NUTRIENT VARIATIONS IN SURFACE WATERS OF WEST GEORGIA: HOW LAND USAGE, WATER WITHDRAWALS, POINT AND NONPOINT SOURCES AFFECT WATER QUALITY

The Little Tallapoosa River in Carroll County, Georgia is subject to a variety of land usages. As the river courses southwest from Villa Rica, Georgia to the Georgia-Alabama state line, the type of land use directly juxtaposed to the river varies widely. The upper portion of the study area is affected by urban development and is located between the two small rural communities of Temple and Villa Rica, and includes a sewage treatment facility that empties into Mud Branch, and subsequently enters the Little Tallapoosa River to the west of Villa Rica. In the areas surrounding Lake Buckhorn there are a number of older septic systems that may contribute seepage of waste materials to the watershed system. Southwest of the city of Carrollton, a spray field for treated sewage and a landfill occur within a relatively short span of the river. Buffalo Creek merges with the Little Tallapoosa further downstream of these facilities. On the final leg of the study area, the Little Tallapoosa cuts through a region widely used for cattle ranching. This portion of the river is classified as partially supporting due to the high levels of fecal coliform bacteria, possibly attributable to the fact that cattle in the area are afforded direct access to the waters of the Little Tallapoosa. Beginning in January 2001, monitoring of total phosphate, nitrate-nitrite-N, and ammonia levels began on a weekly basis at ten sites along the Little Tallapoosa River, beginning with a site just west-northwest of the City of Villa Rica, and ending at the intersection of the Little Tallapoosa with the Georgia-Alabama state line. The average nitrate values for the river showed a marked increase (from 0.2 mg/L to 0.6mg/L) upon intercept with the bio-waste disposal area southwest of Carrollton. These values diminished further south, possibly due to the influx of water from the merging of Buffalo creek with the Little Tallapoosa. Average phosphate and ammonia values revealed similar trends (0.4 mg/L to 1.0 mg/L and 0.1mg/L to 0.2 mg/L, respectively). The sewage treatment plant in Villa Rica, coupled with the effects of urban development may be responsible for a slight increase in ammonia and nitrate values near Villa Rica. The Trust for Public Land has chosen the upper Little Tallapoosa watershed as one of four demonstration watersheds for source protection of drinking water supply.