High Altitude View of ACF Regional Water Plans

www.georgiawaterplanning.org

Be careful what you ask for!

State Water Plan

2004 Comprehensive State-wide Water Management Planning Act mandated development of state-wide water plan to support a far-reaching vision for water resource management:

"Georgia manages water resources in a sustainable manner to support the state’s economy, to protect public health and natural systems, and to enhance the quality of life for all citizens" (O.C.G.A. 12-5-522(a)).

EPD developed plan with Georgia Water Council oversight

Plan adopted by 2008 General Assembly

Forecasts

Resource Assessments

Regional Planning

Key State-wide Plan Action Items

2008

Summary Schedule

Regional Plan Development

Capacity Analyses

Data & Standards


Planning Guidance

Population, Ag, M&I, &Energy Forecasting

2009 2010 2011 2012

Plan Review

FormCouncils

Implementation

Inputs and Planning Process

PopulationForecast

(OPB/UGA)

Municipal Industrial Agriculture Energy

Council & Ad Hoc Inputs & Adjustments

Water and Wastewater Forecasting

What are current and future water and wastewater demands in each planning region?


Surface Water

Availability

GroundwaterAvailability

Water Quality

(AssimilativeCapacity)

• Develop and run simulation models

• Establish unacceptable impact criteria

• Evaluate current conditions for baseline assessment

• Apply future demand and management practices

What are the capacities of the water resources on which each region relies?


Surface Water Availability Ability of surface water resources to

meet current needs without substantially altering hydrologic

flow regime

Groundwater Availability

Surface Water Quality

Determine sustainable yield of prioritized aquifers

Capacity of surface waters to assimilate pollutants without unacceptable

degradation of water quality

Surface Water Resource Assessment Results

Region Current Results Future Results

Middle Chattahoochee

No “gap” between availability and need in Chattahoochee Gaps in Tallapoosa and Little Tallapoosa

No “gaps” in Chattahoochee; adequate storage available to offset reduced inflows during drought Significant gaps in Tallapoosa and Little Tallapoosa Upper Flint

Small gap at Montezuma


Lower Flint-Ochlockonee

Significant gap at Bainbridge

Gap remains at Bainbridge but no significant increase



No “gap” between availability and need in Chattahoochee Gaps in Tallapoosa and Little Tallapoosa

No “gaps” in Chattahoochee; adequate storage available to offset reduced inflows during drought Significant gaps in Tallapoosa and Little Tallapoosa

Upper FlintSmall gap at Montezuma



Significant gap at Bainbridge

Gap remains at Bainbridge but no significant increase

Groundwater Resource Assessment ResultsRegion Current Results Future Results


Within sustainable yield for Claiborne


Upper Flint

Within sustainable yield for Claiborne & Cretaceous; above sustainable yield for Upper Floridan in Dougherty Plain

Within sustainable yield for Cretaceous; above lower limit of sustainable yield range for Claiborne; above sustainable yield for Upper Floridan in Dougherty Plain


Within sustainable yield for South-Central Upper Floridan; above lower limit of sustainable yield range for Claiborne in dry years; above sustainable yield for Upper Floridan in Dougherty Plain






Upper Flint






Water Quality Resource Assessment ResultsRegion Current Results Future Results




Upper Flint








Most of region has DO assimilative capacity. Point sources contribute more nutrients than non-point.

Some improvement needed in DO assimilative capacity. Nutrient increases will come from point sources.

Upper Flint

Most of region has DO assimilative capacity. Non-point sources contribute more nutrients than point sources.

Some improvement needed in DO assimilative capacity. Nutrient increases will come from point sources. (except Lake Blackshear.)


Most of region has DO assimilative capacity. Non-point sources contribute more nutrients than point.

Improvement in DO assimilative capacity. Nutrient increases will come from point sources.

Vision Statements“Our vision is that our descendants have safe, clean and abundant water to meet their needs in the Middle Chattahoochee Region; seeking to accomplish that through reasonable efforts in cooperation, education, and preservation.” (Middle Chattahoochee)

“The Upper Flint Regional Water Council’s purpose is to provide guidance, leadership and education on water resource utilization within the region….to manage the region's water resources in a sustainable manner, be supportive of public health and natural ecosystems, support the State's economy and enhance the quality of life for its citizens.”

“The LOWER FLINT OCHLOCKONEE Water Planning Council will manage water resources in a sustainable manner to support the region’s economy, to protect public health and natural systems, and to enhance the quality of life for the region’s citizens.”

Priority Management PracticesMCH

• Support Tier 1 and 2 conservation activities

• Encourage point source discharges for major facilities

• Study new and/or enhancement of existing storage reservoirs

• Implement new and/or enhance existing surface water storage

• Utilize and improve upon reservoir release operations

• Advocate for changes to the Corps Water Control Manual

• Improve water quality monitoring

UFL

• Improve agricultural water use metering program

• Suspend irrigation only through Flint River Drought Protection Act

• Evaluate storage options in Upper Flint for supply and flow augmentation

LFO

• Continue improving ag water use efficiency through innovation

• Evaluate reservoir storage options in Flint River Basin for flow augmentation

• Replace surface water withdrawals with groundwater withdrawals

• Continue enforcement of existing permits, regulations and implementation of existing plans and practices

ACF Council’s Joint Recommendations to State

Recognize the critical need for more storage in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) System and recommend that a plan for additional storage be developed

Urge EPD and those involved in the resource assessment modeling to improve upon existing models for future regional water planning

Request that state and federal agencies reevaluate the scientific justification for the minimum flow requirements at Woodruff Dam that are intended to maintain healthy aquatic ecosystems.

Public Comments

www.georgiawaterplanning.org

High Altitude View of ACF Regional Water Plans

Documents

Transcript of High Altitude View of ACF Regional Water Plans