WATER QUALITY in GEORGIA 2016-2017 (2018 Integrated 305B/303D Report)
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WATER QUALITY IN GEORGIA 2016-2017 (2018 Integrated 305b/303d Report) WATER QUALITY IN GEORGIA Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division WATER QUALITY IN GEORGIA 2016-2017 (2018 Integrated 305b/303d Report) Preface This report was prepared by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), Department of Natural Resources, as required by Section 305(b) of Public Law 92-500 (the Clean Water Act) and as a public information document. It represents a synoptic extraction of the EPD files and, in certain cases, information has been presented in summary form from those files. The reader is therefore advised to use this condensed information with the knowledge that it is a summary document and more detailed information may be available in EPD files. This report covers a two-year period, January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2017. Comments or questions related to the content of this report are invited and should be addressed to: Environmental Protection Division Georgia Department of Natural Resources Watershed Protection Branch 2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, SE Suite 1162 East Tower Atlanta, Georgia 30334 WATER QUALITY IN GEORGIA This page is intentionally blank. WATER QUALITY IN GEORGIA CHAPTER 1 Watershed Protection in Georgia The GAEPD is a comprehensive environmental agency Executive Summary responsible for environmental protection, management, regulation, permitting, and Purpose This report, Water Quality in Georgia, enforcement in Georgia. The GAEPD has for 2016-20172016-2017, was prepared by the many years aggressively sought most available Georgia Environmental Protection Division program delegations from the USEPA in order to (EPD) of the Department of Natural Resources achieve and maintain a coordinated, integrated (DNR). The DNR Coastal Resources Division approach to environmental management. Today (CRD) and Wildlife Resources Division (WRD), the GAEPD administers programs for planning, the Georgia Forestry Commission, the Georgia water pollution control, water supply and Environmental Finance Authority, and the groundwater management, surface water Georgia Soil and Water Conservation allocation, hazardous waste management, air Commission also contributed portions of the quality control, solid waste management, strip report. In addition, water quality data was mining, soil erosion control, geologic survey provided by a number of governmental activities, radiation control, underground storage agencies, environmental groups and tanks, and safe dams. universities. The Watershed Protection Branch of the This report is often referred to as the Georgia GAEPD, in cooperation with many local, state, 305(b) Report as portions of the report are and federal agencies, coordinates programs to prepared to comply with this section of the address most aspects of drinking water supply Federal Clean Water Act. The report describes and water pollution control including: water quality conditions of navigable waters comprehensive statewide water planning; across the State. The United States monitoring; water quality modeling to develop Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) uses wasteload allocations and total maximum daily the individual State reports to develop a national loads (TMDLs); TMDL implementation; the water quality inventory report, which is continuing planning process; water quality transmitted to the Congress of the United standards; local watershed assessment and States. watershed protection plans; nonpoint source management; erosion and sedimentation This report provides an assessment of the water control; stormwater management; Clean Water quality conditions of surface and groundwater in State Revolving and Georgia Fund Loan Georgia and includes a description of the nature, programs; the NPDES permit and enforcement extent, and causes of documented water quality program for municipal and industrial point problems. This assessment of water quality sources; water withdrawal and drinking water problem areas serves as the basis for lists permits; water conservation; source water required by Sections 303(d), 314, and 319 of the protection; industrial pretreatment; land Clean Water Act. The report also includes a application of treated wastewater; regulation of review and summary of ongoing statewide water concentrated animal feedlot operations planning efforts; wetland, estuary, and coastal (CAFOs); and public outreach including Georgia public health/aquatic life issues; and water Project Wet and Adopt-A-Stream programs. protection, groundwater, and drinking water program summaries. The GAEPD has designated the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission as the In addition to complying with the Federal Clean lead agency for dealing with water quality Water Act, the major objective of this report is to problems caused by agriculture. The Georgia provide Georgians a broad summary of Forestry Commission has been designated by information on water quality and the programs the GAEPD as the lead agency to deal with being implemented by the GAEPD and its water quality problems due to commercial partners to protect water resources across the forestry operations. State. WATER QUALITY IN GEORGIA 1-1 Watershed Protection Programs Management District to coordinate water protection efforts in the Suwannee River Basin. Background Georgia is rich in water resources. This work is discussed in Chapter 7. The State has approximately 44,056 miles of perennial streams, 23,906 miles of intermittent Monitoring and Assessment Georgia’s waters streams, and 603 miles of ditches and canals for are currently designated as one of the following a total of 70,150 stream miles. The State also water use classifications: drinking water, has 4.8 million acres of wetlands (9% tidally recreation, fishing, coastal fishing, wild river, or affected), 425,582 acres of public lakes and scenic river. Specific water quality standards are reservoirs, 854 square miles of estuaries, and assigned to support each water use 100 miles of coastline. This rich water heritage is classification. The quality of Georgia’s waters is often taken for granted. However, unusual judged by the extent to which the waters support events such as the flood in the summer of 1994 the uses (comply with standards set for the and drought conditions experienced throughout water use classification or designations) for Georgia in 1986, 1988, 1999-2002, 2007-2008, which they have been designated. Water quality and 2012 serve as reminders that water standards, monitoring programs, and information resources cannot be taken for granted and on assessments of Georgia’s waters are sound regulatory programs are necessary to discussed in Chapter 3. GAEPD’s wetland protect these resources. monitoring program is discussed in Chapter 4 and estuary and coastal programs are discussed In 2016-2017, the GAEPD placed emphasis on in Chapter 5. comprehensive statewide water management planning, monitoring and assessment, water Water Quality Modeling/ Wasteload quality modeling and TMDLs, TMDL Allocation/ TMDL Development The GAEPD implementation, State revolving and Georgia conducted a significant amount of modeling in Fund loan programs, NPDES permitting and 2016-2017 in support of the development of enforcement, nonpoint source pollution wasteload allocations and total maximum daily abatement, stormwater management, erosion loads (TMDLs). Over the 2016-2017 period, and sediment control and public participation 147 TMDLs were finalized and approved by projects. EPA, 106 TMDLs were developed and public noticed, and 5 TMDLs were revised and public Comprehensive State-wide Water noticed. To date more than 1880 TMDLs have Management Planning In 2004 the Georgia been developed for 303(d) listed waters in General Assembly passed new water planning Georgia. This work is discussed in Chapter 7. legislation to take the place of river basin planning. The 2004 Comprehensive State-wide TMDL Implementation As TMDLs are Water Management Planning Act called for the developed, plans are needed to guide preparation of a comprehensive statewide water implementation of pollution reduction strategies. plan and provided fundamental goals and TMDLs are implemented through changes in guiding principles for the development of the NPDES permits to address needed point source plan. The Statewide Water Plan was completed improvements and/or implementation of best in 2008 and the Regional Water Councils management practices to address nonpoint completed plans in 2011 and updated those sources of pollution. TMDL implementation is plans in 2017. This work is discussed in Chapter discussed in Chapter 7. 2. Clean Water Revolving and Georgia Fund Watershed Projects The GAEPD is working Loan Programs In 2016-2017 funds were with USEPA and South Carolina on several obligated to communities for a variety of Savannah River projects; with the USEPA and wastewater infrastructure and pollution the Alabama Department of Environmental prevention projects through the Georgia Management (ADEM) on water quality issues in Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) in the the Coosa River and Lake Weiss; with the form of low-interest, SRF and Georgia Fund Florida Department of Environmental Protection loans. The loan programs are discussed in (FDEP) on nutrient issues in Lake Talquin; and Chapter 7. with the FDEP and the Suwannee River Water WATER QUALITY IN GEORGIA 1-2 Metro District Planning The Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District (District) Zero Tolerance In response to a resolution updated the comprehensive