Economic Impact on the Chattooga

The economic gain from politicians, media, and the telling experiences of those who have come to know the Chattooga is outstanding. River rafting, kayaking, hiking, etc., have all led to this boost in popularity as tourist attraction. All of this tourism culminates to about a 20 million dollar industry and is basically the local counties number one source of revenue.[1] The Chattooga contributes to the economies fairly equally between Georgia and South Carolina, which makes sense with it being a natural border between the two states. In a study done by the Journal of the American Water Resources Association in 1996 the Chattooga’s total economic output is about four million dollars, with 2.5 million of that being actual income, paired with the sustainment of just under 100 jobs.[2] This just goes to show that the Chattooga, despite being unchanged, is able to support local economies to a degree. Eco-tourism is a constantly growing trend, especially because environmental issues are highlighted so frequently in modern media and science. Another study showed that boaters, rafters, and other visitors to the Chattooga would like to keep the status quo, which means make it free to access the river basically. The Chattooga’s Wild and Scenic status keep it from a level of commercialization that is pervasive with popular things in the United States. The respondents to this study echoed my sentiment, any changes to the current river permit procedures as well as river conditions were deemed unfavorable. So much so that it could have the potential to deter future river tourism.[3]

I am happy to say that not much has changed since the Chattooga’s designation in 1974. There is a healthy balance of economic gain and natural conservation that has kept the river an icon for natural wonders around the world. Media and politics associated with the river and its popularity were pivotal engines in making the site as renowned as it is today. Many people would have never known about the river if they had not seen Deliverance or saw President Carter had gone down it. The external influence of a number of factors has led to economic growth and more importantly a conservational mindset among those who visit. The river has the effect of just holding oneself in awe.