The United States Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for managing the nation’s waterways for flood protection and ecological restoration. In September 2025, they released the Utoy Creek, Georgia Section 206 Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Study. This detailed report proposes a series of projects to restore and protect Utoy creek streambanks that have been damaged by development and its poorly managed stormwater runoff.

Stream restorations are often intensive and require major land sculpting to achieve the goals of cleaner water and improved habitat in the long term – think of it as gardening at a grand scale. These projects are also good opportunities to connect communities to natural resources for education and recreation purposes. Trails ATL has a similar mission to provide access to and through greenspaces for all ages, all abilities, and all Atlantans.

You can help move this process forward by checking out their project website and submitting comments in support of the proposed projects. The more the community supports stream restoration and trails, the more likely it is that these projects will receive funding. The deadline for submitting comments is October 25, 2025, but the project website will be available for information purposes through 2026.

To provide comments on this valuable and in-depth study, please send an email to utoycreekrestorationstudy@usace.army.mil