Save the Date: River Rendezvous!

On April 29th, 2023, we will be hosting our spring River Rendezvous at 9 am at Sandy Creek Nature Center. Come help sample our local streams and rivers and contribute to water quality monitoring!

More info and registration.

Mission Statement

The Upper Oconee Watershed is dedicated to protecting water resources and improving stream health in our watershed through community-based advocacy, monitoring, education, and recreation

The Upper Oconee Watershed Network (UOWN) was formed in January 2000 in response to citizen concern about the region’s rapid growth and its impact to local streams and rivers.

UOWN members actively engage in various advocacy, education and stream monitoring initiatives in an effort to raise community awareness about local water resource issues and to facilitate a cooperative spirit for long-term watershed protection.

Located in Athens, Georgia, UOWN is a member supported organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The board and members work to achieve organizational goals through a number of activities.

About Us Video

Learn about UOWN in this short video created by Ben Taylor.

The Upper Oconee Watershed

A Quick Look The Oconee River system is one of Georgia’s 14 Major River Basins. The Upper Oconee River Watershed begins near Gainesville, Georgia and ends at Lake Sinclair near Milledgeville. The headwaters of the North Oconee are located just south of Lula, GA., The Middle Oconee begins Northeast of Brassleton. The Upper Oconee Watershed drains all or part of the following counties: Baldwin, Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Greene, Gwinnett, Hall, Hancock, Jackson, Jasper, Jones, Madison, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Putnam, and Winston.

Know your Georgia watershed? The Middle and North Oconee Rivers converge just South of Athens to form the Oconee River which meets the Ocmulgee River to form the Altamaha River and eventually flows into the Atlantic Ocean.