Water-Quality Monitoring in Water-quantity and quality information are Ogeechee River at Ga. 24, near Oliver, Ga. 02202190 Georgia in Cooperation with the equally important for insuring adequate water 4,000 Lakes and Reservoirs availability for human consumption, industrial uses, May 21, 2011, reported fish kill Major lakes and reservoirs Georgia Department of Natural and aquatic ecosystems. Streamflow conditions are Sample date 2/10/11 throughout Georgia are managed Lake SC Resources Environmental a primary driver of nonpoint-source-related water Discharge 2,750 ft3/s Sidney Hartwell Lake primarily by the U.S. Army Corps of Lanier quality and the most important component affecting WT 8.0 °C Protection Division (EPD) 3,000 Engineers and Georgia Power Company Richard B water quality in streams (Hirsch and others, 2006). SC 71 µg/L Weiss Russell Lake Extreme Drought: Summary of Hydrologic Conditions Allatoona TSS 9.5 mg/L to provide water for public and industrial Lake Lake The USGS, in cooperation with the The USGS – GaEPD discrete water-quality J Strom BacT-FC 170 MPN use, flood protection, power generation, Atlanta Thurmond Georgia Department of Natural Resources sampling program is designed to collect data in Georgia, 2011 wildlife management, and recreation. Lake Lake Environmental Protection Division (GaEPD), systematically, regardless of hydrologic conditions. West Sinclair collects nearly 1,000 monthly chemical and The graph (top right) shows the water-quality Managing lakes and reservoirs requires Point 2,000 Sample date 1/27/11 The United States Geological Survey flow for several days, including 02314500 U.S. Geological Survey, 2012a) were computer models that rely on USGS Lake nutrient samples and about 800 fecal coliform sampling efforts by the USGS at Ogeechee River 3 GEORGIA Discharge 689 ft /s (USGS) Georgia Water Science Center Suwanee River at U.S. 441 at Fargo, Ga., used to develop this summary. Data for samples at 49 long-term monitoring stations near Oliver, Ga., during the 2011 WY. Samples data to predict changes in climate and WT 6.2 °C Sample date 5/26/11 (GaWSC) maintains a long-term hydrologic for only the fifth time in 79 years of record. WYs 1999–2011 can be accessed online Savannah water demands. across the State in addition to data from were collected throughout the year during periods SC 103 µg/L Discharge 178 ft3/s monitoring network of more than 320 real- at http://ga.water.usgs.gov/publications/ n Lake Sidney Lanier on the Walter F a 3 continuous water-quality monitors. Four fecal of high and low discharges. TSS 3.9 mg/L Streamflow and Groundwater Data e WT 27.8 °C time streamgages, including 10 real-time pubswdr.html. At this Web site, a digital map George c 1,000 Chattahoochee River is the primary O coliform samples typically are collected within The relations between water-quality BacT-FC 40 MPN Lake SC 158 µg/L lake-level monitoring stations and 63 real- Daily, monthly, and yearly streamflow allows the user to search for current and c i drinking-water source for the Atlanta AL t 30 days twice during the May-to-October period constituents and discharge are shown in the graph. TSS 1.3 mg/L n time water-quality monitors. Additionally, the and groundwater statistics from the historical data and graphics collected as part a l metropolitan area. Lake Sidney Lanier t when the standard for water contact applies, and The discrete water-quality sample on February 10 BacT-FC 20 MPN FL Daily mean discharge, in cubic feet per second GaWSC operates more than 180 groundwater of the USGS monitoring network. A 2011 USGS annual data report (ADR; then twice during the November-to-April period during a period of higher discharge, when compared is the most upstream reservoir in a series Lake Seminole wells, 35 of which are real-time. One of the (Jim Woodruff) when the alternate standard applies, which to samples collected during lower discharge of reservoirs that include West Point 0 many benefits from this monitoring network Lake, Walter F. George Lake, and Lake provides the basis for computing the geometric on January 27 and May 26, shows a decline in 8/10 9/29 11/18 1/7 2/26 4/17 6/6 7/26 9/14 11/3 is that the data analyses provide an overview Quarterly Hydrologic Conditions in Georgia for 2011 WY, Based on Drainage Basin Runoff Seminole. Lake Lanier had 24 percent mean fecal coliform density once-quarterly each specific conductance because of the lower amount 2010 2011 of the hydrologic conditions of rivers, creeks, A. 10/01/10– B. 01/01/11– C. 04/01/11– D. 07/01/11– more outflow than inflow during the calendar year. In addition, about 200 quality- of dissolved constituents from rainfall runoff. EXPLANATION Alatoona Lake reservoirs, and aquifers in Georgia. 12/31/10 03/30/11 06/30/11 09/30/11 2011 WY, and the lake elevation fell 120,000 845 assurance samples for all constituents are Conversely, non-dissolved constituents, such as Daily mean discharge Discharge In cubic feet per second (ft3/s) Streamflow data are verified throughout nearly 10 feet from April through Top of collected concurrently to verify the accuracy of total suspended solids and fecal-coliform bacteria, WT Water temperature, in degrees Celsius (° C) 100,000 conservation 840 Discrete water- the year by USGS hydro graphers, and this September. The water-level elevation of pool sampling techniques and analytical methods. increase with rainfall runoff because these constitu- SC Specific conductance, in micrograms per liter (µg/L) 80,000 Water 835 quality sample information is available to water-resource West Point Lake remained near the top level The USGS provides the GaEPD and ents are washed from the land into the stream. TSS Total suspended solids, in milligrams per liter (mg/L) managers, recreationalists, and Federal, State, GEORGIA of conservation pool until May when 60,000 Inflow 830 the public a relevant, nationally consistent The USGS collected additional water-quality BacT-FC Bacteria, total fecal coliform, most probable number and local agencies. Hydrologic conditions are Outflow per 100 milliters of water the lake level dropped nearly 6 feet 40,000 825 database of long-term water-quality data, samples at Ogeechee River near Oliver on May 26 determined by comparing the results of statis- during the remainder of the WY. West 20,000 820 which assists the GaEPD in meeting its after a large fish kill was reported by the GaEPD on 14 12,000 tical analyses of the data collected during the Point Dam provides flood protection and responsibilities under the Clean Water Act, May 21, which was believed to have been Colum- 13 current water year1 (WY) to historical data 0 815 10,000 hydroelectric power to Troup County, including, (1) identifying the beneficial uses naris disease, a bacterial disease related to environ- 12 collected over the period of record. Changing and its construction was authorized by Hartwell Lake of surface waters within the State, (2) estab- mental stressors, such as non-point source pollutants 11 These maps represent hydrologic conditions during EXPLANATION 200,000 662 8,000 hydrologic conditions emphasize the need for the Flood Control Act of 1962 (U.S. lishing water-quality standards to maintain (Georgia Environmental Protection Division, 10 accurate, timely data to help Federal, State the 2011 WY compared to available historical data. The Percentile classes Army Corps of Engineers, 2012c). 150,000 660 the full beneficial uses of surface waters, and 2011b). USGS monitoring data can provide useful 9 6,000 and local officials make informed decisions colors represent runoff (flow per unit area) as a percentile Highest Hartwell Lake is on the border (3) identifying water bodies where stream information for understanding the water-quality 8 of long-term averages. Runoff was calculated for each basin Much above normal, > 90 658 4,000 regarding the management and conservation between Georgia and South Carolina 100,000 standards are not met and beneficial uses are conditions that may be conducive for Columnaris 7 of Georgia’s water resources for agricultural, and assumed to be uniform over the entire basin area. Only Above normal, 76 to 90 in milligrams per liter 656 impaired (Grams, 2011). Water-quality data outbreaks and could be used for predicting and 6 Daily mean discharge, streamflow stations with a complete daily-flow dataset for Normal, 25 to 75 on the Savannah and Tugaloo Rivers. 2,000 in cubic feet per second recreational, ecological, and water-supply needs 50,000 for Georgia streams are available on a publi- possibly avoiding such outbreaks in the future. 5 the 2011 WY were used (U.S. Geological Survey, 2012c). For Below normal, 10 to 24 Hartwell Lake is the most upstream Daily mean dissolved oxygen, GaEPD daily mean dissolved oxygen minimum threshold 654 and for use in protecting life and property. major reservoir on the Savannah River. cally accessible Web site at http://waterdata. The USGS – GaEPD cooperative program 4 0 the first quarter of the 2011 WY (October– December 2010), Much below normal < 10 Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. On August 31, 2011, the Office of the 0 652 usgs.gov/ga/nwis/qw/. much of the State was observing “below normal” and Lowest Water is released to the downstream collects continuous water-quality data at three sites 2010 2011 State Climatologist reported extreme drought reservoirs, Richard B. Russell and Lake Sidney Lanier in Georgia, including USGS station 02337170 conditions in almost all areas of Georgia “much below normal” runoff conditions as a result of 150,000 1,075 J.