Georgia River Network’s Hidden Gems paddling event brings group to Augusta | The Augusta Chronicle

After her husband died several years ago, Jo Ellis said she learned that if she didn’t do things by herself, she wouldn’t do them.

Georgia River Network’s “Hidden Gems” Paddle was held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, with a course from Savannah Rapids Pavilion at the Augusta Canal headgates to the North Augusta boat ramp downstream.

So Saturday she drove from Atlanta to join about 55 kayakers on the Savannah River for the Georgia River Network’s Hidden Gems paddling event.

Participants met at the North Augusta boat ramp and took a shuttle to Savannah Rapids, where they launched for a three-mile excursion over the Savannah River’s hidden gem, its last remaining shoals.

“Everything else is covered up by lakes,” said Sa­van­nah Riverkeeper Tonya Bonitatibus, who partnered with Georgia River Networks to present the event.

Halfway through the trip, the group stopped for lunch and presentations about the river, its history and the wildlife supported by it.

“(Georgia River Net­work and the Savannah River­keeper) work together on a lot of things throughout the year, mainly paying attention to what’s going on in terms of policies that are getting made that will hopefully protect our rivers,” said April Ingle, the executive director for the Georgia River Network.

“We work really closely with the Savannah Ri­verkeeper on that kind of thing all throughout the year, but it’s also kind of fun to partner with them to give people the opportunity to get out and enjoy rivers as well.”

via Georgia River Network’s Hidden Gems paddling event brings group to Augusta | The Augusta Chronicle.