The Environment

“The Conasauga River now sparkles downstream of the Dalton Utilities Land Application System facility the same way it does above Dalton.”
--Harold Reheis, former Executive Director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division

Our Commitment to the Environment
At Dalton Utilities, environmental stewardship is part of our business. From our Land Application System (LAS) to the Spring Creek Wetlands Preserve, to our quota hunts, we are continually seeking strategies and technologies that enable us to nurture and sustain the remarkable environment our community is known for.

Building a Healthy Habitat for Wildlife
Dalton Utilities’ Land Application System is a forested system, which not only assists in treating and recycling wastewater effectively, but it also sustains a wide variety of plant and animal life throughout its 9,200 acres. Environmentalists from around the state are drawn to the LAS’ wide variety of hawks, wild turkey, rare birds, deer and coyote that populate Dalton’s LAS. Dalton Utilities, with cooperation from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), holds a series of deer and turkey quota hunts on the LAS each year. The purpose of the hunts is the cull deer and turkey to protect the health and longevity of the LAS and to keep the deer and turkey from overpopulating.

For more information on the Dalton Utilities’ hunts, please click here

Spring Creek Wetlands Preserve
Spring Creek Preserve is a 200-acre water quality and wildlife habitat improvement project built and maintained by Dalton Utilities. The wetlands preserve compensates for streams and wetlands that were altered or destroyed by construction of the Haig Mill Water Reservoir.

The preserve is located along Spring Creek, which originates about one mile upstream at Deep Springs in northwest Whitfield County and flows downstream to the Conasauga River.

The Spring Creek Wetlands Preserve was created under a Protective Covenant, which means the property will remain protected forever, regardless of future events or change of ownership. The Preserve is open to the public at no charge. A trail system runs through the wetlands on both the east and west sides of Spring Creek. Visitors are encouraged to observe the plants and wildlife with convenient brochures and trail markers.