TriRivers Waterway Development Association

03/06/2026

A video from Executive Director Philip Clayton in his other role as Director of Economic Development for the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce

03/05/2026

💦🏛️TriRivers Executive Director Philip Clayton and TriRivers board member and small business owner John Anker of Columbus, Georgia, attended the Georgia legislative session where Governor Brian Kemp signed Georgia’s amended budget, House Bill 973, putting in place a spending plan that runs through the end of June and outlines more than $42 billion in state funding.
💦Clayton and Anker visited with key Georgia legislators to discuss critical funding for inland waterway ports and to encourage continued support for the return of commercial navigation on the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers.
🏛️Thanks, Senator Randy Robertson, Representative Carmen Rice, Representative Vance Smith, Representative Joe Campbell, Representative Matt Hatchett, Senator Bo Hatchett, and Senator Blake Tillery.

03/03/2026

💦Yesterday, Phil Clayton, Executive Director, addressed the Houston County Ag Council to provide an update on the ongoing lock repairs along the Chattahoochee River.

Phil highlighted the critical progress being made and noted that navigation is expected to be restored soon, an essential step for regional agriculture, transportation, and economic activity throughout the Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint (ACF) Basin.

TriRivers remains committed to supporting resilient infrastructure and the industries that depend on a fully functioning waterway system.

03/03/2026

💦Great news!
Working as a liaison with federal, state, and local entities, TriRivers Waterway Development Association is dedicated to promoting the development, maintenance, and utilization of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River System for economic and recreational benefit of the tri-state region (Alabama, Florida, and Georgia).

After nearly four decades of legal battles, Alabama and Georgia have reached a compromise in the Tri-State Water Wars.

02/24/2026

💦On Friday, Executive Director Phil Clayton attended the College of Agriculture at Auburn University’s Hall of Honor banquet with his wife, Mitzi. As a member of the Auburn Agricultural Alumni Association board, Phil was proud to join in celebrating leaders whose work continues to strengthen Alabama agriculture.

Events like the Hall of Honor remind us of the deep connection between agriculture and waterway transportation. Rural economies need reliable navigation and waterway management. TriRivers is working to ensure that the region’s producers can soon move goods efficiently and sustainably on our waterways.

The Alabama Agriculture Hall of Honor, established in 1984, recognizes three outstanding individuals each year whose contributions advance the future of agriculture in our state. The program also presents the annual Pioneer Award posthumously to honor those whose life’s work left a lasting impact on Alabama agriculture.

Auburn Agricultural Alumni Club

02/19/2026

Phil Clayton, executive director of TriRivers Waterway Development Association, enjoyed a productive and educational outing today with representatives from Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. They spent time on the water discussing key topics that impact the health and future of our waterways.
💧 Water Quality – Reviewing current conditions and ongoing efforts to protect and improve the river system.
🧪 Water Testing – Exploring testing methods, data collection, and how science guides our decisions.
📣 Community Outreach – Sharing ideas on how to better engage and educate the public about clean water and waterway stewardship.
We are grateful for the collaboration and shared commitment to preserving the strength of the Chattahoochee River and the entire TriRivers system. Partnerships like these reinforce our mission and support a viable future for our communities.
📸Pictured left to right: Alan Rothschild (Columbus Outreach Manager), Jason Ulseth (Riverkeeper), Henry Jacobs (Deputy Director), and Clayton.

02/18/2026

02/16/2026

💦Ongoing efforts are being made to restore commercial navigation along the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Waterway System.
Executive Director Phil Clayton visited George W. Andrews Lock & Dam in Blakely, Georgia, and Columbia, Alabama, last week.
We are grateful to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District for their continuing efforts to restore navigation on our river system.

01/10/2026

11/08/2025

Phil Clayton, Director of Economic Development, Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce & Executive Director, TriRivers Waterway Development Association

10/14/2025

Ladies and Gentlemen:
As the 65th annual TriRivers Waterway Development Association Annual Meeting approaches, I am reminded that we need your support now as much as ever before. We are on the verge of change in the region, and two things, in my mind, are driving that change: 1) the closure of the Georgia Pacific paper mill at Cedar Springs, GA. This closure took away 535 direct jobs and affects some 1,500 indirect jobs in a 60- to 100-mile radius of Cedar Springs. We must come together, as a region, and find industry to replace GP and more; we have to grow! Having a navigable river makes that proposition a little easier. and 2). The US Army Corps of Engineers is hosting the second of a series of public hearings concerning dredging of the Apalachicola River on October 21st. The mere fact that the Army Corps of Engineers is even having a conversation about dredging is thirty years in the making and a huge opportunity for the region to attract industry and recreational vessel traffic on our rivers. Your support is vital to our continued efforts at TriRivers Waterway Development Association to restore navigation on our rivers and help our region grow and prosper. Please consider a donation today and know that you are appreciated!
Please email me at [email protected] for a sponsorship form.
Warm regards,
Phil

ACF Stakeholders Governing Board Meeting and Tri-Rivers Waterway Development Association Annual Meeting

10/03/2025

🏆Congratulations to TriRivers Executive Director, Phil Clayton!

The Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors congratulates our own Economic Developer, Philip Clayton, for his selection to Who's Who in America by the Marquis Who's Who Publications Board. Our Chamber appreciates you and all of the fine work that you do for our community, county, state, region and country. We are proud of you!