GA Water Quality, Quantity, and Use

Question 1

What is the 2004 Comprehensive State-wide Water Management Planning Act and its purpose?

Answer 1

mandates the development of a state-wide water plan that supports water resource management. Guides GA in managing water resources in a sustainable manner to support state’s economy, protect public health and natural systems, and enhance all citizen’s quality of life.

Question 2

How many regional water planning councils are there?

Answer 2

11 (10 and atlanta metro area)

Question 3

What are the regional water councils tasked with?

Answer 3

councils evaluate whether GA’s water resources meet the forcasted needs then develop recommended regional water plans.

Question 4

What does EPD stand for, and what is it?

Answer 4

Environmental Protection Division, division of GaDNR. Protects and restores GA’s environment, ensuring clean air, water, and land.

Question 5

Water Use Classifications and Water Quality Standards are provided under what act?

Answer 5

under the Georgia Water Quality Management Act

Question 6

What is the purpose and intent of the state in establishing water quality standards?

Answer 6

provide enhancement of water quality and prevention of pollution, protect public health or welfare in accordance with reasonable and necessary uses, and to maintain and improve biological integrity of the waters of the state.

Question 7

What does ONRW stand for?

Answer 7

Outstanding National Resource Waters

Question 8

When do waters receive the ONRW designation?

Answer 8

when the waters are of national or State parks, wildlife refuges, and of exceptional recreational or ecological significance.

Question 9

Under the Water Use Classifications and Water Quality Standards, when are variances written and why?

Answer 9

Variances may be written for a specific geographic area, pollutant, or source. Variances are a temporary modification to the designated use, ex. they could provide relief to a permittee while they upgrade their facility to meet standards.

Question 10

What are waters of the state?

Answer 10

any and all bodies of surface or subsurface water, natural or artificial, lying within or forming a part of the boundaries of the state which are not entirely confined completely upon the property of an individual, partnership, or corporation.

Question 11

What does NPDES stand for? What is it?

Answer 11

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (permit program to control water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into US waters)

Question 12

The State Water Plan call for the creation of a water conservation implementation plan (WCIP). What is the goal of the WCIP?

Answer 12

Ultimate goal is to provide guidance to maximize the benefit from each gallon of water used in each of GA’s seven major water use sectors.

Question 13

What are GA’s seven major water use sectors?

Answer 13

1. agricultural irrigation 2. electric generation 3. golf courses 4. industrial and commercial 5. landscape irrigation 6. domestic and non-industrial public uses 7. state agencies

Question 14

What does each sector specific chapter in the WCIP detail?

Answer 14

water conservation goals, benchmarks, best practices, and implementation actions designed to reduce water waste, water loss, and where necessary, water use.

Question 15

What are the buffer distances for any and all State Waters that are designated as either warm waters or cool waters (or trout streams)

Answer 15

warm waters = 25' undisturbed 
cool waters (or trout streams) = 50' undisturbed

Question 16

Where are riparian buffers located?

Answer 16

vegetated corridors adjacent to lakes, streams, and rivers

Question 17

What are the functions of a riparian buffer?

Answer 17

riparian buffers protect water quality and stream health by filtering sediments, transforming nutrients, providing water storage, floodplain protection, and stream bank stabilization.

Question 18

What is the most ubiquitous pollutant in the US?

Answer 18

Sediment

Question 19

What are two nutrient pollutants that cause eutrophication of water bodies? How do buffers reduce these two nutrient pollutants?

Answer 19

Phosphorus (most problematic) and Nitrogen. Phosphorus is usually attached to sediment or organic matter and buffers of 100’ will filter out the sediment and subsequently the phosphorus. Nitrogen is removed by direct uptake by vegetation and the denitrification process by microorganisms that convert nitrate to nitrogen gas; 100’ buffer (50’ minimum).

Question 20

What are the sources of phosphorus and nitrogen pollutants?

Answer 20

fertilizers, field applied animal waste from concentrated animal feeding operations, septic drain fields, and leaking sewer pipes

Question 21

What is eutrophication?

Answer 21

a process by which a water body becomes enriched in dissolved nutrients, such as phosphorus or nitrogen, that stimulate the growth of algae and usually results in the depletion of dissolved oxygen.

Question 22

Pathogens contribute to water degradation. Where do they come from and what is used as an indicator of pathogens in the water?

Answer 22

pathogens enter water through leaking sewer pipes, septic systems, animal waste from fertilized fields, and waste lagoons. Fecal coliform is used as an indicator of pathogens.

Question 23

How do trees in riparian buffers provide habitat for invertebrates and fish?

Answer 23

leaves, twigs, and branches that fall into the water provide habitat and refuge.

Question 24

Approximately how many miles of trout stream does GA have?

Answer 24

4,320 miles

Question 25

What are the economic costs of ineffective buffers or loss of buffers?

Answer 25

higher costs to treat drinking water, costs of engineered stormwater management solutions, cost to dredge sediments out of water for recreational and commercial use.

Question 26

What is a wetland?

Answer 26

an area that is inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas.

Question 27

What agency manages wetlands?

Answer 27

EPA - Environmental Protection Agency

Question 28

Approximately how many acres of wetlands are in GA?

Answer 28

5.3 million acres. GA is one of the leading states in total wetland acreage.

Question 29

What are the three parameters that must be satisfied in order to define a jurisdictional wetland in GA?

Answer 29

1. hydric soils (soil that is saturated, flooded, or ponded long enough to develop anaerobic conditions that favor the growth and regeneration of vegetation that thrives in wet conditions) 2. species composition, at least 50% of plant species must be faculative or wetter plants 3. hydrology requirement

Question 30

Faculative plants

Answer 30

plants that are tolerant of periodic inundation and saturated soils but are equally adapted to drier habitats

Question 31

Flood stage

Answer 31

the water level at which a river overflows its banks

Question 32

When are floods most prevalent in GA due to weather patterns?

Answer 32

late summer and fall

Question 33

What is flood plain zoning?

Answer 33

zoning in which restrictions are placed on the use of land on flood plains.

Question 34

Are there state ordinances establishing parameters for development within a flood plain?

Answer 34

No. ordinances regarding development within a flood plain are under local control, although often based on federal requirements outlined within the National Flood Insurance Program.