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1/5/2024
WT Staff
HAPPENING NOW
Lower Flint River watershed in severe drought
New water test results for Jekyll Island
Friday, January 5, 2024 - last updated 1030 am EST
Hazardous Spills files released from Georgia Department of Environmental Conservation
Details have been released on a very large wastewater spill that occurred December 15 in Hall County. EPD reports 255000 gallons of wastewater with total suspended solids nearly double the allowable limit was released from the Flat Creek Water Reclamation Facility in Gainesville. TSS measured 46 mg/L, limit is 25 mg/L. More to follow.
HABs update from Georgia Department of Natural Resources - Coastal Resources Division Shellfish and Water Quality Unit
New bacterial test results have been posted for two beaches on Jekyll Island this week. Permanent advisories remain in effect for bacterial contamination at Jekyll Clam Creek Beach on the north end of the island and St Andrews Beach on the south end. Lab tests on samples collected this week Tuesday January 2, 2024 show the enterococcus levels below the health advisory threshold. Clam Creek Beach came in at 4 cfu per 100 ml and 9 cfu per 100 ml for St Andrews.
Drinking Water Advisories
Hinesville issued a short term BWA this week following a water main break and line repair near Highway 84. The advisory impacted all customers connected to the City of Hinesville water system east of Wallace Martin Drive. According to City of Hinesville, the BWA lasted for 24 hours and has since been rescinded.
Streamflow situation from USGS Waterwatch gages throughout Georgia
In the Mississippi drainage basin, north Georgia's Conasauga River is flowing low at GA-286 near Eton. The Flint River tributary Kinchafoonee Creek is still flowing at an extreme low level near Dawson Friday morning, as is Flint River below the Warwick dam near Oakfield. Regular releases from the dam throughout the day cause certain stations to record many highs and lows over the course of the day. As of this update, the flow on Flint River near Oakfield is low.
On the Atlantic Ocean side of the divide, the Oconee River continues to register an extreme low flow level Friday morning near Mount Vernon. Ocmulgee River tributary Tobesofkee Creek is back to normal Friday after several days of low flow near Macon.
Drought Map USGS 7-day average streamflow compared with historic average
The Georgia drought map is back to near fully rated statewide Friday with very little area of the north and central state escaping a below normal or moderate drought rating.
Beginning in the north, approximately equal territory is rated below normal and moderate drought. Area of north Georgia draining to the Mississippi-Gulf of Mexico includes Upper Chattahoochee, Tennessee River east and west areas, Coosa and Tallapoosa River watersheds. Just three counties are left off the drought map today including the majority of Bartow, Cherokee and Dawson. Moderate hydrologic drought rating also applies to Whitfield and Murray, east Gordon, west Pickens and Gilmer Counties in the upper Coosa River watershed. Union and Towns Counties in the Tennessee River east GA watershed area also rated moderate drought this morning. Upper Chattahoochee River is rated below normal from the headwaters in south Union County clear down to northwest Muscogee County. The Tennessee River west watershed and Tallapoosa River watershed area are rated below normal.
In the Atlantic basin, the Upper Savannah River is rated below normal from Rabun to north Hart County, skipping over most of Hart, all of Elbert County, most of Lincoln, resuming below normal from southwest Lincoln, Columbia, Richmond, east Burke and northeast Screven Counties. Ogeechee River watershed remains at the below normal rating in southwest Burke, Warren, Glascock and Jefferson Counties. A large area of central Georgia is rated below normal, Upper Ocmulgee and Upper Oconee River watersheds, adjacent Ogeechee-Savannah to the east and adjacent to the height of land divide to the west.
On the Mississippi-Gulf side of south central GA, moderate drought has overtaken all of the lower Flint River and lower Chattahoochee watersheds. Severe drought now claims south Marion and Schley, west Sumter and Lee and northeast Terrell Counties. Lower Chattahoochee River watershed has escalated to moderate drought from from Muscogee to the northern edge of Seminole County. Most area of Seminole, Miller and east Early continue to defy the drought map, unrated as of Friday.
USGS seven-day average streamflows at each monitoring location are rated against the historic average flow volume for this day. Results appear on the drought map, showing surface area with a rating: below normal, moderate drought, severe drought or extreme drought. The drought-rated surface area most often follows watershed lines, the physical topography of drainage and direction of flow of the surface water across the state. The watershed layer on the map shows surface area impacted by streamflows in each drainage area. Turn the directional arrows on to see which way the water flows, along with hazardous spills reported in the area that could have an impact on water quality.
USGS Provisional Data Statement
Data are provisional and subject to revision until they have been thoroughly reviewed and received final approval. Current condition data relayed by satellite or other telemetry are automatically screened to not display improbable values until they can be verified.
Provisional data may be inaccurate due to instrument malfunctions or physical changes at the measurement site. Subsequent review based on field inspections and measurements may result in significant revisions to the data.
Data users are cautioned to consider carefully the provisional nature of the information before using it for decisions that concern personal or public safety or the conduct of business that involves substantial monetary or operational consequences. Information concerning the accuracy and appropriate uses of these data or concerning other hydrologic data may be obtained from the USGS.
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