In Georgia, the flood provided a unique opportunity to measure the nutrients, suspended sediments, and pesticides transported during extreme floods. Twenty pesticides commonly used in agricultural and urban areas were detected in floodwaters. Pollutants flushed from the land surface during storm runoff tended to reach streams during the first portion of a flood. This information can be used to evaluate potential pollution characteristics of future extreme floods. Herbicide concentrations and discharge in the Flint River at Newton.
Major land uses in Georgia.
The Floridan aquifer system is one of the most productive in the United States and is the source of water supply for the city of Valdosta and much of the surrounding area in southeastern Georgia. The river water contains naturally occurring organic matter and receives little filtration as it recharges the aquifer, which results in high concentrations of organic carbon, hydrogen sulfide, and methane in ground water downgradient from the recharge area. The USGS measured and characterized water quality in the Upper Floridan aquifer. Concentrations of naturally occurring constituents in ground water from several locations were used to trace the movement of recharge water in the Upper Floridan aquifer. In Georgia, the USGS provides information on natural hazards, which include floods, droughts, earthquakes, sinkholes, and coastal storm surges.