U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2006-3032

March 2006

Helping Solve Georgia’s Water Problems—

The USGS Cooperative Water Program

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 

addresses a wide variety of water issues 

in the State of Georgia through the Cooperative Water Program (CWP). As the 

primary Federal science agency for waterresource information, the USGS monitors 

the quantity and quality of water in the 

Nation’s rivers and aquifers, assesses 

the sources and fate of contaminants in 

aquatic systems, collects and analyzes 

data on aquatic ecosystems, develops 

tools to improve the application of hydrologic information, and ensures that its 

information and tools are available to all 

potential users. This broad, diverse mission cannot be accomplished effectively 

without the contributions of the CWP.

The mission of the CWP is to provide 

reliable, impartial, and timely information 

needed to understand the Nation’s water 

resources through a program of shared 

efforts and funding with State, Tribal, and 

local partners 

to enable decision makers 

to wisely

manage the Nation’s water resources. 

Most work in the CWP is directed 

toward potential and emerging long-term 

problems, such as water supply, waste 

disposal, ground- and surface-water quality, floods, droughts, and environmental 

protection. In most cases, standardized 

methods are used so that results are transferable to broader areas that may have 

interstate, regional, or international significance. In some cases, CWP projects 

develop new or revised methods to evaluate water resources, which are described 

and become available for use elsewhere.

Because rivers and aquifers cross jurisdictional lines, studies and data collected in 

one county or one State have great value 

in adjacent counties or States. Therefore, 

it is effective to have one agency involved 

in these studies so that the information can be shared and is comparable 

from one jurisdiction to another. USGS 

offices within Georgia are able to draw on 

resources from the much larger national 

infrastructure of the USGS, including 

the National Water Quality Laboratory, 

the National Water Information System, 

the National Research Program (which 

provides tools and new methods and 

consultation on difficult scientific issues), 

instrumentation testing facilities, and a 

national system of quality assurance.

Cooperative Water Program 

in Georgia

The CWP is providing valuable information to effectively manage the water 

resources of Georgia. Several State and 

local agencies are cooperative partners 

in the CWP (see table above right).

These cooperative partners have worked 

with the USGS to develop studies to 

assess the availability of water resources, 

surface- and ground-water contamination 

problems, impacts of pumping on water 

resources, and flooding extent. Comprehensive monitoring networks have been 

established to monitor trends and assess 

best management practices. Digital databases and geographic information systems 

(GIS) have been designed to optimize 

evaluation of a wide variety of waterresource problems. The following studies 

are examples of the CWP in Georgia.

Agencies

Georgia Department of Transportation

Georgia Emergency Management Agency 

Georgia Environmental Protection Division

Atlanta Regional Commission

Georgia Ports Authority

Flint River Water Planning and Policy Center

Jekyll Island Authority

Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority

Counties

Athens–Clarke Crisp Houston

Bibb Dougherty Lee

Camden Fayette Liberty

Chattooga Glynn McIntosh

Cherokee Gwinnett Polk

Clayton Heard Rockdale

Cobb Henry White

Cities

Albany Etowah Roswell

Atlanta Griffin Savannah

Blairsville Helen Springfield

Brunswick Lawrenceville Summerville

Covington Ludowici Thomaston

Dalton Macon Valdosta

East Point Monroe Winder

Hydrogeology and water-resource 

potential of frac­tured crystalline 

rock in northern Georgia (in cooperation with the City of Lawrenceville and 

Rockdale County Water Author­ity)— In 

northern Georgia, the development potential of ground-water resources is poorly 

understood. The goals of the CWP at 

Lawrenceville and Rockdale County are 

to determine the occurrence, availability, 

and quality of ground water in a fractured-crystalline-rock geologic setting. 

At Lawrenceville, geologic information 

collected as part of this program helped 

the city develop a new ground-watersupply system capable of producing 

nearly 2 million gallons per day. A 

monitoring program at Lawrenceville has 

been established to collect background 

streamflow and ground-water-level data 

in order to assess the impact of ground-
water pumping once initiated. Information is being used to develop and manage 

ground-water resources while providing 

better techniques to assess the occurrence 

of ground water in the Pied­mont area and 

to assess the impact of ground-water development on the stream-aquifer system.

USGS hydrologist at a rock outcrop entering 

geologic data into a handheld computer linked 

to a global positioning system receiver. This 

information provides insight into geologic 

conditions controlling water availability in 

northern Georgia. Photo by Ethan W. Williams.

Coastal supplemental aquifers study

(in coopera­tion with Glynn, Liberty, 

McIntosh, and Camden Counties and the 

City of Ludowici)—In coastal Georgia, 

concern about saltwater contamination of 

the Upper Floridan aquifer (the principal 

freshwater source for the region) and 

restrictions on its usage has spurred interest in the development of other groundwater sources for supplemental supply. 

The USGS is working with several cooperators to better define the water-bearing 

and water-quality characteristics of these 

supplemental sources by constructing 

test wells, assessing subsurface geology, 

determining water chemistry, and conducting aquifer tests. Ongoing monitoring 

in Liberty County is helping to assess 

the impact of development on hydrologic 

conditions. The project is providing cooperators with information needed to locally 

guide development of these potential 

supplemental sources of water supply, 

while providing data needed to characterize their geologic, hydrologic, and waterquality characteristics on a regional basis.

Ground-water resources of the Brunswick, Georgia, area (in cooperation 

with the City of Brunswick)—The Upper 

Floridan aquifer is contaminated with saltwater in a 2-square-mile area of downtown 

Brunswick, which has limited development 

of the ground-water supply in the Glynn 

County area. The USGS has worked with 

the City of Brunswick since the early 

1960s to monitor and assess the impact of 

ground-water development on saltwater 

contamination of the Floridan aquifer 

system. Currently, a 12-well network of 

continuous water-level recorders monitors 

the effect of pumping on the ground-water 

system. An 88-well network is sampled 

Geophysical logs provide information needed 

to assess the water-bearing potential of subsurface geologic units. The natural-gamma

(NG) and electric (E) logs are used to determine 

different water-bearing zones. The fluid 

resistivity log (F) and temperature log (T) 

measure properties of borehole fluid.

Extent of chloride contamination at Brunswick 

during June 2001. The USGS collects and 

analyzes samples from an 88-well network on 

an annual basis as part of the Brunswick area 

Cooperative Water Program. Data helped State 

and local officials determine that the position of 

the chloride plume has remained relatively stable 

since the early 1980s (accessed on February 15, 

2006, at http://ga.water.usgs.gov/pubs/wrir/

wrir034032/pdf/qw-brunswick.pdf).

on an annual basis to monitor changes in 

saltwater contamination. Information is 

being used to manage and develop groundwater resources in the area, while providing insight into mechanisms of saltwater 

in­trusion from deep sources of saltwater.

Flood inundation and visualization of 

the Flint River near Albany, Georgia 

(in cooperation with Dougherty County, 

Georgia)—During 1994, rains associated 

with Tropical Storm Alberto caused severe 

flooding in the Albany, Dougherty County 

area. To enable better characterization of 

flood inundation for a broad range of flood 

stages, the USGS partnered with Dougherty County to accurately model flood 

inundation by developing a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model and GIS tools. 

Study results provide for visualization of 

the extent of flooding associated with 

10- to 500-year flood events. This information will enable emergency management officials, planners, and developers to 

deter­mine areas prone to flooding and that 

may need to be evacuated during rising 

floodwaters. The calibrated model can be 

used to assess flood abatement strategies.

Digital orthophoto quadrangle showing extent of 

flooding at Albany from Tropical Storm Alberto 

during 1994. The USGS model, developed as 

part of the Cooperative Water Program, enables 

prediction of the extent of flooding under a wide 

variety of potential flood conditions (accessed 

on February 15, 2006, at http://ga.water.usgs.gov/

pubs/other/gwrc2005/pdf/GWRC05_Musser.pdf).

Ground-Water Resources of the 

Albany, Georgia, area (in cooperation 

with the Albany Water, Gas, and Light 

Commission, and the Flint River Water 

Planning and Policy Center)—Since the 

1970s, the USGS has worked with the 

Albany Water, Gas, and Light Commission 

to provide information needed to manage 

ground-water resources. Long-term pump-
ing from deep ground-water sources in the 

Albany new well field has raised concern 

about protection of the new water source. 

As part of the CWP, the USGS continuously monitors water levels in an 18-well 

network to assess the effect of pumping 

on major aquifers used for water supply 

in the area. More recently, a program was 

developed to annually collect and analyze for nitrate samples, from a 14-well 

network near the new well field. A digital 

ground-water flow model is being developed to provide better understanding of 

ground-water flow near the new well field. 

Information is being used by cooperators to manage and develop ground-water 

resources in the area, while providing 

insight into mechanisms of ground-water 

flow and nitrate con­tamination in a karst 

hydrogeologic setting.

A Web site developed as part of the Albany 

area Cooperative Water Program provides 

the public with information on ground- and 

surface-water resources of the area. The Web 

site can be accessed at http://ga.water.usgs.

gov/projects/albany/

Metropolitan Atlanta Urban Hydrology Program (in cooperation with the 

cities of Atlanta and Roswell, Georgia 

Environmental Protection Division, 

and Gwinnett and Rockdale Counties)—

Nonpoint sources of pollution account 

for the majority of viola­tions of the Clean 

Water Act, as reported on the 303d List of 

Impaired Waters in Georgia. The majority 

of the violations are for bacterial indicators; but dissolved oxygen, pH, metals, 

nutri­ents, sediment, and various organic 

compounds are also com­monly involved. 

The sources for many of these contaminants include nonpoint-source runoff from 

USGS personnel collecting biological samples as 

part of the urban hydrology program. These data 

can be used to determine the health of aquatic 

ecosystems. Photo by William B. Hughes, USGS. 

urban areas, construction sites, agricultural fields, golf courses, and other developed areas. State, county, and municipal 

governments—as well as environmental 

groups—are all interested in obtaining 

informa­tion on the sources, transport, and

fate of these contaminants. There is also a 

need for understanding the processes that 

control the concentrations and loadings of 

these contaminants in streams, their effect 

on aquatic ecosystems, and potential for 

human health consequences.

The USGS, in cooperation with several 

State and local agencies, is working to 

evaluate stream water quality and its 

rela­tion to land use, point- and nonpoint-source discharges, and watershed 

characteristics; determine relations 

between water quality, watershed characteristics, and aquatic ecology; contrast the 

stream water-quality condi­tions, trends, 

and loads measured before and after 

upgrades to wastewater infrastructure 

and implementa­tion of best management 

practices; and identify correlations among 

fecal coliform bacteria (current indicator bacteria), Escherichia coli bacteria 

(proposed indicator bacteria), and organic 

compounds identified as wastewater compounds. The project provides data that are 

used in stormwater management plans, in 

National Pollutant Dis­charge Elimination 

System monitoring requirements, and in 

meeting monitoring requirements of the 

Federal Clean Water Act as administered 

by the Georgia Environmental Protection 

Division (GaEPD). 

Statewide water-quality sampling network (in cooperation with GaEPD)—This 

ongoing program provides basic data for 

use in assessing current conditions and 

trends in streamflow and water quality. 

Includes analysis of nutrients, major ions, 

and metals at 130 sites statewide. Fifty sites 

are sampled each year, with the remaining 

80 sites sampled on a rotational basis in 

each of Georgia’s five major river basins. 

GaEPD uses these data for the establishment of Total Maximum Daily Loads.

Coastal Georgia Sound Science Initiative (in cooperation with GaEPD)—This 

program of scientific and feasibility studies 

supports development of a GaEPD strategy 

to protect the Upper Floridan aquifer from 

saltwater contamination in coastal Georgia. The program includes investigation 

of paths and rates of ground-water flow 

and intrusion of saltwater into the Upper 

Floridan aquifer through development of 

detailed flow and solute-transport models.

Areas where saltwater is entering the Floridan aquifer system have been delineated 

by constructing offshore test wells near 

Savannah, Ga.–Hilton Head Island, S.C., 

and deep test wells onshore near Savannah and St. Marys, Ga. The water-bearing 

potential of alternative water sources—

including the Lower Floridan aquifer, the 

surficial and Brunswick aquifer systems, 

and dug seepage ponds—was assessed and 

reported. Finally, an expanded monitoring 

network has been developed to assess the 

impact of development on ground-water 

levels and quality. The program is providing information needed by the cooperator 

to effectively manage water resources in 

coastal Georgia, while providing insight 

into mechanisms of saltwater contamination in the Atlantic Coastal Zone and on 

alternative sources of water supply.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers jack-up barge 

was used as a platform for drilling offshore test 

borings as part of the Coastal Sound Science 

Initiative. Core, hydrologic, water-quality, and 

geophysical data were collected at five sites during 

1999–2001. Data are being used to identify areas 

where saltwater is entering and contaminating 

the Upper Floridan aquifer, the principal source 

of freshwater in the coastal region. Photo by 

Michael F. Peck, USGS (accessed on February 15, 

2006, at http://ga2.er.usgs.gov/coastal/).
Southwest Georgia Sound Science Initiative (in cooperation with GaEPD)—

In southwestern Georgia, increased 

irrigation pumpage from the Upper 

Floridan aquifer threatens to reduce the 

flow of the Flint River significantly and 

could adversely affect downstream users 

and the ecosystem in the lower part of 

the Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint 

(ACF) River Basin. Determination of 

cause-and-effect relations between 

ground-water pumping and streamflow 

reduction in this complex karst environment are needed to support watermanagement decisions by State and

Federal officials. 

The USGS, in cooperation with GaEPD, 

is conducting studies to evaluate streamlake-aquifer flow and the impact of 

agricultural withdrawal on the ACF River 

Basin. The southwest Georgia Sound 

Science Initiative is composed primarily 

of the Lake Seminole hydrologic assessment project and the lower ACF transient

ground-water flow model project. The 

Lake Seminole project is quantifying lake 

water-budget components and groundand surface-water interactions, defining 

interstate ground-water flow between 

Georgia and Florida, identifying changes 

to the ground-water flow system due to 

lake impoundment, and assessing the 

potential for sinkhole collapse and catastrophic lake drainage. The lower ACF 

transient ground-water flow model project 

is improving understanding of the impact 

of seasonal agricultural withdrawal on the 

stream-aquifer system, including assessment of the sensitivity of selected streams 

to ground-water pumping. Information

from the two studies is being used to support withdrawal permit decisions by the 

State of Georgia, while providing insight 

into ground-water and stream interconnection in a complex karst environment.

Georgia HydroWatch Monitoring 

Network (in cooperation with GaEPD, 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and 

many Georgia cities and counties)—

This network of streamgages and well 

sites provides long-term and real-time 

records of hydrologic and water-quality

conditions in support of hydrologic 

investigations and water-management 

decisions. Data serve as the basis to evaluate changes in the hydrologic regime due 

to climate, extreme meteorological events, 

and anthropogenic factors and provide 

information on hydrologic and waterquality conditions. Real-time hydrologic 

information is served on the World Wide 

Web to enable cooperators, environmental 

officials, water-resource managers, emergency management officials, and the general public to make informed decisions 

regarding Georgia’s water resources and 

public safety. Many of the streamgages 

in this network provide data used by the 

National Weather Service in its riverforecast models to predict floods.

Maps showing results of model simulations in the lower ACF Rvier Basin. Map on the left shows water

level in the Upper Floridan aquifer before impoundment of Lake Seminole. Map on the right shows water 

level after impoundment. Contours indicate water-level altitude in feet, arrows indicate directions of 

ground-water flow (from Jones, L.E., and Torak, L.J., U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations 

Report 2004-5077, accessed on February 15, 2006, http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2004/5077/).

Real-time streamgage site is part of the 

USGS Hydrowatch Network. Several 

cooperators in Georgia provide funding 

for monitoring sites that collectively 

form a statewide real-time network 

of 222 streamgage and 19 groundwater sites (accessed on February 15, 

2006, at http://ga2.er.usgs.gov/gawater/

gawatersites.cfm). 

Outlook

In today’s environment of decreasing 

levels of Federal funding, The USGS 

has decreased its proportion of funding 

to the CWP in Georgia. Although the 

CWP originated as a 50:50 fund-matching arrangement, cooperator funds have 

grown faster than USGS funds during 

recent years. For example, during 2005, 

CWP funds in Georgia totaled $7.7 million, of which cooperators contributed 

nearly 75 percent. 

As the population of Georgia continues 

to grow, there will be ever-increasing

demands on the State’s finite water 

resources. The State of Georgia is currently developing a comprehensive 

statewide water management plan. The 

USGS CWP will play an important role 

in providing data and understanding of 

processes controlling the quantity and 

quality of Georgia’s water resources.

For more information on the CWP in Georgia

Visit the USGS Web site at 

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/

or contact the USGS at

3039 Amwiler Road 

Peachtree Business Center, Suite 130

Atlanta, Georgia 30360-2824 

phone: 770-903-9100

Prepared by John S. Clarke, Assistant Director 

Edited by Patricia L. Nobles

Layout and design by Caryl J. Wipperfurth

U.S. Geological Survey Georgia Water Science Center