THE HOW-TO’S IN WATERSHED INVESTIGATION, BASED ON THE WEST GEORGIA WATERSHED ASSESSMENT OF CARROLL AND HEARD COUNTIES, GEORGIA

The West Georgia Watershed Assessment (WGWA) is engaged in an intense yearlong (January – December 2001) project to monitor the water quality of 38 streams in Carroll and Heard Counties, Georgia. This appraisal examines point and non-point sources, seasonality, wet and dry flow conditions, hydrologic implications of growth and development, and land use. Upon completion, the watershed assessment will be used as a tool to prioritize water resource issues, develop solutions, and target opportunities for cooperative actions to reduce pollution and enhance aquatic habitat in the study area. The assessment includes measurement of 21 physical, chemical, and microbiological water quality parameters at 70 sample stations. Sample stations were chosen to cover most major and minor streams within the basin. Twenty-eight stations are sampled on a weekly basis, while the remaining stations are sampled 12 times a year, catching six wet and six dry events. Field and laboratory data are maintained in a database that, when the assessment is concluded, will contain 40,000 measurements. A watershed assessment is now required by the Georgia EPD for all new or expanded wastewater discharge permits and is recommended for all new or expanded water supply permits. In the future, the US EPA will require watershed assessments for renewal of permits. A successful watershed assessment must: (1) be designed to meet EPD requirements, (2) include careful analysis of existing data and satellite images, combined with field checks to determine the location of sample sites, (3) establish baseline water quality in a yearlong study, (4) provide flexible sampling and analysis methods of fecal coliform bacteria (Ninety percent of streams in the study area that do not meet designated usages are in violation of fecal coliform), (5) meet the needs of local jurisdictions, (6) be cost effective, and (7) involve interchange with the citizens of the watershed.