Habersham County weighs subaward agreement for Soque River fly-fishing mitigation project

The Habersham County Board of Commissioners reviewed a proposed subaward agreement with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for Section 319(h) Clean Water Act funding tied to the Soque River Watershed Protection Plan's Black Hawk Fly-Fishing Mitigation Project. An executive summary listed federal project funds of $499,952.00, a local match of $333,302.00, and a total project budget of $833,254.00.

The stated purpose of the item is "To approve the subaward agreement for FY25 Section 319(h) grant funding for the Soque River Watershed Association," with a subaward amount of $502,416.00. Matching funds would come from the Soque River Watershed Association ($170,030 in cash and in-kind contributions), the Black Hawk Fly-Fishing property owner ($75,000 cash), and the county, which would contribute $88,272.00 of Finance Department staff time as an in-kind match over three years.

The subaward would operate under federal rules governing USEPA awards made under Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act.

The Clean Water Act Section 319(h) subaward agreement with Georgia DNR/EPD for the Black Hawk Fly-Fishing Mitigation Project was placed on the Board of Commissioners' agenda for its September 21, 2026 meeting. No vote on the agreement has been recorded.