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Alabama Coosa Tallapoosa Apalachicola Chattahoochee Flint River Basins

Comprehensive Water Resources Study

The southeastern United States generally experiences abundant rainfall and the water resources in this region have been developed to serve a variety of purposes including navigation, flood control, hydropower, water supply, water quality, and recreation. While abundant, water is a finite resource. This was vividly demonstrated when periods of drought in 1981, 1986 and 1988, restricted or curtailed some uses and required special conservation measures to endure the shortages.

This Comprehensive Study focuses on water resource issues in two basins: the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) in the States of Alabama and Georgia and the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. These basins both originate in north Georgia and have a common boundary of approximately 233 miles. Both basins have experienced rather extensive water resource development in the form of multiple purpose reservoirs by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and non-Federal interests. There are 10 Corps reservoirs and 21-non Federal reservoirs.

Considerable growth has been experienced in the Atlanta metropolitan area which is located near the upper portion of both basins in Georgia. The population of this area has steadily increased from less than one-half million in 1950 to almost three million in 1990. This concentration of people has produced a commensurate demand on the water resources of the two basins.

Over the last 30 years, a number of water resources studies have been conducted by Federal and state agencies in both the ACT and ACF River Basins. Over time the issues considered in these studies became more controversial such that in June 1983, the Governors of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia and the Corps signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to develop a water management system for the ACF Basin. Additionally, during the early 1980s the Corps received requests from several north Georgia communities requesting reallocation of reservoir storage to satisfy increasing water supply needs. Acting upon requests, the Corps prepared draft reports proposing reallocation of storage in three reservoirs from hydropower.

On June 28, 1990, the State of Alabama, concerned about the downstream and cumulative impacts of proposed and potential future water resource actions, filed litigation in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, challenging the adequacy of the Corps' environmental impact documentation addressing the proposed reallocations and the procedures that the Corps had followed in operating Federal reservoirs.

The general atmosphere was tense. The periods of droughts experienced during the 1980s sensitized the region to the importance of water. Virtually every citizen of the region experienced some hardships or inconveniences due to the severe and extended droughts. Overall the situation was polarized and contentious, described by some as the "Water Wars".

Shortly after the litigation was filed by Alabama, representatives of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and the Corps began discussions seeking to resolve the conflicts. There was general agreement among the parties that litigation was the least desirable option of resolving the water resource conflicts. The State of Alabama requested the Court stay the litigation while negotiations were pursued; the Court granted this request.

As a result of the dialogue among the parties, a Letter of Agreement (LOA) was signed by the Governors of the States of Alabama and Georgia and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works on April 29, 1991. The LOA addressed certain short-term issues within the ACT River Basin.

The U. S. Congress, aware of this regional disharmony, provided funding in 1990, for the Corps to initiate a comprehensive water resources study. This study would address the availability and anticipated long-term water needs as well as the potential ramifications of various water management options on multiple interests in the two basins.

After 18 months of dialogue and negotiations, on January 3, 1992, the Governors of the States of Alabama, Florida and Georgia and the Assistant Secretary of Army (Civil Works) signed an MOA committing to work together as equal partners through the Comprehensive Study process to seek resolution of water resource issues. The signing of the MOA signaled the official beginning of a unique partnership approach among the three States and the Corps. The MOA has been supplemented three times, extending the completion date of the Comprehensive Study to December 31, 1997. Several key elements of the Comprehensive Study are complete and work is nearing completion on all other elements. This document, therefore, provides a status report on the Comprehensive Study.

The three States and the Corps are equal Partners in the conduct of the Study and are responsible for all technical aspects and the overall management of the Study process. The total cost of the Study is $15,480,733 of which the three States have contributed funds totaling $4,123,400 in addition to significant in-kind efforts.

The Comprehensive Study is comprised of 15 study elements grouped into four major categories reflecting the areas of emphasis and relating to the Study objectives. The following is a brief summary of the purpose of each study element. Work is underway on all elements.

Process Support Elements

The Population and Employment element developed an acceptable econometric model, based on the contractor's standard Macroeconomic and Regional Models in combination with custom models developed for specific geographic areas. These models were used to forecast key economic and population variables through 2050 for use in forecasting estimated demand for municipal, industrial, and recreational use of water. This element is complete.

The objective of the Database element is to provide for the development of a centralized database for the ACT/ACF Comprehensive Study. Data is being accumulated as it becomes available from other study elements.

A Public Involvement Program was developed for the Study which includes coordination with interest groups and the general public within the basins as well as Federal and State agencies. This activity will continue throughout the Study.

Water Availability

Surface Water Availability element will determine the existing and potential future availability of surface water resources within the basins using a widely accepted river/reservoir system simulation model and provide analytically sound simulated flow data to other study elements. Models are being developed for each basin. A preliminary delivery of the two models was made to the Partners in February 1994. Significant comments were made and the contractor is currently working to revise the models in accordance with these comments.

Groundwater Availability element will determine the existing and potential future availability of groundwater resources within the basins. Conceptual groundwater models were developed to describe the groundwater availability and examine the surface water/groundwater relationship throughout the study area. Additionally for southwest Georgia, an existing mathematical model was modified for use in this Study. All but two sub-area reports have been completed and approved.

Water Demand Elements

The Agriculture Water Demand element projects the water needs for five broad agricultural categories (crops and orchards, turf farms, nurseries, aquaculture, and livestock and poultry) to 2050. This element is complete.

The Apalachicola River and Bay Water Demand element is building and calibrating a three-dimensional model of the Apalachicola Bay which will be used to examine changes in salinity, circulation and other physical characteristics resulting from changes in fresh water inflow. A draft report on hydrodynamic model development and associated data is under review. Field data collection for the various sub-elements is nearing completion.

The purpose of the Environmental Water Demand element is to determine significant, water-related water demands including riverine resources, riparian wetlands habitat, reservoir fisheries habitat, protected species, and fish and wildlife management facilities. Draft reports for all of the five sub-elements are under review.

The Municipal and Industrial Water Demand element will project the demand for water by municipalities and industries within the two basins using a water demand analysis computer program. Water use estimates for 1990 have been developed using this program and the results are being verified by comparison to actual 1990 use. This element is complete.

The Navigation Water Demand element will determine the water needs to support navigation in each of the two basins, consistent with Congressional authority of the various projects. Transportation data collection is underway as are investigations of navigation water needs.

The purpose of the Power Resources Water Demand element is to describe and quantify the existing conditions under which electric power facilities operate; estimate future electric load and resource needs; determine the potential effects of alternative flow conditions on power generation; and evaluate alternative operating conditions for power generation. Work on this element is well underway.

The Recreation Water Demand element is developing a process for evaluating the effects of potential water management alternatives on water-based recreational use of water resource projects in the ACT/ACF Basins. The draft report for this element is currently in review.

The purpose of the Water Quality Water Demand element is to describe and quantify the existing and forecasted water quality conditions within the ACT/ACF river basins, and to determine the effects of varying water management scenarios on water quality conditions. Computer models for both basins have been developed and calibrated. The draft reports are in review.

Comprehensive Management Strategy

The Basinwide Management> study element integrates the results of the water demand and availability studies and allows an assessment of the existing and future capability of the water resources within these basins to meet expected water needs under current and alternative management scenarios. The objective of the Basinwide Management element is to develop a framework and tools which the Study Partners can use to estimate future water uses and formulate and evaluate alternatives to current water management practices in order to meet future demands in these basins. This will be accomplished using a process which incorporates stakeholder viewpoints and concerns. An evaluation framework has been developed and refinement of the evaluation tools is near completion.

The overall objective of the Coordination Mechanism study element is to utilize an interactive study process involving the four Study Partners and stakeholders (representatives of local, state, and Federal governments, private industry, advocacy groups and concerned citizens) to recommend to the States of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and the Corps of Engineers a coordination mechanism(s) for the management of water resources in both the ACT and ACF River Basins. The results of this study element were used to develop a consensus on the nature of coordination needs among the Study Partners, to identify alternative coordination mechanisms that might be effective in dealing with these needs, and finally to develop consensus for one preferred coordination mechanism. The study partners have developed a consensus based interstate compact that is in final review and will be presented to the state legislatures in early 1997.

Future Activities

The coming year will be a period filled with intense activity associated with the completion of the remaining study elements. As data is compiled, models developed, and analysis completed, the overall focus of the Study will shift to the evaluation of the results and potential management strategies for both the ACT and ACF Basins. Additionally, there will be an intensive effort to ratify the draft interstate compact in all three state legislatures and Congress. This mechanism will be used for both further evaluations of study findings and for the resolution of any future interstate water issues. The ratification of the contract is critical if the Partnership is going to continue the cooperation and interaction that has begun under this Study and avoid repeating the history of conflicts that have plagued both the basins for years. The tasks that lay ahead are very formidable. Technical, political and economic challenges face the Study Partners at every turn. But the Partners are dedicated to use the data and tools developed through this Study as a significant and vital step in developing long-term solutions agreeable to all Partners.