Coosa River Basin Management Plan 1998 Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division Georgia River Basin Management Planning Vision, Mission, and Goals What is the VISION for the Georgia RBMP Approach? Clean water to drink, clean water for aquatic life, and clean water for recreation, in adequate amounts to support all these uses in all river basins in the state of Georgia. What is the RBMP MISSION? To develop and implement a river basin planning program to protect, enhance, and restore the waters of the State of Georgia, that will provide for effective monitoring, allocation, use, regulation, and management of water resources. [Established January 1994 by a joint basin advisory committee workgroup.] What are the GOALS to Guide RBMP? 1) To meet or exceed local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations. And be consistent with other applicable plans. 2) To identify existing and future water quality issues, emphasizing nonpoint sources of pollution. 3) To propose water quality improvement practices encouraging local involvement to reduce pollution, and monitor and protect water quality. 4) To involve all interested citizens and appropriate organizations in plan development and implementation. 5) To coordinate with other river plans and regional planning. 6) To facilitate local, state, and federal activities to monitor and protect water quality. 7) To identify existing and potential water availability problems and to coordinate development of alternatives. 8) To provide for education of the general public on matters involving the environment and ecological concerns specific to each river basin. 9) To provide for improving aquatic habitat and exploring the feasibility of re-establishing native species of fish. 10) To provide for restoring and protecting wildlife habitat. 11) To provide for recreational benefits. 12) To identify and protect flood prone areas within each river basin, and encourage local and state compliance with federal flood plain management guidelines. [Established January 1994 by a joint basin advisory committee workgroup.] Coosa River Basin Management Plan 1998 Preface This report was prepared by the Environmental Protection Division (EPD), Georgia Department Natural Resources (EPD), as required by O.C.G.A. 12-5-520 and as a public information document. It represents a synoptic extraction of the EPD files and, in certain cases, information has been presented in summary form from those files. The reader is therefore advised to use this condensed information with the knowledge that it is a summary document and more detailed information is available in the EPD files. Comments or questions related to the content of this report are invited and should be addressed to: Environmental Protection Division Georgia Department of Natural Resources Floyd Towers East 205 Butler Street, S.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30334 Coosa River Basin Plan Contents List of Acronyms and Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AA-1 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ES-1 Section 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1 What Is the Purpose of This Plan? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1 What's Inside? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2 How Do I Use This Plan? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4 What Is the Schedule of Activities for the Coosa River Basin? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5 How Do Stakeholders Get Involved in the Basin Planning Process? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5 What's Next? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9 Section 2 River Basin Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1 2.1 River Basin Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1 2.1.1 River Basin Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1 2.1.2 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 2.1.3 Physiography, Geology, and Soils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 2.1.4 Surface Water Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7 2.1.5 Ground Water Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17 2.1.6 Biological Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20 2.2 Population and Land Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28 2.2.1 Population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28 2.2.2 Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28 2.2.3 Land Cover and Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30 2.3 Local Governments and Planning Authorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-45 2.3.1 Counties and Municipalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-45 2.3.2 Regional Development Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-46 2.4 Water Use Classifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-46 2.4.1 Georgia's Water Use Classification System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-46 2.4.2 Water Use Classifications for the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-48 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-54 Coosa River Basin Plan i Contents Section 3 Water Quantity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1 3.1 Drinking Water Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1 3.1.1 Drinking Water Supplies in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1 3.1.2 Drinking Water Demands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2 3.1.3 Drinking Water Permitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4 3.2 Surface Water Quantity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10 3.2.1 Surface Water Supply Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10 3.2.2 Surface Water Supply Demands and Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10 3.2.3 Surface Water Withdrawal Permitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14 3.2.4 Flooding and Floodplain Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15 3.3 Ground Water Quantity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15 3.3.1 Ground Water Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15 3.3.2 Ground Water Supply Demands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16 3.3.3 Ground Water Supply Permitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19 Section 4 Water Quality: Environmental Stressors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1 4.1 Sources and Types of Environmental Stressors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1 4.1.1 Point Sources and Non-discharging Waste Disposal Facilities . . . . . . . . . 4-1 4.1.2 Nonpoint Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27 4.1.3 Flow and Temperature Modification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33 4.1.4 Physical Habitat Alteration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35 4.2 Summary of Stressors Affecting Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35 4.2.1 Nutrients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-35 4.2.2 Oxygen Depletion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38 4.2.3 Metals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38 4.2.4 Fecal Coliform Bacteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-39 4.2.5 Synthetic Organic Chemicals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41 4.2.6 Stressors from Flow and Temperature Modification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41 4.2.7 Sediment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42 4.2.8 Habitat Degradation and Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43 Section 5 Assessments of Water Quantity and Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1 5.1 Assessment of Water Quantity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1 5.1.1 Municipal and Industrial Water Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1 5.1.2 Agriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2 5.1.3 Recreation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2 5.1.4 Hydropower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2 ii Coosa River Basin Plan Contents 5.1.5 Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9 5.1.6 Waste Assimilation Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9 5.1.7. Assessment of Ground Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9 5.2 Assessment of Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11 5.2.1 Water Quality Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11 5.2.2 Surface Water Quality Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13 5.2.3 Data Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20 5.2.4 Assessment of Water Quality and Use Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22 5.2.5 Assessment of Fish and Wildlife Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-36 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-40 Section 6 Concerns and Priority Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1 6.1 Identified Basin Planning and Management Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1 6.1.1 Problem Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4 6.2 Priorities for Water Quality Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9 6.2.1 Short-Term Water Quality Action Priorities for EPD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9 6.2.2 General Long-Term Priorities for Water Quality Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10 6.3 Priorities for Water Quantity Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11 6.3.1 Priorities for Competing Demands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11 6.3.2 Regional Water Supply Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11 Section 7 Implementation Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1 7.1 "Big Picture" Overview for the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1 7.1.1 Water Quality Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2 7.1.2 Water Quantity Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5 7.2 General Basinwide Management Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7 7.2.1 General Surface Water Protection Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7 7.2.2 Management of Permitted Point Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9 7.2.3 Nonpoint Source Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13 7.2.4 Floodplain Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17 7.2.5 Wetland Management Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18 7.2.6 Stakeholder Involvement/Stewardship Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18 7.2.7 Ground Water Protection Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20 7.3 Targeted Management Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22 7.3.1 Metals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22 7.3.2 Fecal Coliform Bacteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25 7.3.3 Erosion and Sedimentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29 7.3.4 Fish Consumption Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34 7.3.5 Nutrients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-39 7.3.6 Low Dissolved Oxygen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-42 7.3.7 Thermal Regime in Trout Streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43 Coosa River Basin Plan iii Contents 7.3.8 Protection of Threatened and Endangered Species . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-45 7.3.9 Water Quantity Demands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-45 7.3.10 Source Water Protection for Drinking Water Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-47 7.3.11 Flooding and Floodplain Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-51 Section 8 Future Issues and Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1 8.1 Where Do We Go From Here? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1 8.2 Working to Strengthen Planning and Implementation Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2 8.3 Addressing the Impacts from Continued Population Growth and Land Development . 8-4 8.4 The Next Iteration of the Basin Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5 8.5 Priorities for Additional Data Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5 Appendix A: River Basin Planning Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1 Appendix B: Georgia Instream Water Quality Standards for All Waters: Toxic Substances . . . . . . . . . B-1 Appendix C: Point Source Control Efforts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1 Appendix D: NPDES Permits for Discharges in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-1 Appendix E: Support of Designated Uses for Rivers , Streams, and Lakes in the Coosa River Basin, 1996-1997 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1 Appendix F: Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-1 iv Coosa River Basin Plan Contents List of Figures 1-1. The Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1-2. Coosa River Basin Planning Schedule, 1st Cycle, 1993-1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6 1-3. Coosa River Basin Planning Schedule, 2nd Cycle, 2000-2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7 2-1. Location of the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2 2-2. Hydrologic Units and Counties of the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4 2-3. Major Land Resource Areas in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6 2-4. Hydrography, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150101 (Conasauga River Basin) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8 2-5. Hydrography, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150102 (Coosawattee River Basin) . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9 2-6. Hydrography, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150103 (Oostanaula River Basin) . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10 2-7. Hydrography, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150104 (Etowah River Basin) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11 2-8. Hydrography, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150105 (Coosa below Rome and Chattooga River Basin) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12 2-9. Mean Daily Discharge for the Coosa River at Rome (USGS Station 02397000) . . . . . . . . . . 2-15 2-10. Location of Mainstem Dams and Power-Generating Plants in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . 2-16 2-11. Hydrogeologic Units Underlying the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19 2-12. Population Density in the Coosa River Basin, 1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-29 2-13. Land Use, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150101, USGS 1972-76 Classification Updated with 1990 Urban Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-31 2-14. Land Use, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150102, USGS 1972-76 Classification Updated with 1990 Urban Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-32 2-15. Land Use, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150103, USGS 1972-76 Classification Updated with 1990 Urban Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-33 2-16. Land Use, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150104, USGS 1972-76 Classification Updated with 1990 Urban Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34 2-17. Land Use, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150105, USGS 1972-76 Classification Updated with 1990 Urban Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-35 2-18. Land Cover 1990, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-36 2-19. Land Cover 1990, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150102 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-37 2-20. Land Cover 1990, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150103 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-38 2-21. Land Cover 1990, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150104 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-39 2-22. Land Cover 1990, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150105 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40 2-23. Silvicultural Land in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-42 2-24. Agricultural Land in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-44 Coosa River Basin Plan v Contents 3-1. Surface Water Intakes, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5 3-2. Surface Water Intakes, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150102 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6 3-3. Surface Water Intakes, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150103 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7 3-4. Surface Water Intakes, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150104 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8 3-5. Surface Water Intakes, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150105 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9 4-1. Location of Municipal Wastewater-Treatment Plants in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4 4-2. NPDES Sites Permitted by GAEPD, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7 4-3. NPDES Sites Permitted by GAEPD, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150102 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8 4-4. NPDES Sites Permitted by GAEPD, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150103 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9 4-5. NPDES Sites Permitted by GAEPD, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150104 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10 4-6. NPDES Sites Permitted by GAEPD, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150105 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11 4-7. Land Application Systems, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16 4-8. Land Application Systems, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150102 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17 4-9. Land Application Systems, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150103 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-18 4-10. Land Application Systems, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150104 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19 4-11. Land Application Systems, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150105 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-20 4-12. Landfills, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-21 4-13. Landfills, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150102 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-22 4-14. Landfills, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150103 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-23 4-15. Landfills, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150104 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-24 4-16. Landfills, Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150105 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-25 4-17. Phosphorus Concentrations, Coosa River at Alabama State Line (Trend Monitoring Station 14450001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37 4-18. Phosphorus Concentrations, Etowah River at Georgia Highway 5 (Trend Monitoring Station 14300001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37 4-19. Dissolved Oxygen Concentrations in the Conasauga River near Resaca, Georgia (Trend Monitoring Station 14040001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-39 4-20. Fecal Coliform Bacteria Concentrations (MPN/100 ml), Etowah River near Rome (Trend Monitoring Station 14350001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40 5-1. Coosa Basin Fixed Sampling Station Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14 5-2. Coosa Basin Trend Monitoring Network Station Locations, 1996 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16 5-3. Assessment of Water Quality Use Support in the Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150101 . . . . . 5-23 5-4. Assessment of Water Quality Use Support in the Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150102 . . . . . 5-24 5-5. Assessment of Water Quality Use Support in the Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150103 . . . . . 5-25 vi Coosa River Basin Plan Contents 5-6. Assessment of Water Quality Use Support in the Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150104 . . . . . 5-26 5-7. Assessment of Water Quality Use Support in the Coosa River Basin, HUC 03150105 . . . . . 5-27 Coosa River Basin Plan vii Contents List of Tables 1-1 Coosa River Basin Local Advisory Committee Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8 2-1. Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUCs) of the Coosa River Basin in Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 2-2. Major Dams and Impoundments in the Georgia Portion of the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . 2-17 2-3. Federal and State Protected Aquatic and Wetland Species in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . 2-24 2-4. Population Estimates for the Coosa River Basin by HUC (1990) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-30 2-5. Land Cover Statistics for the Coosa River Basin, 1988-90 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-41 2-6. Forestry Acreage in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-43 2-7. Agricultural Operations in the Coosa River Basin, 1987-1991 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-45 2-8. Georgia Counties in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-46 2-9. Georgia Municipalities in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-47 2-10. Regional Development Centers in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-48 2-11. Georgia Water Use Classifications and Instream Water Quality Standards for Each Use . . . . 2-48 2-12. Coosa River Basin Waters Classified in Georgia Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-49 2-13. Coosa River Basin Waters Classified as Trout Streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-49 3-1. Community Public Water Systems in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3 3-2. Permits for Surface Water Withdrawals in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11 3-3. Agricultural Water Demand for the Coosa River Basin (Georgia Portion) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12 3-4. Active Municipal and Industrial Ground Water Withdrawal Permits in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17 4-1. Major Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Discharges with Permitted Monthly Average Flows Greater than 1 MGD in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3 4-2. Summary of NPDES Permits in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5 4-3. Major Industrial NPDES Facilities in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6 4-4. Permitted Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems, Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14 4-5. Wastewater Land Application Systems in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15 4-6. Permitted Landfills in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-26 4-7. Estimated Loads from Agricultural Lands by County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29 4-8. Waters Identified as Potentially Impacted by Agricultural Nonpoint Source Loading and Added to the Georgia 303(d) List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29 viii Coosa River Basin Plan Contents 4-9. Trend Monitoring Summary for Total Phosphorus (mg/L) in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . 4-36 4-10. Trend Monitoring Summary for Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . 4-38 4-11. Trend Monitoring Summary for Fecal Coliform Bacteria (MPN/100 ml) in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40 5-1. Known and Potential Raw Water Quality Problems Affecting Drinking Water Supplies in the Coosa Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3 5-2. Georgia Water Use Classifications and Instream Water Quality Standards for Each Use . . . . 5-12 5-3. Georgia Narrative Water Quality Standards for All Waters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12 5-4. Major Lakes in the Coosa River Basin Ranked by Sum of Trophic State Index Values, 1980-1993 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17 5-5. Parameters for Fish Tissue Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18 6-1. Summary of Concerns in the Coosa River Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2 6-2. Summary of Sources of Lack of Full Support for Classified Uses in the Coosa River Basin . . 6-3 6-3. EPD's Short-Term Priorities for Addressing Water Quality Impairment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9 Coosa River Basin Plan ix List of Acronyms and Abbreviations Ac Ac-ft ACF ACT/ACF ADEM ARC ARS BMPs BOD CAES Cd CFR COE CPUE CRMP CRP CSGWPP CSMTF CSO Cu CWA DCA DNR DO EPA EPD EQIP E&SC FEMA FFY FIP FSA ft ft2/d ft3/s gal/m acre acre-feet Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Basin Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa/Apalachicola-Chattahoochee Flint Basin Alabama Department of Environmental Management Atlanta Regional Commission USDA Agricultural Research Service best management practices biochemical oxygen demand University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences cadmium Code of Federal Regulations U.S. Army Corps of Engineers catch per unit effort (fishing) Chattahoochee River Modeling Project Conservation Reserve Program Comprehensive State Ground Water Protection Plan Community Stream Management Task Force Combined Sewer Overflow copper U.S. Clean Water Act Georgia Department of Community Affairs Georgia Department of Natural Resources dissolved oxygen U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Georgia Environmental Protection Division Environmental Quality Incentives Program Erosion and Sedimentation Control Act Federal Emergency Management Agency Federal fiscal year Forestry Incentives Program Farm Service Agency feet square feet per day cubic feet per second gallons per minute Coosa River Basin Plan AA-1 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations GDA GEMA GFA GFC GPC GPD GSWCC Hg HUC IBI kg km2 kW LAS LUST MCL meq/l mg/l MG MGD mi2 ml MLMP MOU MPN MS4 M&I NFIP NOI NPDES NPS NRCS NURE NWI Pb PCB ppm RBMP RBP RC&D RDC RM SCS SOCs Georgia Department of Agriculture Georgia Emergency Management Agency Georgia Forestry Association Georgia Forestry Commission Georgia Power Company gallons per day Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission mercury Hydrologic unit code (USGS) Index of Biotic Integrity kilogram square kilometer kilowatt land application system for wastewater leaking undeground storage tank Maximum Contaminant Level for drinking water milliequivalent milligrams per liter million gallons million gallons per day square miles milliliter Major Lakes Monitoring Project memorandum of understanding most probable number (for quantification of fecal coliform bacteria) municipal separate stormwater system municipal and industrial National Flood Insurance Program notice of intent National Pollution Discharge Elimination System nonpoint source Natural Resources Conservation Service of USDA National Uranium Resource Evaluation National Wetlands Inventory (USF&WS) lead polychlorinated biphenyl parts per million; equivalent to mg/l River Basin Management Planning Rapid Bioassessment Protocol Resource Conservation and Development Council Regional Development Center river mile Soil Conservation Service (now NRCS) Synthetic Organic Chemicals AA-2 Coosa River Basin Plan STATSGO SWCD TMDL TTSI UGA USACE USDA USF&WS USGS WET WHIP WPCP WRD WRP WWTP Zn g/l 7Q10 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations State Soil Geographic Database (USDA) Soil and Water Conservation District Total Maximum Daily Load, as specified in the CWA Georgia combined lake trophic state index University of Georgia U.S. Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Geological Survey whole effluent toxicity Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program water pollution control plant Georgia Wildlife Resources Division Wetland Reserve Program wastewater treatment plant zinc micrograms per liter 7-day average low flow with a once-in-ten-year recurrence interval Coosa River Basin Plan AA-3 Executive Summary This document presents Georgia's management plan for the Coosa River basin, which is being produced as a part of Georgia's River Basin Management Planning (RBMP) approach. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has developed this plan in cooperation with several other agency partners including the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Commission, Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission, Georgia Forestry Commission, U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Geological Survey, and Georgia Wildlife Resources Division. The RBMP approach provides the framework for identifying, assessing, and prioritizing water resources issues, developing management strategies, and providing opportunities for targeted, cooperative actions to reduce pollution, enhance aquatic habitat, and provide a dependable water supply. Purpose of the Basin Plan The purpose of this plan is to provide relevant information on the characteristics of the Coosa River basin, describe the status of water quality and quantity in the Coosa River basin, identify present and future water resource demands, present and facilitate the implementation of water quality protection efforts, and enhance stakeholder understanding and involvement in basin planning. This Coosa River Basin Management Plan includes strategies to address a number of different basinwide objectives. These include: Protecting water quality in lakes, rivers and streams through attainment of water quality standards and support for designated uses; Providing adequate, high quality water supply for municipal, agricultural, industrial, environmental, and other human activities; Preserving habitat suitable for the support of healthy aquatic and riparian ecosystems; Protecting human health and welfare through prevention of water-borne disease; minimization of risk from contaminated fish tissue, and reduction of risks from flooding; and Ensuring opportunities for economic growth, development, and recreation in the region. Achieving these objectives is the responsibility of a variety of state and federal agencies, local governments, business, industry, and individual citizens. Coordination among these many partners can be challenging, and impacts of actions in one locale by one partner on conditions elsewhere in the basin are not always understood or considered. River Basin Management Planning is an attempt to bring together stakeholders in the basin to increase coordination and to provide a mechanism for communication and consideration of actions on a broad scale to support water resource objectives for the entire basin. RBMP provides the framework to begin to understand the consequences of local decisions on basinwide water resources. Coosa River Basin Plan ES-1 Executive Summary This river basin plan will serve as the road map for managing the water resources in the Coosa River basin over the next five years. It contains useful information on the health of the Coosa River basin and recommended strategies to protect the basin now and into the future. Coosa River Basin Characteristics The Coosa River basin is located in the northwest part of Georgia, occupying an area of 4,619 square miles. The basin is characterized by mountainous terrain sloping down to rolling hills and plateaus. The upstream end of the basin reaches into Tennessee, and the whole basin drains into Alabama. Water Resources The surface water resources of the basin include several major rivers whose drainages define hydrologic units of the basin: the Coosa River mainstem, the Conasauga River, the Coosawattee River, the Oostanaula River, the Chattooga River, and the Etowah River. There are also two major reservoirs: Lake Allatoona, and Carters Lake. Biological Resources The basin encompasses parts of four major land resource areas (Cumberland Plateau, Valley and Ridge, Blue Ridge, Upper Piedmont), with a wide range of elevations, and slopes, providing many different ecosystem types. These ecosystems provide habitat for diverse species of aquatic and terrestrial wildlife including at least 87 species of fish, 28 species of amphibians, and 11 species of freshwater molluscs. Several of these species are currently threatened or endangered. Population and Land Use Characteristics More than 600,000 people live in the Georgia portion of the basin. The major population centers include bedroom communities of metropolitan Atlanta, as well as Rome and Dalton. The population is expected to increase slowly over the next several decades at a rate of almost 1 percent per year. ES-2 Coosa River Basin Plan More than 75 percent of the basin is covered by forests, including large areas of National Forest, and forestry-related activities account for a major part of the basin's economy. Agriculture is also a significant land use activity supporting a variety of animal operations and commodity production. Although the total farmland in the basin is declining, livestock and poultry production is strong. Executive Summary Local Governments and Planning Authorities The local governments in the basin consist of counties and incorporated municipalities. The Coosa basin includes part or all of 20 Georgia counties. These counties are members of four different Regional Development Centers. There are also 132 incorporated municipalities in the basin. Water Quantity Conditions Surface water supplies in the basin include water in rivers, ponds, and reservoirs. While the majority of municipal and industrial water supply comes from surface sources, ground water supplies are locally significant where the aquifers are predominantly carbonate and fractured sandstone. The headwaters area of the Coosa basin provides the second most used source for drinking water in the state of Georgia, supplying over 725,000 people. Georgia's Drinking Water Program oversees 48 active and permitted public water systems in the Coosa River basin. The primary demands for water supply in the basin include municipal and industrial use, agricultural use, power generation, and recreation. The demand for drinking water is expected to increase due to growth in the metropolitan Atlanta area as well as from the construction of many retirement and secondary homes in the north Georgia area. The total municipal and industrial demand, however, is expected to decrease due to increases in efficiency of use and lower water demand from industry. Agricultural water demand is expected to continue to increase only gradually over the next several decades. Water supplies in the basin are expected to be adequate to meet demands. Water Quality Conditions The major environmental stressors that impair or threaten water quality in the Coosa River basin include traditional chemical stressors, such as metals and bacterial contamination, as well as less traditional stressors, such as stream channel modifications and alteration of physical habitat. Significant potential sources of environmental stressors in the basin include point source discharges such as municipal and industrial wastewater, combined sewer overflows, and storm sewers; and nonpoint sources that result from diffuse runoff from urban and rural land uses. Based on EPD's 1996-1997 water quality assessment report, urban runoff and rural nonpoint sources are now the major sources of failure to support designated uses of water bodies in the Coosa basin. Point Sources Point sources are defined as the permitted discharges of treated wastewater to river and tributaries that are regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). These permits are issued by EPD for wastewater discharges and storm water discharges. Municipal discharges. There are currently 16 permitted major municipal wastewater discharges with flows greater than 1 MGD in the Coosa River basin. There are also 13 Coosa River Basin Plan ES-3 Executive Summary minor public discharges. EPD monitors compliance of these permits and takes appropriate enforcement action for violations. As of the 1996-1997 water quality assessment, 3 stream segments (totaling 38 miles) were identified in which municipal discharges contributed to a failure to support designated uses. Water quality standards violations in these segments are being addressed through the NPDES permitting process. Industrial discharges. There are relatively few industrial wastewater dischargers in the basin including 7 major facilities. EPD identified 3 stream segments (totaling 5 miles) where permitted industrial discharges contributed to a failure to support designated uses. These segments are currently being addressed through the NPDES permitting process. Combined sewer overflows. Combined sewers mix sanitary waste and storm water and may discharge untreated waste during wet weather. In response to the 1990 session of the Georgia Legislature requiring the elimination or treatment of all combined sewer overflows (CSOs), the two cities with CSOs in the Coosa River basin (the City of Rome and the City of Cedartown) recently completed the elimination of their CSOs. Permitted storm water discharges. Urban storm water runoff in the Coosa basin has been identified as a major source of water quality impairment. Urban runoff which is collected by storm sewers is now subject to NPDES permitting and control. EPD has issued 7 municipal separate storm system (MS4) permits in the Coosa basin. Nonpoint Sources Nonpoint sources of pollution include a variety of pollutants that are carried across the ground with rainwater or snowmelt and are deposited in water bodies. The alteration of habitat and the channelization of streams also are considered forms of nonpoint source pollution. The 1996-1997 water quality assessment results for the Coosa basin indicate that urban and rural nonpoint sources contribute significantly to failure to support designated uses of water bodies. The major categories of nonpoint source pollution in the basin include the following: Urban, industrial, and residential sources, which may contribute storm water runoff, unauthorized discharges, oxygen-demanding waste, oil and grease, nutrients, metals, bacteria, and sediments. Agricultural sources, which may contribute nutrients from animal wastes and fertilizers, sediment, herbicides/pesticides, and bacteria and pathogens. Forestry activities, which may contribute sediments and herbicides/pesticides. Support of Designated Uses Under Georgia regulations, designated uses and associated water quality standards provide goals for water quality protection. Most of the water bodies assessed in the Coosa River basin support or partially support their designated uses. EPD assessed the streams and major lakes in the Coosa basin and reported the results in Water Quality in Georgia, 1996-1997. This assessment indicated that 99 out of 178 stream segments (653 miles) fully supported uses, and 28 out of 178 (209 miles) partially supported uses, while 51 out of 178 (392 miles) did not support designated uses. Carters Lake and Lake Allatoona were found to be partially supporting designated uses. Key Environmental Stressors The major threats to water quality in the Coosa River basin are summarized below. ES-4 Coosa River Basin Plan Fecal coliform bacteria. The 1996-1997 water quality assessments indicate that violations of water quality standards for fecal coliform bacteria were the most commonly listed cause of failure to support designated uses. Fecal coliform bacteria concentrations contributed to lack of full support on 236 miles, constituting 20 stream segments. Fecal coliform bacteria may arise from point and nonpoint sources, such as wastewater treatment plants, agricultural nonpoint sources, leaking septic systems, and storm water runoff. As point sources have been brought under control and the CSOs eliminated in the basin, nonpoint sources have become increasingly important as potential sources of fecal coliform bacteria. Metals. The 1996-1997 water quality assessments indicate that violations of water quality standards for metals (e.g., lead, copper, zinc, cadmium, mercury) were the second most commonly listed cause of failure to support designated uses. Metals concentrations contributed to lack of full support on 181 miles, constituting 25 stream segments. In most cases, these metals are attributed to nonpoint urban runoff and storm water. Nutrient loading. Nutrient loading is an important issue for Lake Allatoona and Lake Weiss (downstream in Alabama). Excess nutrient loads can promote undesirable growth of algae and degradation of water quality. A lake receives nutrients from the entire watershed upstream. The major sources of nutrient loading in the Coosa basin are agricultural runoff, urban runoff, storm water, and wastewater treatment facilities. Fish tissue contamination. Fish consumption guidelines for individual fish species or commercial fishing bans are in effect for 30 stream segments (296 miles). Guidelines for reduced consumption are also in place for large carp and bass on Lake Allatoona and for walleye on Carters Lake. The majority of the guidelines and bans for stream segments are the result of PCB contamination in the area of Rome and downstream. PCBs were released by historical industrial operations in Rome. Although PCBs are no longer used, residuals remain in river and riparian sediments. Elevated levels of mercury are found in tissue of a few fish species in other stream and lake segments. Most of the mercury load is believed to be of natural and atmospheric origin. Flow and Temperature Modification. Stream flow and temperature affect the kinds of organisms able to survive in the water body. Temperature is critical to support of coldwater trout fisheries. Stream flow and temperature also affect how much oxygen is available to the organisms. The primary threats to temperature regime in streams of the Coosa basin are warming by small impoundments, increases in paved surface area, and the removal of trees which provide shade along stream banks. Sediment Loading and Habitat Degradation. A healthy aquatic ecosystem requires a healthy physical habitat. The major cause of disturbance to stream habitats is erosion and sedimentation. As sediment is carried into the stream, it changes the stream bottom, and smothers sensitive organisms. Trout waters are particularly sensitive to sedimentation in streams. Turbidity associated with sediment loading also impairs recreational and drinking water uses. Sediment loading is of greatest concern in developing areas and major transportation corridors. The rural areas of the basin are of lesser concern with the exception of rural unpaved road systems, areas where cultivated cropland exceeds 20 percent of the total land cover, and areas in which foresters are not following appropriate management practices. Executive Summary Strategies for Water Supply At this time, water quantity appears to be adequate for all uses within the Georgia portion of the Coosa basin, and there are no major new water supply projects proposed. There are, however, several water quantity concerns in the Coosa basin which are of significance to decision makers. Coosa River Basin Plan ES-5 Executive Summary One of the major water quantity concerns in the Coosa River basin is the population growth in the counties near Lake Allatoona (i.e., Cherokee, Bartow, Forsyth and Cobb), and the corresponding additional water needs. Water resources within the political boundaries of individual counties in the region may not be sufficient to meet longer-term "in-county" needs; therefore, regional cooperation to develop water supply options will become ever more important to support growth in the region. Interbasin diversion of water to meet the growing needs in the region is another option that will likely get more attention. ACT/ACF Allocations. Water quantity within the Coosa basin is also subject to interstate agreements. In 1990, the State of Alabama, concerned about the availability of water for its future needs, filed suit in U.S. District Court to prevent the Corps of Engineers from reallocating water from Lakes Lanier, Carters, and Allatoona to increase the water supply for metropolitan Atlanta; Florida later joined this suit. Under a letter of agreement signed by the three states and the Corps, the ACT/ACF (Alabama- CoosaTallapoosa/ Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint) Comprehensive Study was initiated in 1991. In 1997 the three state legislatures approved separate Interstate Compacts which establish the legal and functional basis for future management of the ACT and ACF basins. The President signed the compacts on November 20, 1997. The compacts require that water allocations be developed before the end of 1998. Obviously the allocation for the ACT Basin will have a potentially significant effect on water resource planning in the Coosa basin in Georgia. It is expected that the allocation will establish some operational requirements for Lakes Allatoona and Carters, including a commitment for Georgia to allow certain quantities of water to pass downstream for use by Alabama. Such a commitment will not establish how the water may be used within Georgia; those decisions will remain the prerogative of Georgia's governments and citizens. However, it is possible that there may be limitations on quantities of water which will be available for various uses in the Coosa basin. Sources of water supply to meet the long term needs of the Dalton area have not been decided at this time. Further allocations by the COE of water supply storage within both Carters Lake and Lake Allatoona are uncertain until the ACT/ACF Comprehensive Study is completed and reallocation formulas are agreed upon. Because of the high proportion of industrial uses in the Coosa basin, this constraint causes local governments within the Coosa basin to be concerned about losing the stability and possible growth associated with their cooperation with industry. Strategies for Water Quality Water quality in the Coosa River basin is generally good at this time, although problems remain to be addressed and proactive planning is needed to protect water quality into the future. Many actions have already been taken to protect water quality. Programs implemented by federal, state, and local governments, farmers, foresters, and other individuals have greatly helped to protect and improve water quality in the basin over the past twenty years. The primary source of pollution that continues to affect waters of the Coosa River basin results from nonpoint sources. These problems result from the cumulative effect of activities of many individual landowners or managers. Population is growing every year, increasing the potential risks from nonpoint source pollution. Growth is essential to the economic health of the Coosa River basin, yet growth without proper land use planning and implementation of best management practices to protect streams and rivers can create harmful impacts on the environment. ES-6 Coosa River Basin Plan Because there are many small sources of nonpoint loading spread throughout the watershed, nonpoint sources of pollution cannot effectively be controlled by state agency permitting and enforcement, even where regulatory authority exists. Rather, control of nonpoint loading will require the cooperative efforts of many partners, including state and federal agencies, individual landowners, agricultural and forestry interests, local county and municipal governments, and Regional Development Centers. A combination of regulatory and voluntary land management practices will be necessary to maintain and improve the water quality of rivers, streams, and lakes in the Coosa River basin. Key Actions by EPD. The Georgia EPD Water Protection Branch has responsibility for establishing water quality standards, monitoring water quality, river basin planning, water quality modeling, permitting and enforcement of point source NPDES permits, and developing Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) where ongoing actions are not sufficient to achieve water quality standards. Much of this work is regulatory. EPD is also one of several agencies responsible for facilitating, planning, and educating the public about management of nonpoint source pollution. Nonpoint source programs implemented by Georgia and by other states across the nation are voluntary in nature. The Georgia EPD Water Resources Branch regulates the use of Georgia's surface and ground water resources for municipal and agricultural uses, which includes source water assessment and protection activities in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act. Actions being taken by EPD at the state level to address water quality problems in the Coosa River basin include the following: Watershed Assessments and Watershed Protection Implementation Plans. When local governments propose to expand an existing wastewater facility, or propose a new facility, EPD requires a comprehensive watershed assessment and development of a watershed protection implementation plan. Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). Where water quality sampling has documented standards violations and ongoing actions are not sufficient to achieve water quality standards, a TMDL will be established for a specific pollutant on the specific stream segment in accordance with EPA guidance. Source Water Protection. Most of the public water supply in the Coosa basin is drawn from surface water. To provide for the protection of public water supplies, Georgia EPD is developing a Source Water Assessment Program in alignment with the 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act and corresponding recent EPA initiatives. Lake Water Quality Standards. Georgia law requires comprehensive assessments and standards for major, publicly owned lakes in Georgia. Comprehensive studies of Lakes Allatoona and Carters are ongoing based on EPA Clean Lakes funding. Georgia will initiate the standards setting process for Lakes Allatoona and Carters following completion and approval of the Clean Lakes studies. Fish Consumption Guidelines. EPD and the Wildlife Resources Division work to protect public health by testing fish tissue and issuing fish consumption guidelines as needed, indicating the recommended rates of consumption of fish from specific waters. The guidelines are based on conservative assumptions and provide the public with factual information for use in making rational decisions regarding fish consumption. Key Actions by Resource Management Agencies. Nonpoint source pollution from agriculture and forestry activities in Georgia is managed and controlled with a statewide non-regulatory approach. This approach is based on cooperative partnerships with various agencies and a variety of programs. Agriculture in the Coosa River basin is a Executive Summary Coosa River Basin Plan ES-7 Executive Summary mixture of livestock and poultry operations and commodity production. About 15 percent of the basin land area is in agricultural use. Key partners for controlling agricultural nonpoint source pollution are the Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. These partners promote the use of environmentally-sound Best Management Practices (BMPs) through education, demonstration projects, and financial assistance. Forestry is a major part of the economy in the Coosa basin and commercial forest lands represent over 75 percent of the total basin land area. The Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) is the lead agency for controlling silvicultural nonpoint source pollution. The GFC develops forestry practice guidelines, encourages BMP implementation, conducts education, investigates and mediates complaints involving forestry operations, and conducts BMP compliance surveys. Key Actions by Local Governments. Addressing water quality problems resulting from nonpoint source pollution will primarily depend on actions taken at the local level. Particularly for nonpoint sources associated with urban and residential development, it is only at the local level that regulatory authority exists for zoning and land use planning, control of erosion and sedimentation from construction activities, and regulation of septic systems. Local governments are increasingly focusing on water resource issues. In many cases, the existence of high quality water has not been recognized and managed as an economic resource by local governments. That situation is now changing due to a variety of factors, including increased public awareness, high levels of population growth in many areas resulting in a need for comprehensive planning, recognition that high quality water supplies are limited, and new state-level actions and requirements. The latter include: Requirements for Watershed Assessments and Watershed Protection Implementation Plans when permits for expanded or new municipal wastewater discharges are requested; Development of Source Water Protection Plans to protect public drinking water supplies; Requirements for local comprehensive planning, including protection of natural and water resources, as promulgated by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. In sum, it is the responsibility of local governments to implement planning for future development which takes into account management and protection of the water quality of rivers, streams, and lakes within their jurisdiction. One of the most important actions that local governments should take to ensure recognition of local needs while protecting water resources is to participate in the basin planning process, either directly or through Regional Development Centers. Continuing RBMP in the Coosa River Basin This basin plan represents one step in managing the water resources in the Coosa basin. EPD, its resource management agency partners, local governments, and basin stakeholders will need to work together to implement the plan in the coming months and years. Additionally, the basin planning cycle provides the opportunity to update management priorities and strategies every five years. The Coosa River basin team and local advisory committee will both be reorganized in April to June of 2000 to initiate the next iteration of the cycle. Agencies and organizations with technical expertise, available resources, and potential implementation responsibilities are encouraged to become part of ES-8 Coosa River Basin Plan the basin team. Other stakeholders can stay involved through working with the local advisory committee, and participating in locally initiated watershed planning and management activities. The next scheduled update of the Coosa River basin plan is planned for mid-summer 2004. Executive Summary Coosa River Basin Plan ES-9