Juliette Park
In partnership with GADNR, a team of graduate students in UGA’s Environmental Law Practicum
We prepared an application for the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program to create a local park and trail of regional significance near the historic Juliette Dam in Jones County, GA. Jones County was seeking GOSP funds to purchase a 63.58-acre residential property in Juliette, Georgia 31046, and to construct hiking trails (~1.2 miles), river access, a boat launch for paddling, a picnic area, drinking fountain access, educational signage, stream buffer restoration, and parking improvements.
The project site is a conservation priority due to the presence of a rocky shoal habitat on the site, just below the Juliette dam on the Ocmulgee River. Currently, the Juliette Shoals are the only known spawning habitat for the aquatic imperiled (S1) Georgia state-listed endangered species, the Robust Redhorse (Moxostoma robustum), in the entire Altamaha River basin. Protection of the robust redhorse and cobbly river shoals are both critical and imperative, as both were identified as high-priority species and habitats, respectively, in the Georgia State Wildlife Action Plan.
This project was collaboratively developed with input from residents of Juliette, GA, as well as representatives from Jones County Parks and Recreation, Jones County Board of Commissioners, GA Department of Natural Resources, Ocmulgee River Water Trail, Altamaha River Keeper, US Fish, and Wildlife Service, Ocmulgee River Land Trust, The University of Georgia Odum School of Ecology, and Ocmulgee Outdoor Expeditions.
At this time, this project is still in consideration by Jones County and the project work continues today.
My roles included:
Site investigation
Client communication
Community organizing and outreach
Project campaigning
Policy review
Organizing and leading a community meeting
GOSP grant writing
Establishing partnerships
Client presentation
*All work was completed while a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Georgia, 2021
