A Proposed Water Management Plan for Metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia

Southeastern Geographer Vol. 25, No. 2, November 1985, pp. 105-121 " A PROPOSED WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR METROPOLITAN ATLANTA, GEORGIA Evelyn H. Hopkins In 1981 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with other agencies participating in the Metropolitan Atlanta Area Water Resources Management Study (MAWRS), recommended the construction of a reregulation dam on the Chattahoochee River (Fig. 1) just downstream of Buford Dam as part of a long range water management plan for metropolitan Atlanta. The appropriation for the Corps of Engineers to build the dam was not included in the President's 1986 proposed budget. Debate has already begun on whether the affected local governments should implement the recommended MAWRS plan. The primary objective of this paper is to propose an alternative to the water management plan recommended by MAWRS. The plan proposed in this article does not include the construction of the new dam. THE WATER SUPPLY/HYDROELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM. Compared to many metropolitan areas in the United States, Atlanta is fortunate in having a major source of water supply which is both relatively free of pollution and close to the city (Fig. 1). The Chattahoochee River and Lake Lanier provide most of the water supply of the city ofAtlanta, the seven member counties of the Atlanta Regional Commission, and three nearby counties. (J) The remainder comes from other surface water sources. There are no significant groundwater (well) supplies. Lake Lanier was formed by the completion of Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River in 1958. The dam is located about 45 miles upstream ofAtlanta. It was built and is operated by the Corps of Engineers for the purposes of power generation, flood control, and navigation. The water management problem arises not because the Chattahoochee River-Lake Lanier system provides insufficient water for water supply but because the system must meet conflicting demands. The water stored at Lake Lanier is also used for generation of hydroelectricity at Buford Dam and therefore is not always available at the time Ais. Hopkins holds an M.A. degree in geographyfrom Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303. -*¦""Southeastern Geographer Fig. 1. Chattahoochee corrider water system. Vol. XXV, No. 2 107 it is needed for water supply from the river at Atlanta. Water is released continuously from Buford Dam through a small turbine which produces up to 6000 kilowatts (kw) of energy and up to 600 cubic feet per second (cfs) flow. Buford Dam also has two large turbines, each with a capacity of 40,000 kw. When these units are operating along with the small turbine, water flow varies from 4,000 to 12,000 cfs. Although the dam itself is operated by the Corps of Engineers, operation of the two large turbines is scheduled by the Georgia Power Company on weekdays to produce valuable "peak power. " Peak power is electricity generated to meet maximum short-term demand. (2) Unless there is considerable inflow from the Chattahoochee's tributaries between Buford Dam and Atlanta, the relatively small amount of flow produced by the operation of the small generator alone may not be sufficient to meet area water supply needs, particularly as the population increases. Any change in the operation of the dam which increases the river flow at times when peak power is not needed (such as weekday nights and weekends) decreases the dam's value as a source of peak power by decreasing the amount of stored water available for generation at times of peak demand. Morgan Falls Dam, which is located between Buford Dam and Atlanta on the Chattahoochee, is owned and operated by the Georgia Power Company. The reservoir behind this dam has become heavily silted and therefore has a reduced capacity to store water, but it does make a limited contribution to water management. A temporary agreement currently is in effect between the City of Atlanta and the Georgia Power Company to reregulate incoming river flow at Morgan Falls to provide a more steady flow for water supply. (3) In addition to water supply and hydroelectric power generation, water from the Chattahoochee River also is used for wastewater assimilation for the sewage treatment plants near Atlanta. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division requires that 750 cfs flow remain...