Sen. Ossoff briefed leaders on the bill in February
Bill authorizes U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to work with local officials to preserve and protect Chattahoochee River
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff’s bipartisan legislation to protect and preserve the Chattahoochee River passed the Senate today.
Sen. Ossoff’s bill will help improve water quality, protect essential public works, and restore ecosystems along the river — which are all vital to Georgia’s drinking water supply, agricultural industry, power generation, and more.
The Senate passed Sen. Ossoff’sChattahoochee River Act with bipartisan support as part of this year’s Water Resources and Development Act Reauthorization.
“I’m pleased to announce this exciting new program to improve water quality, protect essential public works, and restore ecosystems along the river, which supplies much of our state’s drinking water. I thank my colleagues in both parties for supporting my bipartisan legislation,” Sen. Ossoff said.
Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock co-sponsored the Senate legislation.
Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux (GA-07), joined by her Georgia colleagues Reps. Hank Johnson (GA-04), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Lucy McBath (GA-06), and David Scott (GA-13), introduced the House companion.
According to the Georgia River Networkthe Chattahoochee supplies 70 percent of metro Atlanta’s drinking water.
In 2019, the National Park Service reported visitors to the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area added more than $200 million to the local economy, supporting over 2,000 local jobs.
According to Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, more than 1,000 miles of waterway within the Chattahoochee watershed do not meet water quality standards, creating potential health risks to both humans and wildlife.
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