PROJECT ALERT NOTICE (GA) USGS Drought Activities in Georgia

Date: Mon, 01 Oct 2012 08:55:16 EDT

Summary: The USGS continues to closely monitor the drought conditions in the State of Georgia for the benefit of numerous stakeholders.

HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS: Drought conditions continue to linger in Georgia, with the majority of the State experiencing some form of dry conditions. "Severe" hydrologic drought conditions exist in the Altamaha River Basin and the upper portions of the Tallapoosa River Basin. "Moderate" conditions have expanded into the Savannah and Lower Chattahoochee and Flint River Basins. Elsewhere, "below normal" conditions exist throughout the rest of the state, with the exceptions of the upper reaches of the Tennessee River Basin and the south-central region in Georgia.

SURFACE-WATER: The USGS operates more than 320 real-time streamgages across the State to aid water planners during this ongoing drought that has persisted for two years. Currently 17 streamgages are setting historic low records, while another 18 are classified as "severe drought". No special operations beyond the regularly scheduled field trips have been performed in the past week.

GROUNDWATER: USGS also monitors groundwater levels in 178 wells throughout the State. As of September 27, 2012, 16 of the wells in the real-time network ranged from below normal to low and 10 wells were in the normal range. The below normal to low wells were located throughout the state. Wells in the normal range were located in extreme northern Georgia, along the coastal areas, and near Valdosta along the Florida State line where recent local thunderstorms have been occurring.

WATER-QUALITY: USGS monitors a mixture of continuous water-quality parameters in real-time at 107 locations across the State, along with discrete and/or automated sampling at more than 80 locations. No special operations beyond the regularly scheduled field trips have been performed in the past week.

SPECIAL PROJECTS: During the week of September 27, 24 stream sites were measured in the Lawrenceville, Georgia area to determine baseflow.

COMMUNICATIONS & OUTREACH: Numerous data inquiries have been answered regarding the ongoing drought conditions. The USGS is one of several presenters in an ongoing bi-weekly drought briefing for the ACF stakeholders hosted by NOAA's National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), and also participates in drought briefings hosted by the US Army Corps of Engineers for the Savannah River Basin.


Map of below normal 7-day average streamflow compared to historical streamflow for the day of year (Georgia)
Map of below normal 7-day average streamflow compared to historical streamflow for the day of the year (Georgia)


Sub-Region: Central South; Region: Central United States