• Mist rising of the river at Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

    Chattahoochee River

    National Recreation Area Georgia

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  • Rising River Waters Can Kill!

    Watch for rapidly rising river levels on the Chattahoochee River and its tributaries. Water released from dams and heavy rain can turn a day on the river into a tragedy! More »

  • Call for Water Release Schedule

    With colder temperatures you can expect longer and more frequent water releases. For water release schedule info, call 1-855-DAM-FLOW (1-855-326-3569) for Buford Dam and 404-329-1455 for Morgan Falls Dam. Save numbers to your cell! More »

Elaeagnus

Elaeagnus

James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) is a tardily deciduous bushy leaf shrub, 3 to 20 feet in height, with scattered thorny branches. It has alternate leaves that are green above and silver scaly beneath, with many red berries in fall having silvery scales. The easiest way to identify it is by the silver underside of the leaves. Species spreads by bird- and mammal-dispersed seeds. Often planted for surface-mine reclamation and wildlife food plots and escapes to forest edges and open forests.

Management Strategies

  • DO NOT PLANT ELAEAGNUS. Remove prior plantings, and control sprouts and seedlings. Bag and dispose of fruit in a dumpster or burn.
  • Treat when new plants are young to prevent seed formation.
  • Cut and bulldoze when fruit are not present.
  • Minimize disturbance in areas where this plant occurs, and anticipate wider occupation when plants are present before disturbance.
  • Cutting and basal treatments are hindered by multiple thorny sprouts and eye protection should be used.
  • Manually pull new seedlings and saplings when soil is moist, ensuring removal of all roots.
  • Burning treatments are suspected of having minimal topkill effect due to scant litter.
  • Seedlings are readily eaten by goats and sheep. Goats can deaden saplings by stripping the bark and bending them over to eat the foliage.

Did You Know?

Mist forming on the Chattahoochee - Photo by Tom Wilson

Typically, rivers meander and change course over time. However, the Chattahoochee River is one of the oldest and most stable river channels within the United States, since it's essentially "locked" in place, flowing along the Brevard Fault Zone.