mentioned in this news story lie just around the bend.



Bridges across the Etowah.



Franklin-Creighton Gold Mine & and Other Historic Nuggets - The cross-river shoal at this location marks the site of a dam that helped power the Franklin-Creighton Goldmine - the history of which tells a series of tragic stories.


Only remaining building of Franklin-Creighton Gold Mine.

In the early 1830s, an English immigrant, John Pascoe, established a mine near this site that proved quite successful, but he was a victim of his own prosperity. He died of mercury poisoning in 1853, the result of constant exposure to mercury in the gold ore processing operation. Rumors of gold bars being buried with him led to so many robbers digging up his grave at nearby Hightower Baptist Church that his coffin was removed and interned at an undisclosed location on his plantation. The legacy of mercury has lasted much longer than the gold.



Even today, fish caught from the Etowah River have been found to contain unhealthy levels of mercury and some of it is believed to be the result of mercury’s extensive use at mining operations during the 1800s. The other notable miner at this site was Mary G. Franklin, a widow who drew a forty-acre lot in the 1932 Land Lottery. Shortly after acquiring the property, she had dozens of offers for her holding. With her curiosity piqued, Mrs. Franklin decided she should investigate her new property. When she arrived, she found a score of men shoveling dirt and panning gold. Mrs. Franklin had the men removed and began working the lot herself, along with her family. Her efforts ultimately led to the development of one of the area’s most successful mines. In 1882, Northern investors bought into her operation and expanded it. By 1896 the site held a complete mining plant with large stamp mill, a chlorination plant, assay laboratory, blacksmith shop, stables, miners' cottages and the Etowah River dam with two large turbines to generate power for the site. In 1913, a mine shaft collapsed beneath the river, filling the mines with water and making further operation of the plant financially infeasible. 

McGraw Ford Wildlife Management Area - A state wildlife management area encompassing some 2400 acres, including some of the most picturesque paddling to be found on the Etowah, starts here on river right. The WMA extends four miles downstream to around Smithwick Creek and includes a patchwork of parcels on both sides of the river.



Long Swamp Creek/Battle of Taliwa - Around 1755, where Long Swamp and the Etowah meet, the Battle of Taliwa was fought. Some 500 Cherokee Indians under the direction of Oconostota defeated a larger band of Creeks. Among the Cherokee warriors, there was at least one heroine, Nancy Ward or “Nan’yehi” - the 18-year-old wife of the Cherokee known as “Kingfisher” When Kingfisher was slain in the battle, she took up his gun and continued the fight.



Reportedly, her courage led the Cherokee in a rout of the enemy. So complete was the defeat that the Creeks retreated permanently south of the Chattahoochee River, and Nancy Ward earned the title of honor: “Beloved Woman.” Nancy later married Bryant Ward, a white man who took up residence amongst the Cherokees. She became an outspoken supporter of peace with white settlers. She died in 1822.


Damn I always heard this was the War Woman, and have referenced that in several post.


Will have to do History rewrite now that we have a name.

Riggins Creek & Pine Bluff Landfill - About one mile upstream along Riggins Creek sits Georgia’s largest landfill - Pine Bluff operated by Waste Management. Each day the landfill takes in around 4700 tons of municipal and industrial trash and buries it in the ground. Opened in 1993, the facility is expected to reach its capacity in 2025. Leachate and runoff from landfills - both contaminants and sediment - can, of course, pollute local streams, and, oh the waste! Each year, Georgians send to landfills 1.4 million tons of material that could be recycled. The value of that “trash” is estimated at $223 million, including $76 million in plastics and $58 million in aluminum. Waste Management, does, however, recycle its decomposing trash at Pine Bluff. A pipeline connects methane gas captured at the landfill to the Pilgrim’s Pride chicken rendering plant on the banks of the Etowah to fuel heating equipment at the facility. Pine Bluff is nearly a mile long and about a half mile wide. Edwards Creek, about 1.5 mile downstream, drains the western half of the facility.

     

Sandbar & Strainer - A large sandbar extending from river left restricts the flow of the river to a small channel on river right that can be choked with strainers. Caution should be used when navigating through this obstacle.


Lot of sandbars to hang on.

Hickory Log Creek and Dam - Several miles upstream from here on Hickory Log Creek sits the most recent effort in “drought-proofing” metro Atlanta - Hickory Log Dam & Reservoir.



Completed in 2010, the 950-foot wide, 180-foot high dam on this creek is the largest in Georgia not built by the Corps of Engineers or Georgia Power.



Canton Cotton Mill - A bit of Canton’s history stands near the Etowah here. Built in 1924, the massive brick Canton Cotton Mill No. 2 once employed 550 people and processed up to 30,000 bales of cotton each year.



Canton is, first and foremost, a mill town with many of the historic mill house neighborhoods still intact. In the 1930s, fully a third of the town’s population was employed in the textile industry.



This mill operated until 1981, and in 2000, it was transformed into loft apartments.



Today no textile industry exists in Canton. Canton was named after Canton (Guangzhou) China. They were going to make it center of Silk Industry but Mulberry trees did not grow well enough.



There is a beautiful Park along the Etowah in Canton.



That park has its ups and downs though, being right on the river.



Edgewater & Crescent Farm - Atop a high hill on river right here sits, “Edgewater,” the former home of Gus Coggins and his 400-acre Crescent Farm - so named because the Etowah encircled the farm in a crescent shape.



Coggins was a successful farmer, horsebreeder and businessman caught up in the unique social fabric of the post-Civil War south. Because former slaves could be employed cheaper than comparable white laborers, Coggins, like many businessmen, hired blacks instead of whites. This practice drew the ire of unemployed whites who began forming vigilante groups whose sole purpose was to punish white businessmen who hired blacks. The vigilante groups routinely burned his barns and stables. Historians believe that in response, Coggins constructed a massive stone barn (with materials harvested from the Etowah River) in 1906 to house his best horses.



Today what came to be known as the “Rock Barn” still stands and has been renovated into the home of the Cherokee County Historical Society - a visible reminder of the South’s culture of violence and fear in the decades following the Civil War.



Jug Creek Wetlands - On river right where Jug Creek empties into the river is an extensive bottomland wetlands area. When water levels are appropriate, an adventure through this swampy realm is worth the side trip.



Shoal Creek Donaldson Furnace - A venture up Shoal Creek will lead you to the remains of the Donaldson Furnace, a Civil War era iron furnace.


Shoal Creek looks like a Future GNW.

The furnace was built by Judge Joseph Donaldson, one of the founders of Canton and the first to build a ferry across the Etowah in Canton. 



Reportedly, Donaldson built the furnace during the war in order to protect his sons from conscription into the Confederate Army. The construction of the iron furnace was a critical part of the war effort and would have exempted his sons from military service. Lending credence to this theory is the fact that the furnace was never fired and there was no evidence of iron or slag found in the area. However, other accounts of Donaldson’s war efforts suggest he was an ardent supporter of the war effort. He was among the largest slaveholders in the county and outfitted an entire company of soldiers in 1861.


Spillway from Furnace Mill down to Shoal Creek. Donaldson migrated to Oregon where he is buried today.

Georgia National Cemetery - On river right here overlooking the Etowah is the 775-acre Georgia National Cemetery, dedicated in June 2006 and the second national cemetery in Georgia. The Georgia National Cemetery opened for burials on April 24, 2006. It includes sites for 33,000 full-casket graves, 3,000 in-ground sites for cremation remains and 3,000 columbaria niches for cremation remains. The property was donated by the late Scott Hudgens, a well-known Atlanta land developer who was a World War II veteran himself.



Below Lake Allatoona

We were paddling a Mad River Canoe Adventure 16 for our first major day trip since we bought the boat. We put in at the boat ramp at Riverside Park off of Allatoona Dam Road in Emerson and paddled down river. The portion of the river from the boat ramp to the Thompson-Weinman Dam about 3 miles down river was very calm and flat. There were several beavers that we saw and fish jumping occasionally. There was also a couple of Blue Herons searching for a bite to eat.



We passed under Highway 75, and then the old Civil War Railroad Bridge Pillars that were part of the "Great Locomotive Chase"





Never a shortage of images of these Civil War train pillars still there.



And then under Highway 41,



Then the new railroad bridge and finally under Highway 293 or "Tennessee Street" south of Cartersville.


Bridges of Cartersville.


Alabama Road Bridge.



Cartersville Industry along river.



After 293, we came upon Thompson-Weinman Dam and could hear the water gushing over the spillway. There was a portage route to the left of the dam and ABSOLUTELY NO ACCESS AROUND THE RIGHT SIDE!!! There was a nice "cove" where you could get out of the river to portage with a Telephone Pole to tie the boat to, if you wanted to scout the other side or fish or whatever.



The fishing at the bottom of this spillway is fantastic when the Allatoona Dam is generating, however, the river is dangerous during these times and you DO NOT WANT TO GO OVER THIS SPILLWAY!!! THERE IS REBAR STICKING OUT OF THE BOTTOM FACING UPRIVER TO CATCH DEBRIS...VERY DANGEROUS!!!



The fishing was awful in between Allatoona Dam and Thompson-Weinman Dam, but it picked up once we were on the bottom of the spillway.



Thompson Weinman Dam - This low head dam dating to the early 1900s provided Cartersville’s first electricity. It was utilized by local industry as a power supply up until the late 1900s. The industrial complex adjacent to it is Chemical Products Corp. which processes barite - a mineral found in abundance in the Cartersville area that was mined on the south bank of the river on the hills above the portage route for more than a century. It is used in the manufacture of paper, glass, and rubber. A rich, white pigment is made from crushed barite and it is also used in radiology for x-rays of the digestive system. When crushed, it is added to mud to form barium mud, which is poured into oil wells during drilling. The brick building next to the dam is the old City of Cartersville waterworks. The city now withdraws its drinking water supply directly from Lake Allatoona.



The Etowah is shallow when you first get back in, but it picks back up after you leave the dam. You travel behind Chemical Products Corporation and then the Waterford Subdivision and then the Etowah Indian Mounds. The water here is beautiful! All behind the Waterford, up until you get to the Etowah Indian Mounds, the water is crystal clear and the floor of the river is a huge slab of rock. You can see all the way to the bottom (about 2-3 feet when they are not generating, as deep as 10 when they are...and much muddier). It is a great place to stop and take a swim.



When you get to the Indian Mounds, you need to go to the left to avoid an ancient fish weir used by the native Americans a few hundred years ago. They actually still work!!! We pulled a 12 pound Striped Bass and had an awesome dinner that night!


Recovering expensive lures can be tricky.

After the Indian Mounds, you pass under Douthit Ferry Road and there is a long stretch before your next take-out point. The fishing between Douthit Ferry Road and Higway 113 is FANTASTIC. The water levels here get the deepest of any point on the river when they are not generating (12-15 ft.) and the larger stripes and catfish use these holes as homes until the next time Allatoona Dam is released. They are biting fresh chicken liver and light colored swim baits right now.



After you pass under Highway 113, there are a couple of shoals that are manageable when they are not generating, but very shallow. After you pass through the shoals, you will come up on a semi-private campground and boat ramp. The land is privately owned, but he has built campsites and this boat ramp off of Euharlee Road for people to access the Etowah as there was nowhere else to do this in the area! Thanks to that man, whoever you are! It is a VERY LONG STRETCH from this boat ramp to the next takeout point at Euharlee Bridge 4-5 hours if you don't paddle. There are several shoals through this area that again are manageable, but shallow when they are not generating.



The fishing picks up after you pass the shoals on about a mile straightaway just before you can see Georgia Power's Plant Bowen. The water is deep and this appears to be another larger area where the big fish congregate in between generating periods. As you leave, this area there are some houses on the right and an island in the middle of the river with a picnic table on it. It is a fantastic spot for a bit to eat...thank you to the people across the river who put it there!



After this there are another couple of shoals before the water opens up into an almost lake-like area next to Plant Bowen where the fishing again picks up, then it is just a quarter mile or so before you arrive at Euharlee bridge. The take-out is on the right bank, just before you go under the bridge. There is a road, but it is rutted out and uphill to the road, so you are probably going to carry your boat out up to the parking area. There are usually people fishing in this area.


This may be under the bridge in Rome instead.

From the Allatoona Dam down to here was a VERY LONG TRIP!!! From Dawn to Dusk for the entire trip. We packed a lot of fluids and two sack lunches. The trip could be broken up into two separate trips from the Allatoona Dam to the Boat Ramp after 113, and then from the Boat Ramp to the Euharlee Bridge. Overall the trip is very fun, very easy to manage, and very beautiful scenery to take in.



Etowah River Photo dump.





All these Rivers of Georgia deserve Georgia Natural Wonder status.



OK I really liked the 8 Toe Women All Hot (Etowah) theme from last weeks post, so here are eight more Toe Women All Hot. Tricky Google.

Oh, I also have this other little Al Kooper rocker You Tube about toes. He discovered and produced Lynyrd Skynyrd right here in Atlanta. Check the first album credits.






Damn, Toe Women All Hot may be a permanent theme here for GNW Gals.



Two more make Eight Toe Women All Hot.