Water, Georgia's unknown natural resource

Inform~ t ion C . i .: c u ~ ,r .. o. 8
~"'eorgia T)ep<...rtme .c o r: Fore :> t.ry an .l r-- eo j.o g i c al Dev elopment
DIVISIO . OF. r: EOLO( T
At l.1nt a , reor gi rt
'V.?\TER, GEoRcIA' s u~,TKJ:JOii!N JJATUR 7_\ J:. RESOURCE
by Richar .!. ~.J.. Smith Reprinted from For e stry- r-eologic a. l Review, vo:. 6, ~o.7
Ju _y, 1936
')o you know tha t Georgi CJ. ' s l a rgest nc;.tur . -' resourc e a nd the one 1bout \'lhich s he J~nows the j east i s the water supply in her streams ~n~- under the g roun l '? He kno~tT the location of our s tre :imS but we h tv e pr -:lctic ;;;, l ly no mea surements o f the q uantity o f water tha t th e y c .:1rry in floo :.:. time or in dlry time o r o f the chemi c al purity o f tha t ~...,a ter. l;' re thes e measur e me nts impor t a nt '.:' They .:te e L ;edly a re i -F. Georg ia i s to mak e the ind ustri a l progr e s s to ~11hich s h e i s e nt i tled . Every s tate in the Southe a st e xcept Georg i a h as r eco s ni z ed the need f or these FACTS on s trea m flow and i s c ol lecting them yea r in <1n d y ear ou t .
~ rec ent cartoon in Collier' s Ma gaz ine s howed engine e r s bu s ily c ons truc ting a l a rg 2 d am in a dry vall e y in the r'!est. In the fores r oun .1 t 1-1o n a tives ar e s aying: " Maybe we ouc:; ht to t el l them tha t's j u s t a mir a g e they saw." Georgi a has f o r years bee n trying to get indu s tri e s into the State with promises of "pl enty of water" tha t in some c a s es were but li t tle b e tt e r tha n a mi r age in the d es e rt. \ny indu s try or municipa l ity intei.k ing to u se a s tream as a \Tater s upp l y must h a v e FACTS as to the a verag e, minimum, .nd ma :~imum vo l ume o E w.::tt e r they can dep e n d on . '\ cl d ss i c e ...dmp le of the v a lue of the s t rea m f l.o w r e~o rds to a s t a te is the ex p e ri e nce o f th e . Uuminum Comp a ny of :.we ric a in loca ting its l arg e p lants i n the Southe o. s t. Some thirty or more yea r s a go wh e n the .:' uminum Compa ny f ir s t c ame int o thi s s e c tion, the y exam inee~ s 0v e r a l poss ible p l a nt .3 ites in the mounta ins of North c a ro li n a a n d Georg i a . ~llhen they inq uir ed :for the :3trea m flo w redor c'~s tha t wer e nece s s a ry to pl a n their lar ge hy -1: ro- c:lectric p ower p l..mts they foun d tha t no records ha d. b e en co ~ lec ted in thes e states, but th a t Tennes 3ee had been col~ .-.;: c t i ng 'J u r:h r e cords f or a number of y ears. Their ma in p lant \\fa s there fore bui l t n e ar Ma ryville, Tenne s see . The sta te of North Ca rolina immed iate j_y s ;=n,.,r iss mi s t ake and bega n a n e :<t e nsive s trea m g a.c;ing c ampa ign tha t i .s s ti ll going on today , :1 n-J some of the more rec e n t power p l a nts o f t h e <\luminum Compa ny h a v e bee n l o ca t ed i n No r th Ca rolina. on t h e b a s i s o f the s e record s .

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{01 Recor(:1.s of Stream Flow are Obtained
'l'he measurement of the flm11 of streams is a function of the vlater Resources Branch of the Unite] .States Geological Survey. Except for a few gaging stations maintaine'~ on the larger navihgable streams for the purpose of predicting floo -~ s or for the regulation of inter-state hydro-electric power, this work is done only in states that cooperate by paying at least half of the expense.
The engineers of the u.s. Geological survey obtain redords of
stream flmv by maintaining gaging stations at certain places on the rivers, where recorjs of stage, or height of water, and discharge, or quantity an:J. rate of movement, are obtained by the use of various typ~s of measuring equipment.
Recor :..is of stage on rivers that rise an -1. fall slot11ly are usually read by a local observer from a staff gage. The simplest form of staff gage consists of a scale graduated to feet and hunr_1redths set vertically where it wil l be in the water at all stages. The observer reads the height of the surface of the water on this gage once, twice, or oftener each lay. "VThere there is no local observer or where the river is "flashy", rising and falling quickly after showers, it is necessary to install an automatic water-stage recorder that continually recor cis on paper the height of the water.
To determine the d ischarge of the stream an engineer must visit the gaging station and measure the area of the cross section of the flowing water anei the velocity of the water at different stages from the lowest to the highest. r-,Jhere there is a bric1ge at the site of the gaging station the observer wo rks from the bridge. ~'!here there is no bridge a cableway is erecte:J to span the river at a height above its maximum stage. Sound ings are ma::.le at abort intervals across the river by means of a heavy torpe:lo-shape.J lea ~. weight suspenrl e d by a small wire cable., From thes e the cross section is calculate.] . Velo.city readings are ma ::le at each sounding station by means of an electric current meter. Having measured the area of the dross section of the floTing v1ater and the velocity, he can easily compute the rate of flow in cubic f eet per secon ~ . Each record of .1ischarge is accompanie( by a recor -:5. of the stage at that time. and the complete record shows the :ischarge for all stages. From this recorc! a rating table is prepare .\ , shm1ing the (.Uscharge corresponding to any particular height of the stream.
To rate a station for all stages may take years. Floods may come at night or at times when the engineer is not at the station. It is sometimes necessary to wait a long time for a certain critical stage to be repeateC. , bt by a system of telegraph and telephone reports from its observers the Survey endeavors to keep poste(: on the

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river's behavior, so that an engL1eer can be se 1t to the station in time to get the information. ;> single measurement of discharge may take from half and hour to a day or more, dependi llg upon the size of the stream and the working conditions.
The chemical quality of the water is determined by taking samples at the gaging stations during various stages of the water throughout the year and analyzing them for turbidity or suspended matter and for the dissolved mineral mattere This sampling does not need to be continued over a long periodi of years as is tile case with stream flow measurements.
Use of Stream-Flow Records
Industrial Water Supplies: tvater for industrial processes
is needed in large quantities, and for some uses it must meet specific requirements of composition. The chemical character varies with the origin of the water and the volume of the streamo .Analyses may show that a sample of water taken from a stream at one stage may be widely different from a sample taken at another stage. Stream discharge varies all the time, and a continuous record of flow is necessary in order that the analyses may not be misleading.
We nliJW knoTrl, thanks to Dr" Herty s experiments, that ex.cellent white newsprint and book paper and rayon can be manufactured from cheap southern pine and gum of only a few years grm'lth. The next ten of fifteen years willsee the establishment of a number of large paper mills , first on the coast, then inland, Dr. Herty states : 11 The paper mills will come to areas where there is pulpwood and the right kind of water in sufficient quatities, and the supply of water is just as important as the supply of pulp wood.
The timber cruises made by the u.s. Forest Service under Captain
Eldridge will give us definite figures of our supply of pulp wood in the various sections of the State. But if Georgia does not wish to lose these mills to her sister states she must start at once the all-important work of gaging the flow of her streams and analyzing the water. 11
~''ater for us e in boilers of industrial plants should have certain qualities to prevent scale or erosion. Condenser water for steam plants is needed in large quantities, and its temperature and quality must be knowno Temperature, chemical quality , and turbidity are all influenced by changes in the volume on water flowing
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Municipal \later Supplies: The water supplies of most of the
larger cities and towns in Georgia come from surface streams. tvell water, except in parts of the Coastal Plain, is limited in quantity, and heavy draft may deplete the underground supply, preventing further extension of its use. Griffin a few years ago abandoned its wells and went to the Flint River for its water supply. several other Georgia cities will in the next few years have to change from deep weels to surface streams. and unless they have stream flow records over a ~er of years they may make the same mistake made
a few years ago by the city of _Durham, North Carolina. Durham
considered two possible streams, Flat River and Eno River, on neither of which had stream flow measurements been made. On the basis of local testimony they chose Flat River and built an impounding reservoir on it. Subsequent stream-flow records showed that the original esti~a.tes of the flow of bbe river were entirely
too large, bJ;ft that the low-water flow of the Eno River was five times that of the Flat River.

,.
Even cert~n cities in the Coastal Plain that now apparently

have an adequate supply of water from artesian wells will in future

years find that although their demand for water is increasing,

the yeild from their artesian wells is decreasing, or that the

wells are being. ruined by encroaching salt water. They will then

suddenly want years of records of the flow of their. nearest sur-

face stream.



Bridges a~d highways: Bridges -~d h~ghway approaches to

the!tl are constructed with the expec~-at!!.{?n that storm wate;s will

pass without interrupting traffid or ,Qacking up so as 'f:o cause

injury to property. If a bridge opening is too sma~l ~~ will

not pass the required amount of water, and as a result the bridge

and ~roach fills ~y was~ out or pcoperty upstream may be

d~ag~d~ by ~~~ate~. If th~ ~~~~~ ~~en~ng i l unnecessarily large, mt?.n~ h~s, b"n ~as~ed il\ its' ' co"sttu~t~Qn; The ~eor9~~ {il..9hway

Departm~n~.- l~c:k lng,. ~tl;'eall\i f~~w. r~q~,q~, ;~as ~~een fo~e~d ~o 9'-tfo!SS
~.' Y9llln\e o~ flooQ water tlli\~ ~'4s~ ~ a~~l)weq tQr .tl\ ~'Ji1.4~ng
i~s _ bl'iag~_~. . Tb~~ ba~e ~su~fly pl~f'~ s~'$ by b\lt~ding tl'le o~~n
ing$ 1azg~ ~han was ~e~,.,~ar~, ~~~ t~ ~~~ ~l~d~ ~~ ! f'w ~~ S
ag~ ~everal expeqfilt.ye b~}.49~~ ana ~~ll$l o/~hed O\ft; ~6) au.s~ tll1!

openings we~e tQQ sma~l ~ ; ~e los~ pl ~~er ' iQ ~,gl~,~n~ t~~-~ :

~gra!9dig~e~~~w~aatsio~ncshonla r~ghee~r~t~h,atn~e~~p~ul4fOhlfv~~eV.b~e~~ ~i

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~t?~ Uses c ~fr~~m flo~ record~ qy~f. ~f.nY feaf~ ~r~ e,qa~ly

h~nfe..c.de,r~.O~1a-areg,_l.y~..ttt;>oa.iicn~~~tp~~~o:Jw.~-e1Or-Qi~CpJ~l~~ia;~~~Vsfo~, lra~~O~9fi~tQ;l\p0~o*id,9ni~cl~~)"9it~pJ~oij~Sp{ft)~~mel:J'~9,p~,tq~ef.9"io~~fg'-. vfit:J~f:D#~dti;: ilodning

on. o~ ~:~ . ~e~ ~~~ - ~~ th~ ~l~~iq~~~o~ ~ f ~n~~;~s~a~~;,

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The Plan in Georgia
The United States Geological Survey is prepared to cooperate with the State in obtaining and publishing the records of stream flow so vital to growth and progress. The Survey has a trained personnel and has the most modern instruments and equipment for the purpose. EVery dollar that Georgia appropriates for this purpose will be matched by an equal dollar of Federal money.
At present the United States Geological Survey is operating for Federal purposes 16 gaging stations in Georgia or on its border streams and these will be maintained without State cooperation. Stations have maintained in the past at 23 other places in the State where it is highly desirable that these stations should be re-established. For a general sur:vey of the streams at least 19 more stations are needed in addition to those stations now in operation and to those that should be re-established. This will require an appropriation by the State of at least $10,000 per year over a period of several years. llnother $5,000 per year State appropriation will be necessary to collect and analyze samples of water at regular intervals for a year or two at each station in order to find out the chemical quality of the Water of our streams.
Under existing law cooperation may be arranged by agreement between the Diredtor of the Geological survey and the cooperation State organization. The scope of investigation and the areas to be studied are determined by mutual agreement between the representatives of the Survey and the cooperating State officials. The Survey retains direct supervision of the investigation and of the preparation of the data for publication. It publishes the stream-flow records in its annual water supply papers. If Georgia apprepriates at least $10,000 for stream gaging work the Survey will locate a District Office in !' tlanta to handle the work in Georgia.
Teh Georgia Forestry Association and the Gemrgia Chamber of Commerce secretaries have realized the great nees for this water survey in Georgia and are sorking for an adequate appropriation from the State Legislature. Every Georgian should inform his local State Representative and Senator of the vital need for this apprepriation.
REPRINTED SEPTEMBER, 1963
Department of MINES, MINING AND GEOLOGY
Garland Peyton, Director