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7/18/2024
WT Staff
 HAPPENING NOW
Thursday, July 18 2024
Chattahoochee River watershed severe drought
July 18, 2024 updated 636 pm EDT
Hazardous Weather Outlook issued by NWS Peachtree City 434 am July 18
Scattered thunderstorms are possible this afternoon, coming to and end after sundown. The main threat will be gusty winds, frequent
lightning and locally heavy rainfall. Hot and humid conditions with heat index values around 100 degrees are possible mainly south of a line from Columbus to Athens.
Scattered to numerous afternoon and evening thunderstorms can be expected through the weekend. Severe weather is not expected at
this time but heavy rain could elevate the localized flash flood threat.
Impacting Baldwin-Banks-Barrow-Bartow-Bibb-Bleckley-Butts-Carroll-Catoosa-
Chattahoochee-Chattooga-Cherokee-Clarke-Clayton-Cobb-Coweta-
Crawford-Crisp-Dade-Dawson-DeKalb-Dodge-Dooly-Douglas-Emanuel-
Fannin-Fayette-Floyd-Forsyth-Gilmer-Glascock-Gordon-Greene-
Gwinnett-Hall-Hancock-Haralson-Harris-Heard-Henry-Houston-Jackson-
Jasper-Jefferson-Johnson-Jones-Lamar-Laurens-Lumpkin-Macon-
Madison-Marion-Meriwether-Monroe-Montgomery-Morgan-Murray-
Muscogee-Newton-North Fulton-Oconee-Oglethorpe-Paulding-Peach-
Pickens-Pike-Polk-Pulaski-Putnam-Rockdale-Schley-South Fulton-
Spalding-Stewart-Sumter-Talbot-Taliaferro-Taylor-Telfair-Toombs-
Towns-Treutlen-Troup-Twiggs-Union-Upson-Walker-Walton-Warren-
Washington-Webster-Wheeler-White-Whitfield-Wilcox-Wilkes-
Wilkinson Counties
Streamflow Situation from the network of monitors of USGS GA Water Science Center
Below normal to much below seasonal normal flows continue through north and central Georgia Thursday, the Atlantic Ocean side of the drainage divide tilting toward seasonal normal levels in the south. High flow in Georgia Thursday is 92nd percentile recorded on a tributary of the Chattahoochee River, mid channel. Given the otherwise below normal to low flows in this watershed, this may be a sensor malfunction. Low flows are recorded on the Chattachoochee River at two locations, Columbus and downstream near Columbia AL. The drought map features Chattahoochee River watershed midchannel area from Cherokee to Muscogee at severe hydrologic drought. The Upper Savannah River Rabun County has gone to moderate drought. The remaining area of north Georgia is rated below normal with the exception of part of the Coosa River watershed Gilmer, Gordon and north Floyd Counties, not rated. Tennessee River watershed west section is no longer in moderate drought, Dade Walker and Catoosa Counties are rated below normal.
WT HAB Tracker from state sources and where available, the satellite monitoring program of the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
New York
The latest upload of Lake Champlain was snapped by Copernicus-Sentinel III satellite July 17 showing partially cloud obscured Baie Missisquoi HAB from the north shore to the Alburg-Swanton Bridge at a high concentration 900 thousand to 1 million cells per 100 ml.
From the NYS HABs reporting center, ninety-two HABs are confirmed in the interior freshwater lakes Thursday morning, down from ninety-five yesterday. See bluegreen tags on the map, the full list of water bodies impacted is found here.
Louisiana: The latest upload from the NCCOS was caught July 17 at surface wind speed 3.8 mph. This image is mostly cloud obscured showing a new widespread HAB developing in Chandeleur Sound. An open water HAB is visible in Lake Pontchartrain 5 nm from the north shore near Mandeville at a moderate concentration. Most other water bodies are cloud obscured in this latest upload. The previous clear image captured July 15 also reveals HABs in Lake Pontchartrain off the shore of Manchac Wildlife Management Area west shore. Hot spots visible in the last clear image are Wetland Watchers Park and the water between Bayou Shaffer and the Avoca Island cutoff, concentration matches the color scale for 2 million cells per 100 ml. Southeast LA water bodies at are captured in a wide angle pass by the Copernicus-Sentinel III satellite, with Lake Pontchartrain to Avoca Cutoff to Black Bay and Chandeleur Sound in frame. The last HAB report for Louisiana is available here.
California: A media announcement yesterday from the Lahontan Water Board and Nevada Division of Environmental Protection shows toxin levels for South Lake Tahoe Eldorado Beach "non-detect", from water samples taken July 8 and 10th. Nevada Beach samples also indicated HAB toxins at "non-detect" level. On the Nevada side of the border, a shallow pond in the vicinity of Nevada Beach, not connected with Lake Tahoe tested positive for the neurotoxin "saxitoxin". The pond is partially fenced off with plans to complete the fencing to prevent access by people with their dogs. The latest weekly report from California Water Boards has Danger and Warning HAB alerts posted for multiple sites in Discovery Bay and Clear Lake, for Lake Temescal, San Antonio Lake and Forbes Creek. Beach signage for HAB DANGER or HAB WARNING feature the caption "Toxins from the algae in this water can harm humans and kill animals", followed by a string of safety measures. For the latest report, click here.
Ohio: Lake Erie west basin HABs latest image from NCCOS was captured July 17 at a surface wind speed 5.8 mph. This image is mostly cloud obscured, taken at a lower wind speed we can once again see the Lake Erie bloom in open water. The previous two images were clear, however with extremely high high wind conditions the open water part of the HAB could not be seen. The Sandusky Bay bloom appears 900 thousand to 1 million cells per 100 ml, clouds obscure the open water past Cedar Point. Updates to the map tags and report are in progress. The latest Ohio HAB report is available here.
Georgia: Jekyll Island's South Dunes Beach has been posted for elevated bacteria levels. Samples taken on July 15 have returned elevated enterrococcus levels, 100 colony forming units per 100 ml. The advisory is temporary, Coastal Health Region will update the results as follow up testing is performed. Scant information is available information on the presence of HABs in Georgia. USGS HAB research indicates GA is one of six states with no known anecdotal reports of HAB poisonings. Georgia Environmental Protection Division takes reports on suspicious algal blooms from the public and from the Shoreline Managers of the Power Lakes. One HAB report was made to Georgia EPD in all of 2023. The Georgia Healthy Beaches program of Coastal Public Health tests beaches for bacteria, posting permanent and temporary advisories to warn the public. The latest Georgia beach advisories are available here.
Drinking Water Advisories
Cherokee: Waleska is under a BWA today following a loss of pressure in the mains yesterday. The customers connecting at Upper Burris Rd, portions of Fincher Rd, Old Fincher Trail, Dry Pond Lane, Dixon Rd, and portions of Lower Burris Rd are impacted by the boil order.
Dodge: Eastman came under a city-wide Boil Water Advisory following a water main break on 11th Avenue yesterday. Eastman water treatment plant supplies potable water to a resident population 8098 persons from a groundwater source. The city of Eastman is home to Georgia Military College and Middle Georgia State University - Eastman Aviation Branch.
See the North American drainage basin map here, scroll all the way down to see how surface water moves across the continent into the Pacific, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Arctic Oceans. WT Media Group tells the story of water in three countries, Canada, USA and Mexico. See the drinking water advisories, hazardous spills, floods, drought and harmful algal blooms plotted on the maps, as the water flows. Check out the CrimeBox for historic prosecutions under the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act box for details on public drinking water facilities, interviews with the scientists and tech developers on the leading edge of clean water technology here.
As many drinking water facilities are supplied from surface water reservoirs, the streamflow situation is pertinent to both drinking water supply and quality. High flows can stir up sediment and cause turbidity in the reservoirs, requiring additional treatments to render the water potable. Low flow volume is linked to warmer temperatures in the reservoir and can be an issue for water quality where HABs are present. WT tracks streamflow trends with an eye to the impacts on drinking water supply and quality in each of the state's watersheds. Check the watershed layer on the map to see the direction of flow and streamflows that may be impacting drinking water today.
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.
Harmful Algal Blooms: WT follows the movement and growth of harmful algal blooms (HABs) as provided by the satellite monitoring program of the NCCOS for New York's Lake Champlain, Ohio's Lake Erie and Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain and surrounding area. Interpretation of satellite images is best in clear conditions at wind speed less than 4 mph, where the appearance and extent of HABs is reliably matched to a color scale for concentration. HABs are known to produce algal toxins of concern for raw drinking water sources and recreational water bodies. Plan beach access to avoid HABs and consider carrying a rapid test kit to detect the toxin microcystins.
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