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Where Does Your Water Come From?
…From the Upper Altamaha
Watershed!
A watershed contains all the land that drains
to a common area. The Upper Altamaha
Watershed contains all the land that drains
into the Oconee and Ocmulgee Rivers. The
two rivers join near Baxley, Georgia and
become the Altamaha River which flows into
the Atlantic Ocean near Brunswick, Georgia
and Sea Island. The Upper Altamaha
Watershed contains 52 counties in Georgia
and includes farms, commercial forests,
private forests, industrial sites, towns, cities,
and natural areas. There are a number of
challenges facing the watershed, as well as
streams and river segments that do not meet
federal Clean Water Act standards.
Endangered Species
Athens
Atlanta
There are more than 120 rare or endangered plant and animal species in the Altamaha River
Watershed that must be protected or they could be lost forever. There are 11 species of mussel,
7 of which are found nowhere else in the world. The Altamaha spinymussel (Elliptio spinosa),
one of the 7 unique species in the Altamaha, is threatened by human impacts like sedimentation,
pollution, and low water flow rates. This species is a candidate for the Federal Endangered
Species list.
Photo Source: Altamaha Riverkeeper website, http://www.altamahariverkeeper.org/wildlife/spiney_mussel.asp
Toxic Fish
A fishing advisory is intended to prevent human
illnesses that come from eating contaminated fish. The
Georgia Department of Natural Resources publishes a
list of fish that should be consumed in limited quantities
along with the polluted waterways in the state. The
2005 report restricted consumption of six species of
fish, including largemouth bass and channel catfish,
from various parts of the Oconee and Ocmulgee
waterways due to mercury and PCB pollution. Eating
fish with high heavy metal (like mercury and nickel)
concentrations may lead to long-term memory and
neurological effects. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),
another pollutant found in fish, can disrupt the
endocrine system and disrupt reproduction.
Milledgeville
Macon
Urban Stormwater
Water from the Tap
In the Upper Altamaha Watershed, most of our drinking water comes directly
from our rivers and reservoirs. After it is used and treated it is returned to
rivers and streams to complete the cycle again. Wastewater treatment plants
can only remove some of the pollutants. Will this make you think twice about
what you throw in the river or down your drain?
Dublin
Photo source: Altamaha Riverkeeper, http://www.altamahariverkeeper.org/
When it rains, the water that washes away eventually ends
up in some body of water. City stormwater, which usually
is not treated, is a major source of pollution to our streams
and rivers. The first flush of a rainstorm is when most of
the sediment, gasoline, fertilizers, pesticides, and other
pollutants that have been accumulating on roads and other
impermeable surfaces are washed into a body of water.
This wave of polluted water can cause a river to flood,
erode its banks, and harm or kill its aquatic life from the
heavy load of pollutants.
Photo source: NOAA’s National Ocean Service, http://www.nos.noaa.gov/education/kits/estuaries/media/supp_estuar09c_pathogens.html
Introduced Species
Riparian Forests
There are about 29 introduced aquatic species in the
Altamaha River Watershed. Introduced species are major
threats to ecosystems since they can alter habitats and
crowd out, compete with, or replace native species. They
may also have huge impacts on the economy by causing
damage to fishery, agricultural, and forestry industries. The
flathead catfish is a controversial introduced species in the
Altamaha River. It has caused massive declines in important
recreational fisheries and has threatened human health.
The forests that border rivers and streams are important
components of the Upper Altamaha Watershed and its
ecosystems. Not only do they contain an amazing amount of
biodiversity, they also help to regulate the biological, physical,
and chemical properties of a river. In addition, to these
ecosystem services, riparian zones often are important for
nature study and recreation. These uses may sometimes be
in opposition to those of timber harvesters and developers.
Photo Source: Virginia Department of Forestry, http://www.dof.virginia.gov/rfb/introduction.shtml
Photo Source: Georgia Outdoor News, http://www.gon.com/catfish604.html
Dams and Reservoirs
Deadhead Logging
Many rivers were once used to float harvested logs to saw mills.
Today some of these rivers still contain very old logs that sank to the
bottom long ago. These deadhead logs are very valuable, but the
environmental costs to extract them can also be great, since they
provide important habitat for fish, mussels, and other aquatic species.
Maps adapted from www.rivercenter.uga.edu and www.garivers.org
Dams and reservoirs provide a more assured water and energy
supply to local residents. However, stopping the river’s natural
flow can cause environmental problems. Fish, mussels, plants,
and other biota depend on the seasonal rise and fall of water
levels to trigger certain stages of their life cycles.
Photo Source: David Shiver, http://www.mindspring.com/~supertec/PicDay.htm
Photo source: Athens Banner-Herald, OnlineAthens, http://onlineathens.com/stories/082105/bus_20050821030.shtml
This project is made possible by US EPA Clean Water Act 319 program funds, administered by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, Non-Point Source Program. For more information contact the project director of the UGA River Basin Center’s Initiative for Watershed Excellence: Upper Altamaha Pilot Project at [email protected]