In April of 1995, photographers Joe and Monica Cook set out on a canoe voyage down the Chattahoochee River - from the headwaters to the Gulf of Mexico - that would take them 100 days, 163 rolls of film, 32 pounds of trail mix, and four bottles of sunblock. It would also reveal the spectacular beauty of one of Georgia's most cherished natural treasures, as well as many grave problems the river faces as one of the state's most important resources. Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Lee May narrates. At the start of the Cooks' journey, the Chattahoochee flows through remote mountain forests. But it isn't long before they leave U.S. Forest Service land and enter land through and around Helen where property values have doubled in the past 10 years. "We saw a lot of construction - especially along the river," notes Monica Cook. "We didn't have a day when we didn't hear hammers or saws or something in the background." As the Cooks approach Lake Lanier, the program explores the history of the lake as well as its various uses - from recreation and hydropower. It also looks at wildlife in and around the river, including trout and caddis flies, and examines the effect of construction and run-off into the river on the Buford Trout Hatchery.
Original Air Date: 1997
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