The Satilla River rises in Ben Hill County, Georgia

Ben Hill County, Georgia

Ben Hill County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The constitutional amendment to create the county was proposed July 31, 1906 and ratified November 6, 1906. As of 2000, the population was 17,484. The 2007 Census Estimate placed the population at 17,650...

, near the town of Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald, Georgia

Fitzgerald is a city in Ben Hill in the U.S. state of Georgia, and is the county seat of Ben Hill County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 9,053...

, and flows in a mostly easterly direction to the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

. Along its approximately 235 miles (378.2 km) course are the cities of Waycross

Waycross, Georgia

Waycross is the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Ware County in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 14,725 at the 2010 Census. A small portion of the city extends into Pierce County. According the U.S...

, Waynesville

Waynesville, Georgia

Waynesville is an unincorporated community in Brantley County, Georgia, United States. It is part of the 'Brunswick, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area'. Its ZIP code is 31566.-Geography:Named after Revolutionary War Hero, General "Mad" Anthony B...

, and Woodbine

Woodbine, Georgia

Woodbine is a city in, and the county seat of, Camden County, Georgia, United States. The city is situated in the center of the county, which located in the southeast corner of the state near the Florida border, and the population was 1,218 at the 2000 census....

. The Satilla drains almost 4000 square miles (10,360 km²) of land, all of it in the coastal plain

Coastal plain

A coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. One of the world's longest coastal plains is located in eastern South America. The southwestern coastal plain of North America is notable for its species diversity...

 of southeastern Georgia. Because it is strictly a coastal plain river, it is a black water river with beautiful white sandbars.

The Satilla enters the Atlantic Ocean about 10 miles (16.1 km) south of Brunswick

Brunswick, Georgia

Brunswick is the major urban and economic center in southeastern Georgia in the United States. The municipality is located on a harbor near the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles north of Florida and 70 miles south of South Carolina. Brunswick is bordered on the east by the Atlantic...

, at the 31st parallel north

31st parallel north

The 31st parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 31 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America and the Atlantic Ocean.Part of the border between Iran and Iraq is defined by the parallel....

.

In May 2010, the city of Waycross

Waycross, Georgia

Waycross is the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Ware County in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 14,725 at the 2010 Census. A small portion of the city extends into Pierce County. According the U.S...

 purchased the Bandalong Litter Trap and installed it in Tebeau Creek, a tributary of the Satilla River. The trap was invented in Australia, but is manufactured in the United States by Storm Water Systems. Although the city has maintained a good standing with the Environmental Protection Division, the city wanted to take action to reduce the amount of human generated trash entering the Satilla River and ultimately entering the Atlantic Ocean. Governor Sonny Perdue

Sonny Perdue

George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, was the 81st Governor of Georgia. Upon his inauguration in January 2003, he became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin F. Conley served during Reconstruction in the 1870s....

said, “Water is one of Georgia’s most important and precious resources... the litter trap installed by Waycross is a model of stewardship for the state and the nation.” The Satilla River litter trap is the first in Georgia and only the second in the nation.

External links

• http://www.satillariver.com
• http://www.satillariverkeeper.org/river.html
• Georgia's Coast in photographs and more
• Bandalong Litter Trap Installed
• Waycross, Georgia Takes Bold Step in Pollution Control for Satilla River