Georgia River Network is calling on Georgians to help choose the destination for next year’s Paddle Georgia, a week-long canoe/kayak adventure on June 15-21. 

Paddlers can choose the destination from five suggested rivers at www.surveymonkey.com/r/PG2019destination. The destination that receives the most votes will get first priority. 

Suggestions include the upper Flint River from Upson County to Macon County; the Savannah River between Augusta and Sylvania; the Withlacoochee and Suwannee in Georgia and Florida, the St. Mary’s River along the Georgia-Florida state line, the Satilla River and the Oconee and Altamaha between Soperton and Baxley. 

“With more than 70,000 miles of rivers and streams in the state, there’s no shortage of places to explore and the rivers are incredibly diverse from rocky, shoal-filled streams in North Georgia to lazy blackwater rivers in the South,” Joe Cook, Paddle Georgia coordinator, said.

Since the first trip in 2005, the network has introduced more than 4,500 people to Georgia’s rivers. 

“The purpose of the event is to raise awareness of our rivers and raise money to support river protection efforts,” Cook said. “When people explore a river and develop a relationship with it, they are much more likely to take action to protect our rivers.” 

On June 22, the network completed its 14th Paddle Georgia in Macon, with more than 275 people floating the Yellow and Ocmulgee rivers for a week. Each year between 250 and 450 people participate in the event.