Sustainable Water Management Plan MAY 13, 2015 Approved for general release by the Governing Board of ACF Stakeholders, Inc. Acknowledgements This Sustainable Water Management Plan would not have been possible without the commitment and contributions of many individuals and the financial contributions of generous donors. ACFS members volunteered their time, expertise, and talents over the past five years. ACFS Governing Board members recognize Brad Currey for leading the fundraising effort, the multiple organizations and individuals who contributed to the development of this Plan and the current and former individual ACFS members whose efforts laid the groundwork for success. Special thanks to Brad Moore, Chair, and Gordon Rogers, Vice Chair, of the Technical Oversight and Coordination Work Group (TOCWG) who helped guide the development of this Plan. Special thanks also go to Mark Masters for keeping ACFS on a steady course. Executive Committee Members (May 2015) Apalachicola Flint Middle Chattahoochee Upper Chattahoochee Dan Tonsmeire Woody Hicks Billy Turner Jim McClatchey Bill McCartney Charles Stripling Greg Elmore Wilton Rooks TOCWG Members (May 2015) Apalachicola Flint Middle Chattahoochee Upper Chattahoochee Dan Tonsmeire Jim Poff Steve Davis Laura Hartt Chad Taylor Gordon Rogers Brad Moore Danny Johnson Dave McLain Woody Hicks James Emery Jerri Russell ACFS Governing Board Members (May 2015) James Lee Adams Lee Garner Charles McClellan Jerri Russell Bruce Ballister Vince Falcione Ward McDaniel Carole Rutland Craig Brinkley Kevin Farrell Bob McKinney Robin Singletary Casey Cox Shannon Hartsfield Dave McLain Charles Stripling Mike Criddle Laura Hartt Tom Morgan Chad Taylor Brad Currey John Heath Brad Moore George Taylor, Jr. Tom Daly Woody Hicks Timothy Morse Tim Thoms Jimmy Davis Billy Houston Glenn Page Dick Timmerberg Steve Davis Katie Kirkpatrick Jim Phillips Dan Tonsmeire Greg Elmore George Martin Tim Perkins Billy Turner James Emery Roger Martin Jim Poff Gary Ulrich Page Estes Todd Massey Kelly Randall Betty Webb Greg Euston Billy Mayes Gordon Rogers Katherine Zitsch Bill McCartney Wilton Rooks James McClatchey Marilyn Royal SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE ACF BASIN MAY 13, 2015 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Funding Contributors A Friend of ACF Stakeholders Florida Riparian County Stakeholder Brian Brown AFLAC Foundation Coalition Carole Rutland AGL Resources Private Foundation Rock-Tenn Company CCT & Associates, Inc. (Chad Taylor) Alabama Power Sartain Lanier Family Foundation Dan Tonsmeire American Peanut Growers Southern Nuclear David Dixon American Proteins SunTrust - Rich Memorial Fund Deron Davis Brad Currey SunTrust - Thomas Guy Woolford Frank Stephens Bradley-Turner Foundation Charitable Trust Friends of Lake Eufaula Callaway Foundation SW GA Farm Credit Gina and Gordon Rogers Coca-Cola Foundation The Kendeda Fund Glenn Page Columbus Water Works The Waterfall Foundation, Inc Jerri Russell Community Foundation of Atlanta Thomas K. Glenn, II (via Community Jim McClatchey Correll Family Foundation Foundation) Jim Phillips Cousins Properties Total Systems Services Jim Poff Cox Foundation Tri Rivers Waterway Development John A. Heath Georgia Power Association Marilyn Royal Goodrich Foundation Tull Charitable Foundation Mark H. Masters Imlay Foundation Turner Foundation, Inc Robert B. Ragland Foundation, Inc. MeadWestvaco Wendell S. Reilly (RFP Fund) Robin Singletary Morgens West Foundation Robert W. Woodruff Foundation Steve Davis Munson Foundation King and Spalding Stripling, Inc. (Charles Stripling) Oglethorpe Power Corporation Betty Webb Tim Thoms Procter and Gamble Billy R. Mayes Wilton Rooks R. Howard Dobbs, Jr. Foundation Billy Turner Ray C. Anderson Foundation Brad Moore Facilitation and Technical Team Gail Bingham, RESOLVE; Aris Georgakakos, GWRI; Marty Kelly and Pam Latham, Atkins; Martin Kistenmacher, GWRI; Mark Masters; Robert Osborne, B&V; Kristin Rowles, Policy Works; Steve Simpson, B&V. SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE ACF BASIN MAY 13, 2015 Out of the hills of Habersham, Down the valleys of Hall, I hurry amain to reach the plain, Run the rapid and leap the fall, Split at the rock and together again, Accept my bed, or narrow or wide, And flee from folly on every side, With a lover's pain to attain the plain, Far from the hills of Habersham, Far from the valleys of Hall. —Sidney Lanier The Song of the Chattahoochee Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................. I ACRONYMS AND DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................ III EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................... 1 The ACFS Vision ......................................................................................................................... 1 The Audience ............................................................................................................................. 2 Development of the Plan ........................................................................................................... 2 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 3 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION: A VISION OF SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE ACF BASIN ....................................................................................... 8 The Challenges ........................................................................................................................... 8 ACF Stakeholders - A New Approach ......................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER 2. PLAN PURPOSE, METHODOLOGY AND ORGANIZATION ............................... 12 Purpose .................................................................................................................................... 12 Process and Methodology ....................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER 3. UNDERSTANDING THE ACF BASIN ................................................................ 22 ACF Basin ................................................................................................................................. 22 Instream Flows and Lake Levels ............................................................................................... 25 Consumptive Water Use .......................................................................................................... 27 Current Water Management ................................................................................................... 30 CHAPTER 4. UNDERSTANDING STAKEHOLDER NEEDS AND CONCERNS ........................... 40 CHAPTER 5. FINDINGS ..................................................................................................... 45 Baseline Conditions: The Effects of Evaporation, Dam Operation and Consumptive Use ...... 45 Round One Modeling: The Effects of Water Management Alternatives ................................. 47 Round Two Modeling: Optimizing for Stakeholder Interests .................................................. 54 Predictive Drought Management ............................................................................................ 57 Apalachicola Bay and Estuary Assessment .............................................................................. 57 CHAPTER 6. RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................. 62 THEME 1 Achieve Sustainable Use and Return ....................................................................... 63 THEME 2 Improve Water Storage and Control Operations .................................................... 72 THEME 3 Target Dry and Drought Years ................................................................................. 77 THEME 4 Advance Scientific and Technical Knowledge for Future Decisions ........................ 81 THEME 5 Strengthen Basin Coordination ............................................................................... 88 CHAPTER 7. IMPLEMENTATION ....................................................................................... 93 APPENDIX A: PERFORMANCE METRICS ............................................................................. 99 APPENDIX B: STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES .................................................................... 100 Geographic Stakeholder Interests ......................................................................................... 100 Stakeholder Interests by Interest Group Category ................................................................ 115 SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE ACF BASIN MAY 13, 2015 | i TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLES Table 2-1 Final Optimization Run Scenarios Modeled ................................................... 19 Table 3-1 ACF Basin Main-Stem Dams ........................................................................... 23 Table 3-2 Revised Interim Operating Plan releases to the Apalachicola River (USFWS 2012) ................................................................................................. 35 Table 5-1 Final Optimization Run Scenarios Modeled ................................................... 56 Table 5-2 Scenario Ranking by Station and by Oyster Region ........................................ 60 Table 5-3 Cat Point Station