--- title: SR 519. South River Watershed Alliance; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr519 cite_as: SR 519, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr519 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr519.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr519/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71919 date: 2025-04-02 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr518.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr520.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr519.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 519 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-04-02 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Tonya Anderson - Gail Davenport - Kim Jackson - Elena Parent - Randal Mangham - Emanuel Jones - Chuck Hufstetler - Harold Jones - Kenya Wicks text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR519/2025 upstream_id: 2017583 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - water conservation - South River - environmental advocacy - metro Atlanta - legislative recognition --- # SR 519. South River Watershed Alliance; recognize ## Text 25 LC 129 0460 Senate Resolution 519 By: Senators Anderson of the 43rd, Davenport of the 17th, Jackson of the 41st, Parent of the 44th, Mangham of the 55th and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending the South River Watershed Alliance upon the grand occasion1 of its 25th anniversary; and for other purposes.2 WHEREAS, the South River Watershed Alliance is the only organiz ation protecting the3 South River; and 4 WHEREAS, the South River is a headwater to Georgia's largest freshwater system, that feeds5 into the Atlantic Ocean on Georgia's coast; and6 WHEREAS, the South River flows southeastwardly for 60 miles fro m metro Atlanta to7 Jackson Lake, where it becomes the Ocmulgee; and8 WHEREAS, the South River watershed drains approximately 544 square miles of creeks and9 streams across sections of Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Henry, Rock dale, Newton, and Butts10 Counties; and11 WHEREAS, cleaner water requires increased awareness, collective advocacy, stronger12 protection, and management of rivers as a valuable natural resource; and13 S. R. 519 - 1 - 25 LC 129 0460 WHEREAS, as metro Atlanta booms with development, the South River continues to flow14 from the earth - undervalued and insufficiently protected; and15 WHEREAS, the South River Watershed Alliance is committed to ecological restoration of16 the South River for the benefit of nature and people; and 17 WHEREAS, the South River Watershed Alliance's mission is to elevate water as a resource,18 boost awareness and advocacy, make recreation accessible; and restore the South River; and19 WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the 25th anniversary of this outstanding20 alliance is appropriately honored.21 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body22 recognize and commend the South River Watershed Alliance's indelible impact on the South23 River and the water systems of Georgia, congratulate it upon 25 years of advocacy, and24 extend sincere best wishes for its continued growth and development. 25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed26 to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the South River27 Watershed Alliance.28 S. R. 519 - 2 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution recognizes the South River Watershed Alliance for 25 years of advocacy work protecting the South River, which flows through metro Atlanta into the Ocmulgee River system. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate rather than a change to state law. It honors the South River Watershed Alliance, described as the only organization dedicated to protecting the South River, on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. The resolution recounts facts about the South River, including that it flows about 60 miles from metro Atlanta to Jackson Lake where it becomes the Ocmulgee River, and that its watershed drains roughly 544 square miles across Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Henry, Rockdale, Newton, and Butts Counties. The Senate formally commends the group's mission of raising awareness, advocacy, and ecological restoration, and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send the group an official copy of the resolution. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends the South River Watershed Alliance for 25 years of work protecting the South River. - States the Senate's congratulations on the group's advocacy and extends wishes for its continued growth. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute an official copy of the resolution to the organization. - Creates no new laws, funding, or regulatory requirements; it is a symbolic statement rather than binding legislation. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names the South River Watershed Alliance, a nonprofit group. It also references residents and local governments in Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Henry, Rockdale, Newton, and Butts Counties, which sit within the South River watershed described in the text. ### Why it matters Because this is a commendatory resolution, it does not change any Georgia law, create funding, or impose requirements. Its practical effect is limited to an official, public acknowledgment from the Georgia Senate of the organization's 25-year history of river advocacy work. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe the South River's geography, including its 60 mile path from metro Atlanta to Jackson Lake where it becomes the Ocmulgee River. - The whereas clauses state the watershed drains about 544 square miles across seven named Georgia counties. - The first resolving clause has the Senate recognize and commend the Alliance's impact and congratulate it on 25 years of advocacy. - The second resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy of the resolution available to the Alliance. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-04-02) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-04-02) - Sponsors: Tonya Anderson, Gail Davenport, Kim Jackson, Elena Parent, Randal Mangham, Emanuel Jones, Chuck Hufstetler, Harold Jones, Kenya Wicks - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71919 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr519.md?full=1