As the second longest river in Georgia, the Flint River is critical to the state's ecological, environmental, economic, and water-supply foundations. Yet the Flint River is running dry. Twice named one of America's Most Endangered Rivers by American Rivers, the Flint River is a river in crisis.
A contributing factor to the Flint River's increasing low-flow challenges is the headwaters ultra-urban environment. A significant portion of the headwaters is covered with building structure | pavement or flows within drainage ditches; the headwaters are harnessed and flow under the Atlanta Airport, the busiest airport in the world.
Finding the Flint is a vision for connecting Atlanta’s Flint River Headwaters and the Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance, a driving force for revitalizing the area surrounding the Atlanta Airport.
On March 17 Atlanta-based non-profit Park Pride hosted the Finding the Flint tour. LAI member Michael Halicki, Park Pride Executive Director, welcomed the tour attendees, including Atlanta Chapter Board Member Holly Elmore.
Finding the Flint brings together the community across local jurisdictions, businesses across industry boundaries, and citizens who call the Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance area their home. With the spectrum of committed support, the Flint River is staged to flow from a "river in crisis" to a "river in regeneration."
The ZWA Blog article, The Flint River: a river ready to regenerate, showcases the tour and the Ei FB album, Flint River Headwaters, includes a tour pictorial recap.
 Along Willingham Drive, the Flint River headwaters flow in a culvert next to the Georgia Power substation. |
 Park Pride Executive Director & LAI Member Michael Halicki by the Flint River headwaters during the first stop of the tour. |
 An airplane lands on the fifth runway as the tour group visited the Flint River headwaters flowing south, away from its captivity under the airport. |
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