FLINT

COOSA

OCONEE

SAVANNAH

OCMULGEE

OGEECHEE

SATILLA

SUWANNEE

ALTAMAHA

TENNESSEE

(TN)

CHATTAHOOCHEE

OCHLOCKONEE

 TALLAPOOSA

ST MARYS

TN TN

A streamflow monitoring station (middle 

left) measures water level of a stream; 

from this, streamflow can be computed.

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2006–3084

May 2006

Georgia’s Surface-Water Resources and Streamflow Monitoring Network, 2006

Surface-Water Resources

Surface water provides 5 billion gallons 

per day, or 78 percent, of the total freshwater used (including thermoelectric) in 

Georgia (Fanning, 2003). Climate, geology, and landforms control the distribution of Georgia’s water resources. Georgia is a “headwaters” State, with most of 

the rivers beginning in northern Georgia 

and increasing in size downstream (see 

map at right for major watersheds). 

Surface water is the primary source 

of water in the northern one-half of 

the State, including the Atlanta metropolitan area, where limited ground-water 

resources are difficult to obtain. 

In Georgia, periodic droughts exacerbate 

competition for surface-water supplies. 

Many areas of Georgia also face a threat 

of flooding due to spring frontal thunderstorms and the potential for hurricanes 

from both the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf 

of Mexico. As the population of Georgia 

increases, these flood risks will increase 

with development in flood-risk zones, 

particularly in the coastal region. 

USGS streamflow monitoring network for

Georgia and major watersheds. Streamflow is monitored at 198 sites statewide,

more than 80 percent of which include

precipitation gages. Various Federal,

State, and local agencies fund these

streamflow monitoring stations.

Georgia HydroWatch—

Streamflow Monitoring Network

Stage is the fundamental hydrologic 

measurement of a river—representing 

water height above an arbitrary datum. 

Stage data are used to compute streamflow—the total volume of water that 

flows past a specific point on a river 

during a period of time. Stream stage is 

measured at each streamflow monitoring 

station shown on the map above.

Discharge and streamflow data are 

essential for numerous water-resource 

management issues, including:

Flood forecasting and warning

Water-supply allocations

•

•

Flood control

Delineating and managing floodplains

Characterizing current waterquality conditions

Operating and designing water-supply, 

recreational, and other reservoirs

Determining permit requirements 

for discharge of treated wastewater

Monitoring compliance with 

minimum flow requirements

Fisheries habitat protection

Thermoelectric-power generation

Administering compacts or resolving 

conflicts on interstate rivers

Navigation and recreational uses

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

EXPLANATION

Streamflow monitoring station

 and cooperative partner

Federal

State

Local

Various
Civic Center parking

lot is inundated

Flint River at Albany (02352500) 1893–2000

40

38

36

34

32

30

28

26

24

22

18

37.80

34.40 34.72

43.00

36.92

1929

1994

1925

1966

1998

RIVER STAGE, IN FEET

*20

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

 network of 223 real-time monitoring 

stations, the “Georgia HydroWatch,” 

provides real-time water-stage data, 

with streamflow computed at 198 locations, and rainfall recorded at 187 stations. These sites continuously record 

data on 15-minute intervals and transmit 

the data via satellite to be incorporated 

into the USGS National Water Information System database. These data are 

automatically posted to the USGS Web 

site for public dissemi-nation (http://

waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/nwis). The

 real-time capability of this network provides information to help emergencymanagement officials protect human life 

and property during floods, and mitigate 

the effects of prolonged drought. 

Outlook

The Georgia HydroWatch streamflow 

monitoring network is operated by the 

USGS in cooperation with more than 

50 different partners at the Federal, 

State, and local government levels. 

Funding for the streamflow monitoring network is provided by the Federal 

Government and by State and local 

agencies in cooperation with the USGS. 

Some of the funding is provided by the 

USGS Cooperative Water Program, a 

joint funding mechanism between the 

USGS and State or local agencies (see 

Clarke, 2006). Funding for this program 

is renewable on an annual basis and, 

thus, is subject to economic conditions 

and changes in Federal, State, and local 

governmental appropriations. 

These partnerships are extremely valuable but are vulnerable to fluctuations 

in funding that have resulted in the loss 

of monitoring stations in Georgia and 

throughout the Nation. Three monitoring stations in Georgia were discontinued during December 2005 due to 

loss of funding. Stable funding sources 

for monitoring stations in Georgia are 

essential to ensure continuity of data. 

There are significant gaps in the network 

coverage throughout the State, especially 

in the coastal region. As population 

and water demand in the State increase, 

expanded streamflow monitoring will 

enable wise management of Georgia’s 

important water resources.

Edited by Patricia L. Nobles

Layout and design by Caryl J. Wipperfurth

USGS Georgia Water Science Center

Flooding from Tropical Storm Alberto along the Flint River at Newton, 

Georgia, on July 9, 1994. The 1994 flood was the most devastating flood in 

recent history, having from 100-year to greater than 200-year recurrence 

interval discharges in most of the Flint and Ocmulgee River Basins. Data from 

the USGS streamflow monitoring network for Georgia supplied the latest realtime hydrologic information to water-resource managers and emergencymanagement officials to enable informed decisions regarding public safety.

USGS streamflow monitoring station 

on the Ogeechee River, Georgia, during 

July 2000. Low streamflow during 

drought periods affects the quantity 

and quality of streamwater and reduces 

the assimilative capacity of the stream 

to handle waste discharges. Data from 

the USGS streamflow monitoring network

for Georgia provides real-time information 

on streamflow during drought periods 

to enable water-resource managers to 

make informed decisions regarding water 

withdrawal and waste discharges.

Peak flood stages of the Flint River at 

Albany, Georgia, for major floods during 

1925 –1998. The red line indicates flood 

stage as designated by the National 

Weather Service. Stage at or above this 

red line indicates flooding conditions 

in the area. The USGS streamflow monitoring network for Georgia provides real-time 

stage data that are used by emergencymanagement officials to enable 

informed decisions regarding public 

safety during flood events.

References Cited

Clarke, J.S., 2006, Helping solve Georgia’s 

water problems—The USGS Cooperative 

Water Program: U.S. Geological Survey 

Fact Sheet 2006-3032, 4 p., Web-only 

publication at http://pubs.usgs.gov/

fs/2006/3032/pdf/fs2006-3032.pdf

Fanning, J.L., 2003, Water use in Georgia 

by county for 2000 and water-use trends 

for 1980 –2000: Georgia Geologic Survey 

Information Circular 106, 176 p.

For more information on Georgia’s surfacewater resources and monitoring network

Visit the USGS Georgia Water Science Center 

Web site at http://ga.water.usgs.gov/

or contact the 

Director, USGS Georgia Water Science Center

3039 Amwiler Road 

Peachtree Business Center, Suite 130

Atlanta, Georgia 30360-2824 

Phone: 770-903-9100