**TESTIMONY OF SAM D. HAMILTON, REGIONAL DIRECTOR, SOUTHEAST REGION,
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BEFORE THE
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON WATER
RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT REGARDING**

**DROUGHT ISSUES IN THE SOUTHEAST**

**March 11, 2008**

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Madame Chairwoman, and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the
opportunity to testify on behalf of the Department of the Interior
regarding the impacts of the current drought in the Southeast. I am Sam
Hamilton, Regional Director for the Southeast Region of the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. I am
accompanied today by Jess Weaver, Regional Executive for the Southeast
Region of the U.S. Geological Survey.

As you are aware, the Southeast is in the midst of an historic drought.
Many reservoirs are at their lowest recorded elevations and several
cities and towns support significantly higher populations and demand
more water than they did during previous droughts. In 2007, parts of
Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee had their
lowest annual rainfall on record and stream flows in many areas have
been at all time lows. While some forecasts for 2008 suggest that
conditions may improve later this year, the situation today remains very
serious.

Using information provided by the USGS, this statement provides a brief
overview of the relevant hydrology in the region. It includes a
discussion of the principal regional reservoirs and the various water
uses and competing demands for water in the relevant river basins. The
testimony concludes with a discussion of the Department's ongoing role
in the region.

**Overview of Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basin**

The ACF Basin covers 19,600 square miles extending from the Blue Ridge
Mountains with free-flowing trout streams to the ecologically rich
Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of Mexico. The ACF Basin covers parts of
the Blue Ridge, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain with 74 percent of the basin
lying within Georgia, 15 percent in Alabama, and 11 percent in Florida.
The Apalachicola River is formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee
River (8,770 square miles, of which 70 percent is within Georgia) and
the Flint River (8,460 square miles, which lies entirely within Georgia)
at the border between Florida and the southwestern corner of Georgia.
From its confluence, the Apalachicola River flows about 107 miles to the
Gulf of Mexico. The ACF Basin receives an average annual precipitation
of 55 inches and the average annual streamflow near the mouth of the
river is 25,100 cubic feet per second (1978-2006 at Sumatra, Florida).

There are five Federal reservoirs in the ACF Basin: Lake Lanier, West
Point Lake, Walter F. George Lake, George W. Andrews Lock and Dam, and
Lake Seminole at Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam. In addition, 11 non-Federal
Georgia Power projects are present within the ACF Basin.

In the context of severe droughts, which occurred in the early and late
1980s and from 1999-2002, conflicts have arisen between increased water
demands for Atlanta in the upper part of the Basins and increased
demands for irrigation in the lower portion of the ACF. Lake Lanier is
the uppermost and largest reservoir in the ACF Basin.

*[Principal Reservoirs of the ACF Basin]{.underline}*

Much of the recent attention regarding the ACF Basin has focused on
storage water that remains in Lake Lanier. Lake Lanier is the principal
source of water supply for the population of metropolitan Atlanta, which
doubled in size between 1980 and 2000, and grew to more than 4.9 million
people in 2005. Despite abundant average rainfall, no large rivers flow
through metropolitan Atlanta because of its location in the headwaters
of five major river basins. Additionally, ground-water sources supply
less than 1.5 percent of metropolitan Atlanta's water needs because the
region is underlain by crystalline rock aquifers that typically do not
support high-yield wells.

Lake Lanier was formed by Buford Dam in 1956 as a Federal reservoir.
Located at the headwaters of the ACF system, Lake Lanier comprises 62.5
percent of the storage in the system, but only 6 percent of the drainage
basin. This means that because of its huge storage capacity and
relatively small drainage area, it takes longer to refill Lake Lanier
than it does other lakes in the system. Operation of the network of
reservoirs to provide downstream water is complicated by having the
majority of storage located in the upper end of the basin. Lake Lanier
must release adequate water to meet water quality and water supply
requirements at Peachtree Creek. During extreme drought conditions when
storage in the downstream reservoirs is depleted, operations must meet
other flow requirements downstream.

West Point Lake was created by West Point Dam in 1974 and represents 17
percent of the ACF Basin storage. Lake Walter F. George was formed by
Walter F. George Dam in 1963 and represents 14 percent of the ACF Basin
storage. Releases from West Point Lake are critical to meet minimum flow
requirements for Columbus, Georgia and for temperature reduction at the
Plant Farley thermoelectric generating plant. Plant Farley, completed in
1970 (phase one) and 1977 (phase 2), has a capacity of 1,776 megawatts.
This plant supplies more than 20 percent of the electric power used in
the State of Alabama. Releases are also required at times to provide
adequate depth for navigation.

Lake Seminole was completed in 1957 with the construction of Jim
Woodruff Lock and Dam and represents 6 percent of the ACF Basin storage.
Releases from Lake Seminole are required to maintain minimum flows
established at the time of dam construction to support the Herbert
Scholz thermoelectric generating plant, which was completed in 1953 and
has a 92 megawatt generating capacity. Recently, additional minimum flow
requirements were set to support threatened and endangered species of
the Apalachicola River.

**Competing Demands for Water in the ACF Basin**

There are numerous competing demands for the waters of the ACF Basin,
which provide water supply for several million people representing about
60 percent of the population of Georgia, about 8 percent of the
population of Alabama, and about 1 percent of the population of Florida.
The waters of the ACF irrigate more than 780,000 acres of farmland. The
lower ACF Rivers are home to one threatened fish species, and two
threatened and four endangered mussels. The rivers of the ACF are the
source for about 59 public water suppliers and about 41 industrial
plants, including about 7 thermoelectric power plants that collectively
withdraw more than 100,000 gallons per day. Additionally, there are more
than 80 ground-water withdrawal permits in the ACF Basin for public
supply and industrial use. The flood control, navigation, and recreation
benefits of the rivers and reservoirs of this system provide both
intrinsic and economic values. At the mouth of the ACF Basin,
Apalachicola Bay represents a significant oyster and shrimp fishery.

**How Much Water is in the ACF Basin, and How Much Water is Used?**

There are no simple answers to the questions of how much water is in the
ACF Basin and how much water is used. Instead, the answers depend on the
location in the river basin and on the year and season. Location is
important because as one moves from upstream to downstream in a typical
river setting, additions to stream­flow from tributaries including
ground-water contributions and subtractions of streamflow for
consumptive use are cumulative, with increasing total amounts in the
down­stream direction. Time is important because streamflow and
consumptive use can vary by hundreds of percent from year to year and
from season to season at any given location; consumptive use typically
is highest during drought periods and summer months when streamflow
typically is low.

Surface-water use may be classified as consumptive when water is removed
from a source and is not returned to the source for reuse immediately
downstream. These consumptive amounts depend on sev­eral factors,
particularly the type of water use, which varies from region to region.
Stream­flow during low-flow periods comes primarily from ground water and
can be affected by ground-water pumping.

On an average annual basis, consumptive use from the metropolitan
Atlanta area represents about 1 percent of average annual streamflow of
Apalachicola at Woodruff Dam, which is less than the measurement errors
for these data. However, water-supply planning must focus on the amount
of streamflow in the upper Basin and not on flows in the Apalachicola
River. For instance, in the extreme drought of 1999-2001, average
monthly streamflow into Lake Lanier during the summer was not sufficient
to meet all downstream needs without significant reservoir level
declines during those drought conditions. A USGS Fact Sheet (FS
2007-3034) indicates that cumulative consumptive use in the ACF Basin
down to Lake Seminole represented about one-fourth of the streamflow
leaving Lake Seminole in July 2000. This was the lowest documented July
streamflow in the Apalachicola River leaving Lake Seminole since
recordkeeping began there in 1929, although other months have had even
lower streamflow. Extreme droughts are rare but recurring and are the
focus of water management and planning.

**Complicating Factors**

The greatest changes in Basin hydrology in the past three decades have
been driven by increased public supply demands associated with the
Atlanta region and increased agricultural withdrawals in the southern
portion of the Basin. During extreme, protracted droughts, Lake Lanier
is the storage of last resort to meet minimum flow requirements
throughout the system. Another complicating factor is the effect on
streamflow from intensive ground-water withdrawals used for irrigation
in the lower ACF Basin. The vast majority of the 780,000 irrigated acres
in the ACF are supplied by center-pivot wells. The cumulative influence
of these wells can change the direction of ground-water flow. Streams
that would normally gain water from surrounding aquifers during low flow
begin to lose water to these aquifers. These dynamics have been
simulated as part of a recently completed study conducted by the USGS.
Interbasin transfers represent another important complicating factor,
particularly in the upper AFC Basin. Because the Atlanta region is
spread across the headwaters of 5 major river basins, water withdrawn
from one basin may supply users in other basins; similarly, wastewater
supplied from one basin may be discharged across a major basin boundary
into another basin.

**Overview of Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) River Basin**

The Alabama, Coosa, and Tallapoosa Rivers flow southwestward from
northwest Georgia to southwest Alabama, draining 22,800 square miles
into Mobile Bay. Twenty-three percent of the drainage area is within
Georgia and 77 percent is within Alabama. There are five Federal
projects within the Basin -- Carters Lake, Lake Allatoona, Robert F.
Henry Lock and Dam, Millers Ferry Lock and Dam, and Claiborne Lock and
Dam, and 11 non-Federal Alabama Power projects. Federal projects compose
22 percent of the total water storage in the Basin. The five Federal
reservoirs are operated and managed to serve multiple purposes. Average
precipitation across the Basin is about 55 inches per year. There are 29
threatened and endangered aquatic species in the ACT Basin. The waters
of the ACT are used to irrigate about 28,000 acres of farmland. The
rivers of the ACT are the source for about 218 industrial and public
permitted water suppliers; 155 in Alabama and 63 in Georgia (2001 data).
These permits are required for users to withdraw more than 100,000
gallons per day. Additionally, there are numerous ground-water
withdrawal permits in the ACT Basin for public supply and industrial
use. The flood control, navigation, and recreation benefits of the
rivers and reservoirs in this Basin provide enormous intrinsic and
economic values.

The upper reservoirs in the ACT Basin have been discussed extensively
with respect to interbasin transfers for supply to the Atlanta region.
The two upper reservoirs in this Basin are Carters Lake and Lake
Allatoona. Carters Lake was formed in 1974 by construction of Carters
Dam and represents 5.7 percent of the Basin reservoir storage and 2.3
percent of the Basin drainage area. Lake Allatoona, impounded in 1950 by
Allatoona Dam, represents 11.4 percent of the overall Basin storage and
4.9 percent of the Basin area.

**Federal Role in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River
Basin**

Water is a public resource governed by state governments, not Federal
agencies. However, Federal agencies play an important cooperating role,
and the Federal government has made significant investments in the
construction and maintenance of reservoirs to meet multiple public use
purposes. As noted above, in the ACF basin there are four large Federal
reservoirs. One of the Department's roles, through the Service, is to
advise Federal agencies with regard to their obligations under the
Endangered Species Act.

In the ACF River basin, this means working closely with the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, the states of Alabama, Florida and Georgia, and
other partners to ensure the threatened Gulf sturgeon and three species
of endangered mussels -- the Purple bankclimber, Fat threeridge and
Chipola slabshell - are not jeopardized by any agency action.
Collectively, we are working towards the recovery of these species,
which require flowing water to survive.

Balancing the water needs of millions of people across three States is
not easy, particularly during this extreme drought. The river system
supplies water for many municipal and industrial purposes, including
power generation, flood control, navigation, drinking water,
agriculture, pollution dilution, fish and wildlife habitat, and
recreation. It is important to understand that the Service is not
putting the needs of fish and mussels ahead of the needs of people.
Conserving aquatic species is a means to ensure the health of our rivers
and streams, and mussels are the canary in the coal mine for our
rivers - declines in native mussel populations indicate an emerging
problem with the health of the river that could affect people.

The Service has been working with the Corps since the 1980s when
drafting of revisions to the ACF Water Control Plan began. Shortly
thereafter the "ACF Water Wars" ensued in several Federal courts.
Throughout the era of the tri-state water compact in the 1990s, the
Service provided assistance as additional data was collected and as the
States negotiated water allocations. With the listing of the Gulf
sturgeon as threatened in 1991 and the mussels as endangered in 1998
under the Endangered Species Act, the Service consulted with the Corps
as it managed flows within the system.

In addition to our participation in these overarching negotiations, the
Service is working proactively on the ground in the ACF basin to help
communities meet their growing water demands. For example:

-   In 2001, we provided \$200,000 to agricultural producers in the
    Flint River basin to retrofit irrigation systems in order to
    conserve water;

-   In 2004, we helped develop guidance for streamlining the review
    process for water supply reservoirs throughout Georgia;

-   In 2005-2006, we helped develop a water supply plan protocol to
    assist municipalities with securing water supply while minimizing
    impacts to federally listed species north of Atlanta; and

-   In 2006, we provided \$130,000 to the State of Georgia to begin the
    planning process for the development of a habitat conservation plan
    for the lower Flint River basin which would help engage basin
    stakeholders, primarily agricultural users, in water conservation
    and mussel protection.

-   For many years, we have been working in high priority areas
    throughout the basin on mussel surveys and monitoring. By entering
    into partnerships with communities, landowners, and local, State and
    Federal agencies, we continue to explore opportunities to restore
    and protect aquatic habitat.

Regardless of these and other proactive efforts to conserve species, in
2006, the basin experienced diminishing precipitation levels and the
situation worsened in 2007. Without rainfall, the Corps had to adjust
its operations to meet the multiple purposes of the reservoirs, the
needs of fish and wildlife, and the needs of basin stakeholders.

To address potential effects of reservoir operations, the Corps
developed the Interim Operating Plan (IOP) in 2006, and the Service
formally consulted on this plan. While some mussels could be affected by
the IOP, we concluded that it was not enough to jeopardize the species'
continued existence. Measures to avoid and minimize harm to the species
were recommended and accepted by the Corps.

As the drought worsened, the Corps and the Service agreed to several
adjustments to the IOP in October 2007, to help maintain water in
reservoir storage. The Corps then formally amended the IOP on November
1, 2007, producing the Exceptional Drought Operations (EDO) plan to
increase opportunities to store water during rain events. Knowing that
extreme drought was continuing, and given our close working relationship
with the Corps, the Service marshaled a large team to collect additional
data, complete the needed analyses, and complete formal consultation on
the EDO in only 15 days, a process that typically takes up to 135 days.

Today we continue to work closely with the Corps, the States, and other
Federal agencies to enhance flexibility in water management on the ACF,
while considering the needs of fish and wildlife resources. Most
recently, we have been supporting Secretary Kempthorne and his staff as
they assist the States in negotiating a water sharing agreement for the
ACF.

**Drought Throughout the Southeast**

Of course, the ACF basin is just one of the stressed river systems
throughout the Southeast. In addition to working with Alabama, Florida,
and Georgia, we are working with partners in North Carolina, South
Carolina, and Tennessee as they wrestle with assessing and understanding
the ongoing and future impacts of drought. For example:

-   We are actively working with the Corps, the Federal Energy
    Regulatory Commission, and Alabama Power Company in the
    Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) River Basin to address the impact of
    operational changes on listed species.

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-   We are working with six States most deeply affected by the current
    drought (AL, FL, GA, NC, SC and TN) to develop a drought contingency
    plan for freshwater mussels. The plan will guide decision-making
    with regard to appropriate actions that should be carried out in the
    event of extreme drought conditions. Contingency planning will
    identify a monitoring network of specific actions to be taken,
    expected consequences of these actions, and triggers for initiating
    actions and expectations regarding evaluation of any actions that
    are implemented.

-   In Tennessee, we worked with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
    when they reduced flows at Normandy Dam on the Duck River in
    October 2007. The Duck River supports significant populations of
    three federally listed mussel species. In February 2008, we
    developed a plan with TVA and the state of Tennessee to further
    reduce flows from Normandy Reservoir in order to conserve water for
    future needs of humans and mussels if the drought continues.

-   In South Carolina and North Carolina, we are working with key
    partners on strategies to save a number of mussel species. We have
    also initiated emergency rescue operations for one species, the
    federally endangered Carolina heelsplitter, of which only 10 small
    populations remain.

-   In North Carolina, we are working with the Corps and other partners
    to manage reservoir levels and river flows in the Raleigh area.

-   In Florida's Everglades, we are working with many partners including
    the South Florida Water Management District, local governments, and
    the Corps to manage the significant drought challenges currently
    found throughout the entire ecosystem. Lake Okeechobee, known as the
    liquid heart of the Everglades, is facing record low water levels
    that are expected to drop even further as the dry season continues.
    We are working together to strike a balance that meets south
    Florida's water needs, protects important habitat such as the
    Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, and
    conserves species including the snail kite, a highly endangered
    bird.

**Information Needs**

The Department is seriously committed to working with states affected by
drought now and in the future. The drought has highlighted data gaps and
information needs that, if filled, would facilitate future
decision-making for the Service and our State and Federal partners. For
example, for the ACF we have created a list of projects that would
increase our understanding of river hydrology and the habitat needs of
sturgeon and mussels; implement key habitat restoration efforts; and
provide incentives to private landowners to conserve water. We are
developing similar lists of information needs for the ACT and other
basins.

The drought has also highlighted existing areas of work that are crucial
for understanding water shortages. For example, USGS stream gauges
throughout these river systems have been important monitoring tools over
the course of the drought. Data resulting from this program is basic to
our ability to understand changing hydrology and manage these river
systems.

While we need information to make decisions, partnerships with key water
users and education efforts that encourage the public to conserve water
are also needed. Water may soon become a limiting factor for growth and
development in many areas of the southeast. While we cannot produce more
rain, we can all do more to maximize the use of the precipitation that
the Southeast receives to best meet the needs of all water users.

**Conclusion**

The Department and its State and Federal partners have been working
proactively for many years to implement solutions that balance the many
uses of these systems, including meeting the water needs of people,
while at the same time conserving species. Maintaining healthy river
systems is critically important to the economy and natural environment
of the Southeastern United States. The drought has taught us that more
needs to be done to keep these systems healthy for generations to come.
These lessons are particularly important in light of climate change
predictions, which suggest more intense droughts, sea level rise and
increased temperatures in the Southeast. The Department is committed to
help states find practicable and balanced solutions, based on the
realities of Mother Nature, to manage their water supplies.

Madame Chairwoman, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. This
concludes my prepared remarks, and I would be happy to respond to any
questions that Members may have.

**Selected References**

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2004, Extended unimpaired flow report,
January 1994--December 2001, for the ACT/ACF River Basins, 34 p.

Fanning, J.L., 2003, Water use in Georgia by county for 2000 and
water-use trends for 1980 --2000: Georgia Department of Natu­ral
Resources Information Circular 106, 176 p., also online at
*http://ga.water.usgs.gov/pubs/other/ggs-ic106/.*

Jones, L.E., and Torak, L.J., 2006, Simulated effects of seasonal
ground-water pumpage for irrigation on hydrologic conditions in the
Lower Apalachicola-- Chattahoochee--Flint River Basin, southwestern
Georgia and parts of Alabama and Florida, 1999 --2002: U.S. Geological
Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5234, 83 p., Web-only
publication available at *http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2006/5234/.*

Landers, M.N. and Painter, J.A., 2007, How Much Water Is in the
Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and Flint Rivers, and How Much Is Used?,
USGS Fact Sheet 2007-3034, 4 P.

Torak, L.J., and McDowell, R.J., 1996, Ground-Water Resources of the
Lower Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin in parts of Alabama,
Florida, and Georgia---Subarea 4 of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint
and Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basins, USGS Open-File Report 95-321,
145 p., available online at <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1995/ofr95321/>

**EIS LINK:** <http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/pd/actacfeis/>