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Runoff by quarter of the 2014 water year, from much below normal (red) through normal (green) to much above normal (dark blue): A, October–December 2013; B, January–March; C, April–June; D, July–September 2014. USGS.
Georgia's monitoring network
The USGS South Atlantic Water Science Center Georgia office, with local, State and Federal partners, runs:
- more than 350 real-time streamgages;
- 14 real-time lake-level stations and 72 real-time water-quality monitors;
- more than 204 groundwater wells, 39 real-time.
Hydrographers verify the data year-round, and hydrologic conditions are judged by comparing the current water year (October 1 to September 30, named for the year it ends) with history.
Online tools
- NWISWeb (waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis): current and historical data, replacing the old annual data reports; from water year 2014, an on-demand Water-Year Summary for every site.
- WaterNow (water.usgs.gov/waternow): get a site's current data by text or email.
- WaterAlert (water.usgs.gov/wateralert): a text or email when a threshold you set is crossed.
The 2014 water year
Georgia averages 45 to 75 inches of rain a year; in 2014 most of the state got 40 to 70.
| Quarter | Runoff |
|---|---|
| October–December 2013 | mostly normal to above normal |
| January–March 2014 | almost entirely normal |
| April–June 2014 | much above normal in the south |
| July–September 2014 | 2–4 inches less rain than normal at most stations; Macon and Columbus had their 2nd and 6th driest months on record in August; runoff mostly below or much below normal |
Four rivers
Daily and 7-day average discharge at four streamgages in the 2014 water year, compared with history. USGS.
| Streamgage | Where | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Chattooga River at Summerville (02398000) | Blue Ridge, flowing into Alabama's Weiss Lake | 7-day flows normal to much above normal; daily flows mostly in the maximum range; a record-high daily flow on April 8 |
| Ocmulgee River at Macon (02213000) | from Jackson Lake to the Altamaha, Coastal Plain | mostly normal; record-high daily flows in December |
| Sweetwater Creek near Austell (02337000) | Chattahoochee tributary, Piedmont | normal to much above normal, with short below-normal spells |
| Withlacoochee River near Quitman (02318500) | Suwannee basin, southern Coastal Plain | normal to much above normal October–May; record-high 7-day flows in April and May, record daily flows in May and June |
Groundwater: the Climate Response Network
The USGS tracks drought and climate effects on groundwater with about 130 wells nationwide where pumping has little influence — 14 in Georgia (groundwaterwatch.usgs.gov). Each tracks a nearby stream, showing how atmosphere, surface water and groundwater interact.
| Well | Aquifer | 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| 07H003, Miller County | surficial | above median at the start; new highs in May after more than 13 inches of rain in April; below median July–September |
| 03PP01, Walker County | Paleozoic rock (Chickamauga limestone) | near median; above it June–August; new highs in December 2013 and April 2014 |
| 16MM03, White County | crystalline rock | normal; new highs after more than 12 inches of rain in December |
| 37P116, Chatham County | surficial | around the median; brief new lows in December 2013 and new highs in April 2014 |
Climate Response Network wells in Georgia and their 2014 water levels. USGS.
Lakes and reservoirs
Georgia's major reservoirs, run mainly by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Georgia Power, supply water and provide flood control, hydropower, wildlife habitat and recreation, with models driven by real-time USGS data.
- Lake Sidney Lanier (Chattahoochee), Metro Atlanta's main drinking-water source: inflow nearly matched outflow and the lake stayed near full pool; lowered in late summer to 1,067.92 feet on September 24 (full pool 1,071).
- West Point Lake (flood control and hydropower for Troup County, authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1962) and Allatoona Lake (Etowah River): at or just below the top of conservation pool.
- Hartwell Lake, the uppermost Savannah River reservoir above Richard B. Russell and J. Strom Thurmond Lakes: near full pool; lowest on September 24 at 656.35 feet, 3.65 feet below full.
Monthly inflow, outflow and water level at four Georgia reservoirs. Inflow and outflow data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Sources
Based on Normal Streamflows and Water Levels Continue—Summary of Hydrologic Conditions in Georgia, 2014, by Andrew E. Knaak, Paul D. Ankcorn and Michael F. Peck, USGS Fact Sheet 2016–3016, U.S. Geological Survey (DOI), citing NOAA, the National Weather Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and others; a work of the United States government in the public domain. The maps and graphs, and the quarterly summary the import left out, come from the fact sheet's PDF.
Licenza: CC0 1.0 (pubblico dominio) · Tratto da pubs.usgs.gov
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