Headwaters of the Oostanaula River: the Cohuttas
The Oostanaula River is formed where the Conasauga River and the Coosawattee River join in Gordon County near the New Echota State Historic Site. Much like the Etowah River, both of these rivers originate as pristine trout streams with self sustaining populations of wild trout. This column will focus on the uppermost headwaters of the Conasauga River. Most of the tributaries are locat- ed in the Cohutta Wilderness Area.
The Cohutta Wilderness was designated in 1975, expanded in 1986, and currently consists of 36,977 acres — with 35,268 acres in Georgia and 1,709 acres in Tennessee. In Georgia, two wild and rugged rivers are born. The Conasauga flows north on the west side of the wilderness and the Jacks River flows north on the east side. Forest Service Road 64 forms most of the southeast boundary of the wilderness and FS 17, West Cowpen Road, forms most of the west boundary. Almost all of the tributaries in the upper part of these two rivers are entirely within the wilderness boundary, except for the South Branch of Jacks River that starts just outside the wilderness south of FS 64.
While a young child, I was able to fish Jacks River within what is now the wilderness. We had family outings there and drove down a road that ran parallel to the south fork of Jacks down to the main river. In 1974, knowing that the road would be closed when the area became wilderness, I returned there. I took a two night primitive camping and fishing trip subsisting only on what I could catch or kill. Fresh trout and frog legs were the protein in my meals.
After the wilderness was established I fished the Conasauga River on a regular basis. With 100 miles of trails, there are several trails that take hikers to the rivers. These trails are at least a mile and some are much longer. Many of these trails are on the beds of old logging roads and the gradient is usually gentle.
I knew of a much quicker access point, Chicken Coop Gap. Located on FS 17, Chicken Coop Gap has a spot where a car or two can park right next to the USGS survey marker. When you step out of the vehicle, the roar of the river lets you know that the fishing is only a few hundred feet away. The only issue is that the river is about 400 feet near vertical down a very steep hill. Following a heavy rain, kayakers use this same access point to get to some great whitewater that the river is known for. Since my heart attack, the steepness of the hill has prevented me from returning there for the past 18 years. I do not think I should risk the strenuous climb back up the mountain.
For part of their length, the Conasauga and the Jacks both have old railroad beds paralleling the rivers that are the only remains of the narrow gauge railroads that carried logs out of the mountains. The area was logged extensively and almost all of it was clear-cut by hand, except for the steepest slopes. These slopes were the seed banks for the trees and plants that eventually returned the area to a dense forest.
Fishing can be very good in the Cohuttas but very difficult due to the extremely clear water. Long casts, camouflage and stealth are the keys to success. A heavy rain can stain the water and improve the fishing, but rain can bring big problems. Most of the trails have multiple stream crossings that, during high water, can strand the hiker on the wrong side and make getting home nearly impossible until the water recedes. Fishing the tributaries can be much more rewarding, and the streams that are more rugged and remote often have the largest fish. More about the Cohutta Wilderness next week.
RACCOON CREEK
This Saturday, March 4, the Coosa Valley Chapter will join the Cohutta Chapter of TU doing stream work on Raccoon Creek in Paulding County. This area of the stream is remote and is only accessed most of the year by the Silver Comet Trail.
TU MEETING
The next meeting of the Coosa Valley Chapter will be Thursday, March 16, at 6:30 p.m. at the ECO Center at Ridge Ferry Park in Rome. Our speaker will be Sam Capone, wildlife technician with the Georgia DNR. He will provide an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the WRD Fisheries Section and review two projects underway in the Coosa River Basin: Restoration of lake sturgeon populations and monitoring/ brood stock collection of species in the Morone genus. The public is invited.
PINE LOG WMA
The WMA is still in limbo. Do not forget the rezoning public hearing will be held by the Bartow Planning Commission on March 27 at 6 p.m. in the courthouse, 135 W. Cherokee Ave., Cartersville. For more information, go to Bartow County Planning & Zoning page at BartowCountyGa.gov.
DREAM TRIP RAFFLE
The ticket sales have surpassed our goal but let’s continue to increase the funding. Go to GeorgiaTu.org and buy tickets and insure future trout camps.