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How Much Water Is in the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and Flint Rivers, and How Much Is Used?

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How Much Water Is in the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and Flint Rivers, and How Much Is Used? How Much Water Is in the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and Flint Rivers, and How Much Is Used? Questions of how much water is in the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and Flint Streamflow and Water Use Change with Location (ACF) Rivers and how much is used do not have simple answers. The answers Streamflow generally Chattahoochee depend on the location in the river basin increases with basin size in Georgia rivers, becoming and on the year and season (as discussed ALABAMA GEORGIA greater in the downstream on the first two pages of this fact sheet). direction with cumulative Apalachicola Location is important because as one Flint added flows from tributaries moves from upstream to downstream Lake FL plus ground water. Water ORID Sidney G A in a typical river, additions to stream- ulf Lanier withdrawn from a river reach of M o flow from tributaries plus ground water exic and not returned (consumptive and subtractions of streamflow from water use) is consumptive use are cumulative, with unavailable for increasing total amounts in the down- Atlanta all downstream reaches. The stream direction. Time is important GA because streamflow and consumptive use AL cumulative con- sumptive use can vary by hundreds of percent from West also increases year to year and season to season at a Point in the down- given location; consumptive use typically Lake Photograph by Paul D. Ankcorn, USGS stream direction. West Point is highest during droughts and summer C The type of water use also h a t months when streamflow typically is low. t changes with location. In the a h o o ACF River Basin, the largest Consumptive use is defined herein as the c h e consumptive uses are difference between the amount of water e R public water supply in the i v withdrawn from and the amount returned e r upper part of the basin and to a river. These amounts depend on sev- irrigation in the lower part. eral factors, particularly the type of water use, which varies from region to region During July 2000, average (as discussed on the third page). Stream- streamflow (left, blue bar) flow during low-flow periods comes and cumulative consumptive use (left, purple bar) reflect primarily from ground water and can Albany extreme drought conditions. r be affected by ground-water pumping e iv This was the lowest July R (as discussed on the last page). t n streamflow in Apalachicola li This fact sheet uses detailed consump- F River leaving Lake Seminole tive water-use data for 1994–2001 that AL since recordkeeping began are not available for most watersheds FL there during 1929; though other months have had even in Georgia (Fanning, 2003; U.S. Army Lake EXPLANATION Seminole GA lower streamflow. Extreme r Million gallons per Corps of Engineers [USACE], 2004; e FL iv day, July 2000—Blue, droughts are rare but recurring James Hathorn, USACE, written com- R la average streamflow; and are the focus of water o c purple, cumulative mun., December 2006). The year 2000 is i management and planning. h c consumptive use a used herein for several examples because l a p 200 500 of the available consumptive-use data A and because this was an extreme drought 2,000 year. Additional research and informa- N 4,000 tion (as discussed on the last page) are needed to support reliable, fact-based Streamgage water management and planning for the 0 20 40 60 MILES Georgia Comprehensive Statewide Water 0 20 40 60 KILOMETERS USGS Photograph by Alan M. Cressler, Management Plan (accessed March 2007 Center-pivot irrigation at http://www.gadnr.org/gswp/). U.S. Department of the Interior Fact Sheet 2007–3034 U.S. Geological Survey April 2007 Streamflow and Water Use Change Year to Year... 90 Rainfall at West Point, Georgia (USHCN, 2007) 80 Streamflow yield of Chattahoochee River at West Point, Georgia 70 60 50 Average rainfall 40 30 Average streamflow 20 1896–2002 10 Average streamflow 1999–2002 0 RAINFALL AND STREAMFLOW YIELD, IN INCHES 1896 1900 1905 1910 1915 1920 1925 1930 1935 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 Streamflow changes from year to year, often by large amounts, with changing annual rainfall. Thus, long-term average streamflow is not a good measure of the reliability of a water supply. Average streamflow for the driest four consecutive years (1999 –2002) since 1896 is only 59 percent of the long-term average streamflow for the Chattahoochee River at West Point. Also, the percentage of 1999–2001 rainfall that becomes streamflow is lower in dry years because of increased (drought conditions) evapotranspiration, soil infiltration, and other factors. Average streamflow yield (streamflow divided by the basin area) was only 29 percent of the average rainfall West Point, Georgia 1996–1998 Streamflow from 1999 to 2002, compared to 50 percent during the 4 years of highest streamflow (wetter than Cumulative from 1900 to 1903. Rainfall at West Point is related to, but is not the same as, rainfall average conditions) consumption across the entire Chattahoochee River Basin above West Point. The Chattahoochee River has been regulated upstream from West Point by Lake Lanier since 1956 and by West Point Lake since 1974. While these reservoirs affect daily, monthly, and seasonal streamflow, they have little effect on annual streamflow at West Point. Consumptive water use also changes from year to year, with increased use during dry years primarily for increased irrigation. During the 1999 –2001 drought years, cumulative consumptive use above West Point was about 60 percent greater than during the previous 3 wetter-than-average years. This represents an increase of about 230 percent in consumptive use relative to streamflow, because streamflow decreases (smaller overall pie) while consumptive use increases during drought years. ...and Seasonally Streamflow changes seasonally in unregulated A. Flint River at Albany, Georgia B. Chattahoohee River at West Point, Georgia 4,000 streams such as the Flint River at Albany, Annual average 1896–2005 Georgia (A, at right), where average streamflow Annual average 1902–2005 from June to August 2000 was only 34 percent of 3,000 Annual the annual average for 2000 and only 14 percent Annual average of the long-term average. Streamflow changes average 2000 can be moderated by reservoir operations that 2,000 2000 store water during wet months and release STREAMFLOW, IN STREAMFLOW, additional water during dry months, as for the 1,000 Chattahoochee River at West Point (B). MILLION GALLONS PER DAY Consumptive use also is seasonal and increases 0 during dry summer months. Cumulative con- sumptive use from the Flint River above Albany, C. Flint River Basin above Albany D. Chattahoochee River Basin above West Point 350 Georgia, is primarily for irrigation, and average Agricultural consumptive use during June and July 2000 300 Annual Municipal, average was more than 2.2 times the annual average for 250 industrial, 2000 2000 (C). Cumulative consumptive use from the commercial Chattahoochee River above West Point is primarily 200 Annual nonagricultural, and average consumptive 150 average use during June and July 2000 was more than 2000 100 1.5 times the annual average for 2000 (D). The annual and seasonal variability of streamflow 50 IN MILLION GALLONS PER DAY and the fact that consumptive use increases CONSUMPTIVE USE, CUMULATIVE 0 during times of decreased streamflow are critical J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D considerations in water-management planning. 2000 2000 What Is Consumptive Use? Surface-water withdrawals and returns, Chattahoochee River Basin above West Point, Georgia 1,200 Consumptive water use for a river can be defined simply as the difference Withdrawals Returns 1,000 Consumptive use between the amount of water with- equals withdrawals drawn and the amount of water 800 minus returns returned to that river. This water remains in the hydrologic cycle, but is 600 no longer available to the stream during an accounting period. Consumed water 400 may include evapotranspiration (as for 200 IN MILLION GALLONS PER DAY irrigation and some septic tank usage), AND RETURNS, WITHDRAWALS interbasin transfers, or ground-water 0 recharge. The cumulative consumptive Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec use for a specific river reach is not only 2000 the water withdrawn from that reach, but the sum of all water consumed 58 percent of water withdrawals for sewer overflows. The data shown here upstream from that location. nonthermoelectric-power water uses. (from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2004) contain estimated values for some Estimated monthly consumption for Surface-water withdrawal data have unreported withdrawals and returns, the Chattahoochee River Basin above been collected and compiled for and have unknown accuracy. The lack West Point during 2000 varied from nonagricultural use for several years of reliable water-use data is a major 18 to 34 percent of water withdrawals in Georgia. Return-flow data can be hindrance to water management and for all water uses, and from 35 to inflated by contributions from combined planning in Georgia. How Are Streamflow Withdrawals Used? Streamflow withdrawals during 2000, in million gallons per day Streamflow is withdrawn for different EXPLANATION EXPLANATION uses that tend to be focused in specific Public supply Agriculture regions. Public-supply water with- 0 to 6 0 to 3 7 to 18 4 to 7 drawals are greatest in population 19 to 52 8 to 11 centers in the upper part of the ACF 53 to 91 12 to 15 River Basin, and supply primarily 92 to 415 16 to 25 ACF River domestic, commercial, and industrial Basin uses.
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