Transcript No Slide Title

Georgia Water Supply
Situation Report
Dr. Jim Hook
National Environmentally Sound Production
Agriculture Laboratory
May 8, 2001
Southeastern Turfgrass Conference, Tifton
Fundamental Water Supply
Rainfall
45 to 50 inches annually
Fundamental Water Supply
Rainfall at 30 locations South Central Ga
Inches
Fundamental Water Supply
Rainfall at 30 locations South Central Ga
River Transport/Supply System
River Transport/Supply System
River Transport/Supply System
River Transport/Supply System
River Transport/Supply System
River Transport/Supply System
River Transport/Supply System
River Transport/Supply System
River Transport/Supply System
River Transport/Supply System
River Storage System
River Storage System
River Storage System
River Storage System
River Storage System
Current vs normal lake levels
Allatoona 841 ft now/840 ft avg
Carters 1073/1074
Lanier 1061/1070
Thurmond 325/329
Hartwell 654/660
All Hartwell inflow deficits from 1998 total 2 million
acre ft equivalent to 40 lake elevation drop
Drought
Drought
Groundwater System
Transport/Storage/Supply
Groundwater System
Transport/Storage/Supply
Groundwater System
Transport/Storage/Supply
Groundwater System
Transport/Storage/Supply
Groundwater System
Transport/Storage/Supply
Groundwater System
Transport/Storage/Supply
Groundwater System
Transport/Storage/Supply
Floridan Aquifer at Sylvester
1998-2001 Drought
• 2000 Drought rules extended by EPD
– Outdoor water restrictions April 2001 reminder
– 15 County Metro Area
• Total ban 10 am-10 pm
• Nighttime/early morning on odd/even
– Statewide non-metro
• Total ban 4 pm-10 pm
• Nighttime/early morning on odd/even
– Possible total outdoor water bans some
suppliers/regions
1998-2001 Drought
• Drought rules
– As written little impact on total water consumption for
lawns and recreational areas
•
•
•
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Maintain water pressure (fire fighting)
Minimize use during peak commercial use times
Force use to higher efficiency application times
May make disease problems worse
– Other Restrictions
• Inverted Rate structure
• Total outdoor watering bans
– Agriculture vs Urban Ag/green industry tensions
• Remove golf courses from agriculture permitting
• Home lawn care vs sod farms
• Urban vs rural economic impacts
Drought
• Drought Declaration by March 1 by EPD
– Weather forecasts, Stream conditions,
Groundwater levels
– Go/No Go
– EPD sets target levels for acreage reductions
(determine acres that can be safely irrigated
that year)
– 33,000 acres in Flint at an average $135/ac
– “To avoid unreasonable impacts on river flows”
EPD Imposes Ag Permit Freeze
Freeze on NEW water withdrawal
permits from the Floridan
Aquifer in the Dougherty Plain –
after November 30, 1999
2700 Pending applications
>1000 Permits by Dec 2000
>1000 applications being held
Fines imposed on well drillers who
attempt to drill without EPD
Letter of Concurrence.
EPD site visit upon installation
before permit is issued.
How much water did farmers use
Regional Water Development and Conservation Plan
1.
2.
3.
4.
Ag Water Pumping – Statewide monitoring
AWP II – Automated monitoring in the
Dougherty Plain – well source irrigation only
Extension triennial survey
USGS/EPD 5 year report on all water uses in the
State & Nation.
Acres of irrigation systems
1,600,000
1,400,000
1,200,000
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
0
1970 1975 1977 1980 1982 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998
2000 Extension Irrigation Survey:
1,492,980 acres
2000 Extension Irrigation Survey
• 9564 Pivots covering 1,090,200 acres
• 3157 travelers covering 227,000 acres
• 2010 drip systems covering 74,000 acres
• 61% use groundwater (increasing)
• 39% rely on surface water
• 20,200 EPD Agricultural withdrawal permits
2000 Crop Wate r Use
Golf Courses
Sod Farms
Field Nursery
Pecan
Vegetables
Soybean
Tobacco
Peanut
Cotton
Corn
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Irrigation (in.)
2000 Extension Irrigation Survey
All Water Use – Annualized
200
150
100
50
0
Irrigation
Mun&Pub
Private
Industry
Equivalent Surface Flow for Irrigation
Source
Irr Flow
GW (mgd)
68
Irr Flow
May-Sep
165
SW (mgd)
59
142
355
W2P (mgd)
24
58
145
SW (cfs)
91
220
550
With/Alap
500
annualized
Irr Flow
Max-1 mo
412
Apportioning Water Among States
ACT/ACF Compact
Negotiations
Extended to
June 15, 2001
Mediator
Settlement nore likely
than January
Not ideal for farmers
Saltwater Intrusion
Interim Strategy – 1997
Floridan aquifer
Countywide Planning
Dec 31, 2000
Scientific Studies
Cap established for
regional withdrawals
Permits being debited to
the GW account
Maintaining Stream
Flows
Flint River Basin
8640 sq. mi., 330 mile river
Clayton, Fayette, Spalding, Henry
Dougherty, Lee
Agriculture (23%) irrigation
Forests (63%)
Wetlands (10%)
Water quality & aquatic habitat
Restrictions on Permitted
Withdrawals 1997-2001
• Cap on total withdrawals in the Coastal Zone
• Forced reduction in permitted withdrawals in
selected Coastal Communities
• County based water use planning
• Freeze on new agricultural permits in the
Dougherty Plain
• On-site verification of permits
• Studies on water use, hydrology, economic and
water laws
• Consideration of irrigation buyout
2001-2002 Action
• SR 142 - creates a Joint House-Senate Study
Committee and a Water Plan Advisory
Committee for development of a Georgia
Comprehensive Water Plan.
• SB 130 Metropolitan North Georgia Water
Planning District – regional water planning
district (Clean Water Initiative)
• SR 85 Georgia Water Bill of Rights
• A Georgia Drought Management Plan will be
completed by July 1, 2001
• Challenges to water rights by Power Companies
Future for Water
WATER
CONSERVATION