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State water plan unveiled
Reaction across the state was varied with some claiming its proposals - including a limited, temporary moratorium on interbasin transfers - do not go far enough to prevent the metro Atlanta area's "water grab" for future unbridled growth. The long-awaited 75-page document is a draft copy of a comprehensive plan proposed for providing adequate water for a growing population while protecting river systems and groundwater from pollution. The 14-member water council will begin reviewing the document over the next few weeks. Starting in mid-July, the agency hopes to get its first public input on the issue through its website, with a formal public hearing process to take place across the state later this summer. The first draft of Georgia's Water Resources: A Blueprint for the Future is available for public review online at www.georgiawatercouncil. org. The final plan is expected to be approved by the council in December, and presented to the General Assembly during the 2008 legislative session. The plan is the result of a 2004 Georgia statute requiring the creation of the state's first comprehensive water management plan. The EPD was charged with the responsibility of developing the draft plan and submitting it to the Water Council, which was also created by the statute. The overall vision for state water management is "to manage 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." "Georgia's current approach to water management has evolved in a piecemeal fashion over several decades, mainly through reactions to federal legislative mandates and localized and immediate water issues such as drought," the report states. "However, as the population and economy of the state grow and the demands on our water resources increase, a comprehensive approach to water management will be necessary." The plan includes a limited, temporary moratorium on interbasin transfer of "raw water" and emphasis on conservation, water quality and reservoirs. The proposed "moratorium" would only be "until sustainable yield assessments have been completed for the affected water sources... and water development and conservation plans have been completed for the affected water planning regions." Regional water planning councils will use population and employment estimates to forecast water needs for their areas. From the forecasts, a plan will be created and proposed to the EPD. After the plan is adopted by the agency, it would be implemented and the EPD will make water permitting decisions based on those plans.The plan calls for a thorough scientific understanding of the state's surface and groundwater resources. It includes an overview of the state's 14 river basins, including the Chattahoochee River basin. Chattahoochee River basin The Chattahoochee River covers 8,770 square miles, 70 percent of which lie in Georgia. The first major impoundment on the river is Lake Lanier, which at 38,542 acres is the largest reservoir located wholly in Georgia. Thirteen dams are used for a variety of purposes, including hydropower, water supply and recreation. The use of water in the Chattahoochee River Basin has been the subject of a water dispute between Alabama, Florida and Georgia. A future agreement between the states may limit the amount of water communities in Georgia can withdraw from the Chattahoochee and Flint river basins. The Chattahoochee River is the most utilized drinking water source in the state with 488 mgd withdrawn. The portion of the basin north of Columbus does not have sufficient groundwater resources to support municipal and industrial uses, leaving the state's largest metropolitan area dependent on the river water to meet supply needs. In the southern part of the basin, groundwater can meet water supply needs. Withdrawals for industrial purposes averaged 110 mgd between 1999 and 2004. Approximately 70 mgd of water withdrawn from the Chattahoochee surface waters is used outside of basin boundaries. Agricultural water use constitutes a small portion of total demand in the basin. Between 1999 and 2004, withdrawals for agricultural purposes averaged 100 mgd during the summer. Power plants account for approximately 44% of water withdrawals in the basin. Georgia Power operates three fossil fuel plants: McDonough- Atkinson in Cobb County, the Yates plant in Coweta County and the Wansley Plant in Heard County. Between 1999 and 2004, these facilities, representing close to 20% of Georgia Power's generating capacity, withdrew up to 530 mgd. All but 68 mgd is returned to the source. The Farley Nuclear Plant near Dothan in Alabama and the Scholz fossil fuel plant in Sneads, Florida also use water from the Chattahoochee. The Chattahoochee River Basin contains some of the most popular recreation areas in the Southeast. The most wellknown is Lake Lanier, which receives more than 16 million visitors each year. The Corps of Engineers manages 46 different park areas, and surrounding county and city governments also lease land for local parks. A 48-mile segment of the Chattahoochee River in the metro Atlanta area was designated a National Recreation Area in 1978. The series of parks along this stretch provides city residents the opportunity to hike, fish, or picnic along the river. Fishing opportunities throughout the basin have a vital economic significance to many of Georgia's cities and towns. Lake Lanier, West Point Lake and Lake Seminole host major bass tournaments each year which bring large numbers of visitors to local businesses. The Chattahoochee River has been used for hydroelectric power production for over 150 years. The first hydroelectric dam, the Eagle Phenix Dam, was built in 1834 and operated until recently. There are now eleven hydropower facilities on the river. Four hydroelectric facilities are operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Buford Dam, below Lake Lanier in northern Gwinnett County,West Point Dam in Troup County, and Walter F. George Lock and Dam near Fort Gaines and the Jim Woodruff dam at lake Seminole. Georgia Power operates seven hydroelectric facilities in the basin, including one in Roswell and six in the ten miles just north of Columbus. The facilities have a combined capacity of close to 320 MW, and are vital to meeting peak energy needs during the summer.
The Chattahoochee River is navigable from the mouth of the Apalachicola in Florida up to Columbus. Since the 1980s, droughts have caused channel depths to drop significantly, and use of the channel has been greatly diminished.
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