Mission

Ensure a healthy forested Oconee River watershed that provides safe, reliable drinking water through strong partnerships, collaboration, funding and action.

Vision

  • The Oconee River watershed is healthy, drinking water is safe and reliable, partners collaborate, and funds exist for long-term, landscape-scale conservation.

  • Conservation efforts are focused on high-priority areas using the full range of available tools, including sustainable conservation finance mechanisms. 

  • The Partnership increases the understanding that healthy forests are the best land use for clean water and watershed health; and is guided by a strategic watershed action plan.

  • Conservation work is guided by the Upper Oconee Conservation Prioritization Index.

Goals

  • Improve land stewardship and conservation capacity in the region (especially forest land critical for clean drinking water production)

  • Strengthen and expand collaboration and partnerships among and between the drinking water, conservation and forestry sectors

  • Strengthen relationships with and capacity of landowners to implement on-the-ground conservation and restoration projects

  • Increase funding and financing to fund watershed stewardship projects and attract greater public and private funding to the region

  • Improve stakeholder decision-making and communication using science-based data, expert guidance and national and regional information and examples to inform strategic watershed project selection

History

In 2017, the Oconee River watershed was recognized as a priority watershed by the Southeastern Partnership for Forests and Water. The watershed was selected due to increased risk of source water quality and quantity degradation from rapid urban development and the subsequent loss of forestland cover. 

In 2018, Georgia Forestry Commission used US Forest Service Landscape Scale Restoration Grant funding to support an Oconee River Watershed Coordinator. The Coordinator worked with the Upper Oconee Watershed Network to strengthen trust and build partnerships among the drinking water, forestry and conservation sectors. 

In 2019, the Oconee River Watershed Forests and Drinking Water Forum brought together over 40 watershed stakeholders to explore forest stewardship, management and conservation for more resilient drinking water supplies in the Oconee River watershed of northeast Georgia. Key follow-up actions identified at the Forum were:

  • Formally convene a stakeholder group to catalyze source water protection implementation in the watershed through improved coordination, collaboration and communication

  • Develop a conservation plan that outlines how forestland conservation for source water resiliency can be achieved

  • Identify funding and financing opportunities to help landowners and local governments implement conservation and restoration activities in key forested areas of the watershed

In 2020, the Oconee River Watershed Partnership began meeting quarterly. The Oconee River Land Trust received funding from the Network for Landscape Conservation Catalyst Fund to support the Oconee River Watershed Coordinator in developing the Oconee River Watershed Conservation Plan. The Georgia Forestry Commission funded the Upper Oconee Watershed Conservation Prioritization Index. The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. 

In 2021, the Oconee River Watershed Partnership Planning Committee began drafting the Oconee River Watershed Conservation Plan. Georgia Forestry Foundation committed to quarterly contributions to support the Coordinator through 2022.