Normal Streamflows and Water Levels Continue: Summary of Hydrologic Conditions in , 2014 The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Federal, State, and local agencies. Hydrologic water-quality information (Shaffer, 2013). South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC) conditions are determined by comparing the Two of these Internet tools are WaterNow Georgia office, in cooperation with local, statistical analyses of data collected during and WaterAlert. WaterNow, available at State, and other Federal agencies, maintains a the current water year1 (WY) to historical data. http://water.usgs.gov/waternow/, allows users long-term hydrologic monitoring network of Changing hydrologic conditions underscore to request current data for a USGS site by text more than 350 real-time, continuous-record, the need for accurate, timely data to allow messaging or emailing using a mobile phone. streamflow-gaging stations (streamgages). informed decisions about the management and WaterAlert, available at http://water.usgs.gov/ The network includes 14 real-time lake- conservation of Georgia’s water resources for wateralert/, notifies a user by text message level monitoring stations, 72 real-time agricultural, recreational, ecological, and water- or email when a user-defined threshold is surface-water-quality monitors, and several supply needs and in protecting life and property. exceeded at a real-time USGS site. Beginning water-quality sampling programs. Additionally, with water year 2006 and ending with water the SAWSC Georgia office operates more Water Resources Internet Tools year 2013, annual water data reports are than 204 groundwater monitoring wells, 39 of available to the entire Nation as individual which are real-time. The wide-ranging coverage Historically, hydrologic data collected electronic Site Data Sheets. Starting with the of streamflow, reservoir, and groundwater by the USGS were compiled in annual data 2014 WY, NWISWeb provides an on-demand, monitoring sites allows for a comprehensive reports, but this method of publication was print-ready Water-Year Summary as an annual view of hydrologic conditions across the State. discontinued. Current and historical data water-data product (U.S. Geological Survey, One of the many benefits this monitoring are available through the National Water 2014b). Each site is assigned a unique USGS network provides is a spatially distributed Information System Web interface, or station number, and information on station overview of the hydrologic conditions of creeks, NWISWeb, at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis numbers, alongside numbers for wells and rivers, reservoirs, and aquifers in Georgia. (U.S. Geological Survey, 2014a). miscellaneous sites, can be found at Streamflow and groundwater data The USGS has several online water- http://help.waterdata.usgs.gov/faq/sites/do- are verified throughout the year by USGS resource tools designed to provide users with station-numbers-have-any-particular-meaning. hydrographers and made available to current streamflow and groundwater data, water-resource managers, recreationists, and flood inundation maps, stream statistics, and Selected USGS Water Resources Internet Tools

Quarterly Hydrologic Conditions in Georgia for 2014 WY, Based on Drainage Basin Runoff USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) A. 10/01/13–12/31/13 B. 01/01/14–03/31/14 C. 04/01/14–06/30/14 D. 07/01/14–09/30/14 http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis

GEORGIA Augusta

Macon Columbus Savannah

These maps represent hydrologic conditions during the 2014 WY compared with available historical USGS WaterNow data.Figure The observed 2 runoff—flow per unit area—is a good indicator of precipitation and streamflow http://water.usgs.gov/waternow/ conditions for a given basin (Langbein and Iseri, 1960). Runoff is calculated for each basin and presented uniformly over the entire basin area. Only streamflow stations with complete daily-flow datasets for the 2014 WY were used (U.S. Geological Survey, 2014c). EXPLANATION The average annual precipitation for Georgia ranges from 45 to 75 inches of rain. In the 2014 WY, the majority of the State received Percentile classes between 40 and 70 inches of rainfall (National Oceanic and Much above normal, >90 Atmospheric Administration, 2014). For the first quarter of the 2014 WY Above normal, 76 to 90 (October–December 2013, map A), the majority of the State observed Normal, 25 to 75 “normal” (25–75 percentile class) to “above normal” (76–90 percentile Below normal, 10 to 24 USGS WaterAlert class) runoff conditions. During the second quarter of the 2014 WY Much below normal <10 http://water.usgs.gov/wateralert/ (January–March 2014, map B ), the runoff conditions were almost entirely “normal” (25–75 percentile class). During the third quarter of the 2014 WY (April-June 2014, map C ), runoff conditions in the south were “much above normal” (>90 percentile class). During FRM: [email protected] MSG: 144 cfs Streamflow, 2013-11-10 9:42:00 the fourth quarter (July–September 2014, map D ), the State received 2–4 inches less than normal Scioto River below O’Shaughnessy Dam nr Dublin, OH (From precipitation at the majority of National Weather Service monitoring locations (Dunkley, 2015). The h p://water.usgs.gov/bns? YUhd6:03221000 Shaffer, cities of Macon and Columbus, Georgia, experienced the 2nd and 6th driest months on record, 2013) respectively, in August; the majority of runoff conditions were “below normal” (10–24 percentile class) and “much below normal” (less than 10 percentile class).

U.S. Department of the Interior Fact Sheet 2016 –3016 U.S. Geological Survey Figure 1. March 2016 Daily Discharge and 7-Day Average Discharge Conditions for Select Gaging Locations, 2014 Water Year

CUMBERLAND PLATEAU

R BLUE EXPLANATION a g RIDGE SOUTH o o [Map] at Summerville, Ga. 02398000 t Sweetwater Creek near Austell, Ga. 02337000 t CAROLINA 02337000 Sweetwater Creek near Austell, Georgia 02398000 Chattooga River at Summerville, Georgia a h River basin boundary C 02398000 The Chattooga River flows 10,000 Sweetwater Creek is a major 10,000 VALLEY Physiographic boundary from the northwestern corner AND Coosa– tributary of the Chattahoochee RIDGE Tallapoosa– 02213000 Streamgage and number of Georgia in the Blue Ridge Weiss River in the Piedmont Physio­ 1,000 1,000 Lake Sweetwater Physiographic Province, into Creek graphic Province in central PIEDMONT Savannah–Ogeechee Sa Atlanta va Georgia (U.S. Geological Survey, 100 Alabama, where it flows into 02337000 n n Jackson a h 1975). For the 2014 WY, 7-day Weiss Lake (U.S. Geological r Lake e R 100 v i i v e average streamflow conditions 10 Survey, 1975). For the majority R GEORGIA r of the 2014 WY, 7-day average Ocmulgee–Altamaha were “normal” to “much above in cubic feet per second 7-day average discharge, in cubic feet per second O 7-day average discharge, c normal” with short periods of streamflow conditions were 02213000 Oconee– o 1 10 n e e O “normal” to “much above ge record in the “below normal” ec h 100,000 100,000 e normal.” Daily discharge for e range. Daily discharge fluctuated R iv R e i most of the 2014 WY was in e r v between the “median” and e O e 10,000 10,000 c r h m c COASTAL PLAIN “maximum” ranges of historical the “maximum” range. A new o u l o g Altam h a e r h daily mean flow 1,000 record-high daily discharge 1,000 a e a t e v t Ri Ri a ve was observed on April 8. h r

C n 100 100 a e Satilla–Suwannee– c O r St Marys–Ochlockonee Chattahoochee–Flinte c Daily discharge, Daily discharge, v i i 10 10 R t t n e a n e l in cubic feet per second i t in cubic feet per second ALABAMA l h

c A F o r o e 1 1 c v la i OND JFMAMJJAS h R OND JFMAMJJAS FLORIDA t i 02318500 2013 2014 W 2013 2014 N

EXPLANATION [Graphs] 02318500 Withlacoochee River at Macon, Ga. 02213000 Withlacoochee River at US 84 near Quitman, Ga. 02318500 02213000 Ocmulgee River at Macon, Georgia 7-Day Average Discharge at US 84, near Quitman, Georgia 100,000 100,000 The Ocmulgee River flows Hydrographs show the 7-day average discharge for 2014 as compared to The Withlacoochee River flows historical 7-day averages. Data are categorized in percentile ranges from out of and joins into the Basin “much above normal” (greater than the 90th percentile) to “much below 10,000 the to form the EXPLANATION 10,000 normal” (less than the 10th percentile) (U.S. Geological Survey, 2014c). in the southern coastal plain of in the Coastal [Graphs] Georgia (U.S. Geological Survey, 1,000 Plain Physiographic Province in Historical 7-day average discharge— 1975). For much of the 2014 WY, Percentile in parentheses 100 central Georgia (U.S. Geological 1,000 7-day average streamflow Survey, 1975). In the 2014 WY, Much above normal (≥90) Above normal (76 to 89) conditions were “normal” to 10

the 7-day average discharges in cubic feet per second Normal (25 to 75) “much above normal,” from 7-day average discharge, in cubic feet per second were mostly “normal.” Daily 7-day average discharge, 100 Below normal (11 to 24) October to May and record-high 1 discharge fluctuated between Much below normal (≤10) 7-day average streamflows were 100,000 100,000 the “median” and “maximum” 2013 2014 2014 water year 7-day observed during April and May. average discharge ranges of historical daily-mean Daily discharge was mostly 10,000 flow, and record-high maximum in the “maximum” range from 10,000 Daily Discharge daily-mean discharges were October to May, and record-high 1,000 recorded during the month Hydrographs show 2014 daily-mean discharge, in cubic feet per second, as maximum daily-mean discharges compared to historical minimum and median discharge for the entire period 100 of December. 1,000 were recorded during May of record (U.S. Geological Survey, 2014a). Daily discharge, Daily discharge, and June. 10 in cubic feet per second in cubic feet per second Historical daily-mean discharge 100 1 OND JFMAMJJAS Maximum OND JFMAMJJAS 2013 2014 Median 2013 2014 Minimum 2014 daily-mean discharge 2013 2014

2 3 Climate Response Network Well 03PP01, Walker County 730 0 6,000 The USGS maintains a network of groundwater wells to monitor the effects of droughts and other climate variables on groundwater levels. Well 03PP01 in Walker County in northwestern Georgia is 03PP01 These wells are part of the Climate Response Network, which measures the effects of climate on groundwater levels in unconfined aquifers or 725 5 5,000 completed in the Paleozoic-rock aquifer in the Chickamauga near-surface confined aquifers, where pumping or other human influences on groundwater levels are minimal (Cunningham and others, 2007; 4,000 limestone. Water storage is in the regolith, primary openings, U.S. Geological Survey, 2014d). The national network consists of about 130 wells; 14 wells are located in Georgia. The wells are monitored as 720 10 and secondary fractures and solution openings in rock (Peck part of the USGS Groundwater Resources and Cooperative Water Programs. The current conditions of groundwater wells in the Climate Response 3,000 and others, 2013). Water levels are influenced mainly by 715 15 Network can be accessed online at http://groundwaterwatch.usgs.gov/. The hydrographs presented in figure 4 are for select wells in Georgia 2,000 precipitation and local pumping (Cressler, 1964). The water having at least 5 years of continuous data. 02384500 710 20 level in well 03PP01 responds to seasonal change similar to Depth to water level

1,000 Daily mean discharge,

in cubic feet per second streamflow at the nearby streamgage on the Conasauga River 705 below land surface, in feet 25 0 near Eton, Georgia (station no. 02384500), which indicates Elevation above NGVD 29, in feet 10 atmospheric, surface-water, and groundwater interactions. 16MM03 The water level in well 03PP01 was near the historical daily 02176930 8 02387500 03PP01 EXPLANATION median throughout the 2014 WY and above the historical daily 02384500 6 02330450 [Map] Blank median from June through August. New maximum daily-mean 02333500 16MM03 4 where

02387500 Georgia Climate in inches data water levels were observed in December 2013 and April 2014.

precipitation, 2 Response Network Total monthly missing monitoring well 0 and identifier O ND J F M A M JJ A S 11FF04 02330450 Atlanta Streamgage and 2013 2014 number Aquifers in Georgia GEORGIA 21BB04 [Surficial system (brown) 11AA01 present throughout State] Well 16MM03, White County 1,550 0 SC 12Z001 800 Well 16MM03 in White County in northeastern Georgia is 1 16MM03 700 U.S. Climate Response Network can be Crystalline-rock completed in the crystalline-rock aquifer. Water is stored in accessed online at http://groundwaterwatch. GA 2 600 the regolith and fractures, and the water level is affected by Upper 02223500 1,548 AL Dublin usgs.gov/. Floridan Blank where 500 precipitation and evapotranspiration (Cressler and others, FL 21T001 3 37P116 data missing 400 1983). Precipitation can cause a rapid water-level rise in wells 02224500 1,546 4 02202600 300 tapping aquifers overlain by thin regolith (Peck and others, 5 200 2013). The water level in well 16MM03 responds to seasonal

13M007 02203518 1,544 Depth to water level 6 100 Daily mean discharge, change similarly to streamflow at the nearby streamgage on the 02203559 02330450 in cubic feet per second EXPLANATION below land surface, in feet 7 0 in Helen, Georgia (station no. 02330450), [Top graphs] 07H002 13J004 Elevation above NGVD 29, in feet which indicates atmospheric, surface-water, and groundwater Groundwater levels 02353500 14 07H003 10G313 interactions. Normal conditions continued in the 2014 WY, and Range of minimum and maximum 02356000 12 02176930 historical daily means Bainbridge 10 the daily-mean water levels fluctuated above and below the Historical daily median 8 Blank historical daily median throughout the water year. In December, 6 2014 daily mean where the area received more than 12 inches of precipitation and 0 30 60 MILES in inches 4 data Daily mean stream discharge precipitation, Total monthly 2 missing new maximum daily-mean water levels were observed on 2013 2014 0 30 60 KILOMETERS [Data from U.S. Geological Survey, 2014d; 0 several days. NGVD 29, National Geodetic Vertical Datum O ND J F M A M JJ A S of 1929] 2013 2014

Well 07H003, Miller County Well 37P116, Chatham County 157 –10 9,000 4.0 6.0 200 Well 07H003 in Miller County in southwestern Georgia is 8,000 3.5 6.5 37P116 completed in the surficial aquifer, which is an unconfined 07H003 02203559 167 7,000 3.0 7.0 aquifer in this area (Peck and others, 2013). Water levels in 0 150 Well 37P116 in Chatham County in southeastern Georgia is 6,000 2.5 7.5 completed in the surficial aquifer. In most cases, water levels this well usually rise rapidly during wet periods and decline 5,000 177 10 2.0 8.0 100 rise rapidly during wet periods and decline slowly during dry slowly during dry periods. The water level in well 07H003 4,000 1.5 8.5 periods. The water level in well 37P116 responds to seasonal responds to seasonal change similarly to streamflow at the 3,000 nearby streamgage on at Milford, 187 20 1.0 9.0 50 change similarly to streamflow at the nearby streamgage on 02353500 2,000 Depth to water level Depth to water level Daily mean discharge, Daily mean discharge, Peacock Creek near McIntosh, Georgia (station no. 02203559),

in cubic feet per second 0.5 9.5 Georgia (station no. 02357000), which indicates atmospheric, 1,000 in cubic feet per second below land surface, in feet surface-water, and groundwater interactions. The water 197 below land surface, in feet 30 0 0 10.0 0 which indicates atmospheric, surface-water, and groundwater Elevation above NGVD 29, in feet Elevation above NGVD 29, in feet level in well 07H003 was above the historical daily median interactions. The water level in well 37P116 fluctuated above 16 10 at the start of the 2014 WY. New maximum daily-mean water and below the historical daily median throughout the water 02353500 8 levels were recorded during the month of May after the 12 02203518 year. New minimum daily-mean water levels were observed a 6 area received more than 13 inches of rain in April. The water 8 few days in December 2013; new maximum daily-mean water 4 levels were observed for a few days in April 2014. in inches

level slowly declined below the historical daily median from in inches 4 precipitation, precipitation, Total monthly 2 July through September Total monthly 0 0 O ND J F M A M JJ A S O ND J F M A M JJ A S 2013 2014 2013 2014

4 5 Lakes and Reservoirs 1067.92 feet on September 24, the lowest Allatoona Lake recorded elevation for the water year. Full 150,000 850 Major lakes and reservoirs throughout pool elevation in September is 1,071 feet. Lake SC Georgia are managed primarily by the 840 Sidney Hartwell Lake West Point Dam provides flood 100,000 Lanier U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Georgia protection and hydroelectric power to Troup Richard B 830 Weiss Allatoona Russell Lake Power Company in providing water for County, Georgia, and the dam’s construction Lake Lake J Strom public and industrial use, flood protection, 50,000 Atlanta was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 820 Thurmond power generation, wildlife management, and 1962 (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2014c). Lake Lake recreation. To help manage lakes and reservoirs, West Sinclair During the 2014 WY, the water level of West 0 810 Point tools such as computer models rely on real-time Lake Point Dam remained either above or just Hartwell Lake GEORGIA USGS streamflow data to predict changes in below the top of conservation pool. 10,000 670 climatic conditions and water demands. Allatoona Lake, on the , is Savannah 8,000 n Lake Sidney Lanier on the Chattahoochee 660 Walter F a managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers e River is the primary drinking-water source George c 6,000 O Mobile District as a primary drinking-water Lake c i for Metropolitan Atlanta. Lake Sidney Lanier 650 AL t source for surrounding counties, as a flood n 4,000 a l is the farthest upstream reservoir in a series control mechanism, and for hydropower FL t of reservoirs that include , 640 A generation. During the 2014 WY, total inflow 2,000 Walter F. George Lake, and Lake Seminole. was nearly equal to total outflow, and the water (Jim Woodruff) 0 630 For the 2014 WY, total inflow was nearly level of Allatoona Lake remained either above equal to the total outflow and the water-level Lake Sidney Lanier or just below the top of conservation pool. 150,000 1,075 elevation remained near full pool. In August Hartwell Lake is on the border between and September, the water-level was lowered Georgia and South Carolina on the Savannah as inflows declined, and the elevation was and Tugaloo Rivers, and it is the most upstream 100,000 1,065 major reservoir on the . Water Lake SC is released to two downstream reservoirs: the 50,000 1,055 Sidney Hartwell Richard B. Russell and J. Strom Thurmond Richard B Lakes. These three lakes on the Savannah Weiss Allatoona Russell Lake Lake River are managed by the U.S. Army Corps of 0 1,045 Lake J Strom Atlanta

Thurmond Engineers Savannah District for water supply, in cubic feet per second monthly inflow and outflow, Total West Point Lake 350,000 640 Lake Lake power generation, and the water-quality needs West Sinclair 300,000 Point of the Savannah River from below Thurmond 635 Lake Dam to Savannah, Georgia, and the Atlantic 250,000

GEORGIA Datum of 1929 elevation, in feet above National Geodetic Vertical Water-level Ocean (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2014a). 200,000 630 Savannah For the 2014 WY, total inflow was nearly 150,000 625 n Walter F a equal to total outflow, and the water-level 100,000 e George c 620 O elevation remained near full pool. In August Lake 50,000 c i AL t and September, the water level in Hartwell Lake n 0 615 a l FL t lowered as inflows declined. The elevation OND JFMAM JJAS A 2013 2014 Lake Seminole declined to 656.35 feet on September 24 (Jim Woodruff) (3.65 feet below full pool) making it the EXPLANATION lowest recorded elevation for the water year. Inflow EXPLANATIONLake water level Inflow InflowTop andof conservation outflow data pool Outflow from U.S. Army Corps Outflow of Engineers (2014b) Inflow and outflow data from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (2014b) References Cited Peck, M.F., Gordon, D.W., and Painter, J.A., 2013, Groundwater conditions in Georgia, 2010–2011: Lake water level Cressler, C.W., 1964, Geology and ground-water resources U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Top of conservation pool of Walker County, Georgia: Georgia Geologic Report 2013–5084, 63 p. [Also available at U.S. Geological Survey, 2014b, Annual Water Data Report: Survey Information Circular no. 29; 15 p., accessed http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2013/5084/.] U.S. Geological Survey Web page, accessed August 1, 2015, at https://epd.georgia.gov/sites/epd. February 17, 2016, at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/. georgia.gov/files/related_files/site_page/IC-29.pdf. Shaffer, K.H., 2013, U.S. Geological Survey water resources Internet tools: U.S. Geological Survey U.S. GeologicalFigure Survey, 5. 2014c, WaterWatch—Current Cressler, C.W., Thurmond, C.J., and Hester, W.G., 1983, Fact Sheet 2013–3072, 2 p., accessed July 1, 2014, water resources in Georgia: U.S. Geological Groundwater in the greater Atlanta region, Georgia: at http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2013/3072/. Survey Web page, accessed December 1, 2014, at Georgia Geological Survey Information Circular no. 63, http://waterwatch.usgs.gov/index.php?r=ga&id=pa07d. 144 p. [Also available at http://ga.water.usgs.gov/ U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2014a, Hartwell Dam U.S. Geological Survey, 2014d, USGS groundwater publications/ggs/ic-63/.] and Lake: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District Web page, accessed December 1, 2014, at watch: Office of Groundwater, U.S. Geological Cunningham, W.L., Geiger, L.H., and Karavitis, G.A., http://www.sas.usace.army.mil/About/Divisionsand Survey Web page, accessed December 1, 2014, at 2007, U.S. Geological Survey ground-water Climate Offices/OperationsDivision/HartwellDamandLake.aspx. http://groundwaterwatch.usgs.gov/. Response Network: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2007–3003, 4 p., accessed July 1, 2015, at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2014b, Lake elevations, http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2007/3003/. inflows and outflows, accessed December 1, 2014, By Andrew E. Knaak, Paul D. Ankcorn, at http://water.sas.usace.army.mil/cf/DataQuery/ and Michael F. Peck Dunkley, N., 2015, 2014 Annual EPD Air Quality Report: DataQuery.cfm. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environ- For more information contact: mental Protection Division, accessed August 1, 2015, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2014c, West Point Lake: Director, South Atlantic Water Science Center at http://amp.georgiaair.org/annualreports.shtml. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, U.S. Geological Survey accessed December 1, 2014, at http://www.sam. Langbein, W.B., and Iseri, Kathleen T., 1960, General usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Recreation/ 720 Gracern Road introduction and hydrologic definitions: U.S. Geological WestPointLake.aspx. Columbia, SC 29210 Survey Water-Supply Paper 1541–A, 29 p., accessed August 1, 2015, at https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ U.S. Geological Survey, 1975, Hydrologic unit map—1974, http://www.usgs.gov/water/southatlantic/ wsp1541A. State of Georgia: U.S. Geological Survey Numbered Series 10, scale 1:500,000, 1 plate. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2014, 2014 precipitation maps for Georgia— U.S. Geological Survey, 2014a, National Water Information 1Water year is the period October 1 through Yearly—Water Year— Advanced Hydrologic Prediction System—Web Interface: U.S. Geological Survey, Water September 30 and is designated by the year in which Service: National Weather Service Web page, accessed Resources Web page, accessed December 1, 2014, at it ends. For example, the 2014 water year began on December 1, 2014, at http://water.weather.gov/precip. http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis. October 1, 2013, and ended on September 30, 2014. ISSN 2327– 6932 (online) 6 http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/fs20163016