SEDIMENT IN WEST GEORGIA STREAMS FROM 2001 TO 2007: A FOCUS ON SNAKE CREEK, A CRITICAL DRINKING WATER SOURCE

The Center for Water Resources at the University of West Georgia has established a long term monitoring program of the region's lakes, rivers, and streams since 2001. Under this program, several sampling sites over the years have been maintained that provide data on several different water quality parameters. Turbidity and TSS (Total Suspended Solids) are among those parameters used in this study. The purpose of this study is to determine the amount of sediment in streams and their sources and to analyze and better understand the relationship between turbidity and TSS. Sediment washed into waterways due to run-off and erosion of the surrounding watershed is a critical problem for rivers that flow into a community's drinking reservoir, as turbid water requires extra treatment and costs to be made consumable by the public. Some environmental problems that arise from turbid waters are the attachment of fecal coliform bacteria to sediment particles that enter surface waters, greater costs of purification of drinking water, and the filling in of reservoirs. Fecal coliform bacteria are found in the feces of warm blooded organisms and thrive in the same environment as bacteria that are harmful to humans. When fecal coliform bacteria become attached to sediment particles, run-off can transport possible harmful bacteria into a drinking supply. Sample sites from various locations along Snake Creek in southeast Carroll County were chosen for analysis based on its location, as the creek flows into the Carroll County drinking water reservoir. Sources of sediment that result in turbidity for the Snake Creek sites are land development, sod farming, unpaved roads, and the use of recreational vehicles on trails and power lines. Values for the Snake Creek sites are: CSB-111 (max=13 NTU, med=6 NTU, min=2.2 NTU), CSB-50 (max=13 NTU, med=7 NTU, min=4.3 NTU), CSE-48 (max=40 NTU, med=8 NTU, min=2.5 NTU), CSC-49 (max=55 NTU, med=11 NTU, min=2.9 NTU), and CSH-106 (max=200 NTU, med=11 NTU, min=2.3 NTU). Three out of five sites located along Snake Creek that plotted TSS vs. turbidity had a r2 correlation value of >0.8. This correlation was theoretically expected and shows a direct relationship between turbidity and TSS. Results from 2001 data also show a strong r2 value of 0.8 when TSS and turbidity were plotted against one another for the entire year.