Middle Chattahoochee Middle Chattahoochee

MIDDLE OCMULGEEIV-2Georgia State-wide Water Management PlanDRAFTDAY MONTH YEAR7. Implementing Water Management Practicesand Lake Walter F. George and the potential for degradation of lake waterquality.The Council requests that the Metro North District provide: 1) specific detailsof how the increased nutrient and sediment loads will be mitigated before itreaches the Middle Chattahoochee basin, and 2) provide annual progressreports of nutrient and sediment levels and reduction effectiveness.Finally, the Council recommends a peer review of the lake and watershedmodels to better understand the methodology as it relates to the output andcalibration. Pending the review, the council recommends that the modeloutputs not be utilized for setting water quality standards instream or for anyother regulatory purposes, including point source permitting in the region. TheMay 7, 2009 Metro North District Plan includes ambitious predictions ofreturns to the river for which the Middle Chattahoochee resourceassessments now greatly depend. The Council would like a comprehensiveaudit of these predictions and, ongoing measurement and regular reportingon the progress to achieving these goals. Furthermore, the Council desiresthat such progress be reported in terms of a range of statistical flowsincluding minimum and maximum values of consumptive use.4. Science Based Determination of JWLD Minimum ReleaseEncourage State and Federal Agencies to reevaluate the scientificjustification for required minimum flows below Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam inthe Apalachicola River. It is the opinion of this Council that the 5,000 cubicfeet per second instantaneous flow target in the 1989 Water Control Manual(current operating plan when this plan was published) does not have soundscientific justification. Furthermore, the Council recommends the analysis ofalternative structural hydraulic measures such as temporary weirs, gates,and/or steps to control river stage and sediment transport and scour at orbelow Woodruff Dam in order to protect critical habitat.5. Further Research on Groundwater DevelopmentMIDDLE CHATTAHOOCHEEDuring the 2006-2007 drought, small surface water withdrawals and wellsbecame more common to provide irrigation water to avoid irrigationrestrictions. Because of the abundance of groundwater below the Fall Line,the cumulative impact of small groundwater withdrawals has the potential tosignificantly offset direct river withdrawals and thereby improve base flows.The Council asks EPD to encourage well development in those watershedsnot directly impacted by surface water to groundwater interactions. Thedevelopment should focus on wells in aquifers that may currently be underutilized to augment municipal, industrial and agricultural supplies as analternative to continued dependence on major water courses such as theChattahoochee River.7-16Georgia State-wide Water Management Plan05.02.2011