Bear Creek Future Looking Bright

According to an article from a couple of days ago in the AJC, the status at Bear Creek Reservoir is looking up:

"Georgia's water crisis would be worse if the state Environmental Protection Division weren't relaxing its rules so more water can be pulled from streams and more water can be sold from one utility to another.

As a result, the Bear Creek Reservoir in Jackson County, which serves Athens as well as other cities, is actually filling back up in the middle of a historic drought and could be full, without rain, by the end of February."

Hopefully some of the other areas in Georgia that have suffered particular hardship during this drought will begin to greatly improve as well. I for one am glad that the long, dry and warm winter doesn't seem so bleak any longer.

I would still encourage water conservation year round as I'm sure many officials would, but thankfully, it seems that some people do have a plan and that we are learning from this situation.

Water levels up? No plan needed?

I heard on the news a couple of days ago that Bear Creek is steadily but slowly rising. It is just 8 feet below full pool now instead of 14. This is good news and is no doubt due in large part to the excellent conservation efforts of Athenians.

Not all cities are experiencing the same quality of conservation, however. Other Southeastern cities are feeling the stress of the drought and remembering what past times were like when water was scarce. Macon ran out of water 13 years ago when a tropical storm hit and floodwaters took out the water supply.

"State and federal authorities trucked in millions of gallons of water, set up 26 staging areas around the city and hauled in 2,200 portable bathrooms, said Johnny Wingers, director of Macon's emergency management agency.

'I get chill bumps thinking about it,' he said. 'It's 21 days I'll never forget. It burned an indelible impression in my brain.'"

One would think that with all of these past situations and the very imminent current drought situation that a serious well thought out future plan would be available, but according to the above quoted article, there is still not really a plan.

Maybe we should have one now, though I hope we never need it.

A positive drought effect?

I have seen more and more signs and flyers around requesting water conservation year round. The drought situation in Georgia is a rather permanent one and water conservation year round could keep us from having a serious water problem like we've had this season.

Mostly I've thought about the drought in the sense of there not being enough water for certain industries to function. But there are so many things that it has affected that I have not even considered. Many horse owners have been forced to sell their horses because of the drought. No rain means no grass and no hay. The owners who haven't sold are paying much more for hay, $80 for a large round bale instead of $30.

Clearly, there are many negative effects of the drought as we've seen, especially on agriculture, but oddly enough, there have also been some positive ones. The drought has stressed Georgia pecan trees, but actually helped them to avoid disease and insect damage. Georgia's pecan crop this year is at the top in the US and the world. Georgia will produce three more times the amount of pecans this year than last year resulting in 120 million pounds.

Who would have thought that a drought could help something grow?

From Drought to Flood . . . to Drought

I have become acclimatized this semester to writing about a lack of water and the negative impact it can have on the environment and our livelihood. More than two years ago in New Orleans, however, a lack of water might have been welcome.

Though the flood waters in New Orleans have long receded, they have left their mark there. Some marks will fade with time. Some marks will be left forever.

It was harder for me to see the long-term effects of Katrina in the downtown area since I had never been to New Orleans before, but I couldn't argue with the acres and acres of fields that once held hundreds of people's homes in the areas nearer to water. It was surreal to stand on the steps of a house, which were the only remaining part, and then turn around and see a levee just a few hundred feet away.

As I stood in the ruins left by Katrina, my mind was filled with questions. Why did this happen? Who was responsible for these levee breaches? Why didn't more people evacuate? Where are the people who used to live here? Why can't they come home? I am sure that these questions have all been asked before, and some, I'm sure, have been answered. Yet they still plague my thoughts. I felt sorrow and anger, and I wanted to help, but I felt helpless.

The word helpless does not describe everyone we met in New Orleans however. There were many visions of devastation but there were also those of hope and renewal. There are people that are working to rebuild and renew New Orleans. They are nurses, volunteers, church-goers, and even a few thousand ophthalmologists. Yes, there are people working, but there is much work to be done.

New Orleans is not suffering from a drought of water, but it is suffering a drought. New Orleans needs people and funds to rebuild and regain its previous status. New Orleans is suffering from a drought of resources.

The flood is gone, but the drought remains.

Drought Update

We have now made it through our driest month. Bear Creek Reservoir has gone up a little because of the small amount of rain we have received, and Athens residents have been doing a wonderful job conserving water. We were asked to reduce water use by 20%, but we have reached a reduction of 28%. Steve Dorsch, the Athens-Clarke County Water Conservation Coordinator, is very pleased with these results.

Water quality is not an issue yet as the reservoir is still at about 50% its capacity. What is important to realize now is that even if the reservoir is filled back up, the drought will not end. Dorsch says that because it has taken so long to get where we are (22 months or so), it will take at least as long if not longer to refill reservoirs and replenish water in other places such as soil.

A warm, dry winter is predicted, and if our winter is such, it could make spring and summer months quite interesting. Let's hope that the weather predictions are wrong and our conservation efforts will continue to grow.

There is a drought management report from October 25 posted on the ACC website under the Public Utilities section if anyone is interested. There are some pretty astounding comparison pictures.

From Georgia to Florida

I participated in a bike ride from Athens to Jacksonville this weekend, which went extremely well (thank you Tim and Kimberly!). As I rode very slowly from North Georgia down across the Florida line and into the Sunshine State, I was able to closely observe many bodies of water along the way. It was extremely clear to see the disparity in water levels between here and further south. The bodies of water down in South Georgia and Florida were at normal if not better than normal levels and there was not much sign of drought. There was also a fair amount of rainfall on the way down and I had the joy of riding through some of it. The rain just seems to be missing us up here.

As I am following my story and gathering more information, I am becoming more and more concerned about the severity of the situation. I have known for quite some time now that things have been getting serious, but seeing each week go by with hardly any rain is starting to make the situation a reality for me, and witnessing the comparison of the drought situation here with other places in the South certainly made it more real.

What other steps can we take? Water use has been decreased by at least 20%, but will that be enough? Will we have to see water rationing in our homes?

UOBWA Meeting

My group and I went to an Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority meeting last week. It was pretty intense and they discussed quite a few things.

The meeting was held at Bear Creek Reservoir. I don't know how familiar any of you are with the reservoir (except Amber) but it's huge. For whatever reason, I had envisioned a pond in my mind, and it's a rather massive body of water. The reservoir is 505 acres and holds 5 billions gallons of water. There is a treatment plant on site that treats water for Jackson, Barrow and Oconee counties. Clarke County water is pumped directly to Clarke and treated here.

One of the most astonishing things we experienced was touring the facility. The sight of the reservoir made me realize how bad the drought is. The reservoir was down 14 feet and there are islands sticking out here and there that have never been visible before. One of my friends went out of town this weekend and said that she saw places on the river that were almost completely dry.

Water conservation is now more important than ever. We have had a little rain in the past few days. A result of prayer? Who knows, but it couldn't hurt.

Related Video

Waites, one of the photojournalists in my group, found this video today. I thought that you might be interested in seeing it.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2007/10/15/philips.ga.drought.mussels.wsb

Yellow? Let it mellow. Brown? Flush it down.

So, this week's title might be a little graphic for some of you, but I thought it rather appropriate considering all the water conservation tips around everywhere. That little saying makes conserving water by flushing your toilet less a bit more memorable, don't you think?

We have already undergone many water restrictions, but there are more being considered. This AJC article states that most water bans or restrictions have really never worked to limit water use in the home. In fact, domestic water use is the last thing to go during a drought period. Much to my surprise, the types of water restrictions that we are considering haven't even been considered in places in the country where it rains much less than it rains here.

Arid areas of the U.S. have learned how to conserve water and create reservoirs for particularly dry times. We don't usually have rainfall problems here, so this part of the country hasn't considered these types of things. Normally, that would be alright, but since we don't have these precautions in place, serious drought times are much more likely to elevate and become more of a problem more quickly.

Another important issue that had not even occurred to me before is how much our drought is also affecting other areas that rely on our lakes and reservoirs to provide them with water as well. Alabama and Florida are concerned about our drought situation, too. We need to conserve our water by not sending as much downstream to Florida, but sending less water down there is detrimental to Florida's water. I'm from the panhandle area, so this really matters to me. I have family that live down there still, and I have been to Apalachicola many times (sited in the previously linked article). I never thought during all my time down there that a drought situation up here in Georgia would have a negative affect on Florida's water quality, endangered species and shellfish.

We need to remember that we are not only fending for our own water supply but protecting a water supply that is counted on by citizens in other states.

This Is Getting Serious . . .

I have to admit that as I've written about the water shortage/drought situation, I haven't really considered what will happen if the drought continues and there is no relief. I do try to conserve when I can, and thoughts of the drought plague me every time I use water, but I still haven't drastically changed my water use habits. For some people, I don't think that anything will change until they don't have water anymore.

There is now a link to water conservation tips on the UGA homepage. The page was updated a few days ago, but I just saw that the link was placed on the homepage today. I have also heard a few of my friends saying that they have heard that if the drought continues, school will be closed for a week. Have any of you heard this? The student population makes up about a third of Athens-Clarke County's residents, so if we cut down on our water usage on campus by not being there, it might have a large impact on the local water levels. I haven't been able to find any concrete evidence that would indicate that this is true, and I'm wondering where my friends heard this, but it's certainly worth considering. Thoughts?

I have also seen a good bit of information on using grey water in my recent searches for updates. I know that we were talking about using grey water systems for irrigating outside, but apparently that is prohibited by the EPA. Using grey water to irrigate outside violates plumbing and health codes. It can be used, however, for things like filling toilets.

Websites including Georgia DNR, ACC public utilities, and EPD all have a large collection of water saving tips. As I mentioned earlier, even the UGA website now has a link with water conservation tips. Obviously, we can all do things to conserve water, but at this point, no matter how much water we conserve, we are still enduring a level 4 drought. What will happen if this continues?

Working on answers . . . .

Water Problems -- Part 3

As most of you heard in class this week, I actually saw a water patrol truck driving around in a residential area near the coliseum this past week. Last I heard, if you are caught violating the water ban, you are warned, then fined $1,000, and then might have your water service cut off. Apparently, this water shortage stuff is pretty serious as you might have gathered from my previous entries. There is nothing that can be done to end the water drought, but it can be managed, and according to an article in the AJC, we're doing a better job managing it this time than during previous serious droughts. (This article was also particularly interesting to me because two of the authors were my soils and hydrology professors during my ag days.)

Another interesting point that this article brings out, and one that I want to further explore, is the fact that droughts not only affect water supply but also water quality. The article also quotes, "The solution to pollution is dilution." You've probably heard that phrase before. When there is less water in our streams, rivers, basins, reservoirs, etc. there is less water to dilute impure substances.

One of the controversial parts of this issue is that we pretty much know that we are going to deal with a drought situation during this time of the year. The difference is how severe the particular drought is and what we've learned from previous years that we can apply to the current drought situation. I think that water conservation should be stressed more throughout the year when we are not in a drought and perhaps our droughts could be much milder (thought we have actually been in some state of drought for the past year or so). Jay Bookman, a writer for the AJC, thinks that we have been seriously under prepared for a situation that we knew was coming. Now though, there's no way to ignore it.

As I've read how the drought situation has worsened and people are becoming more concerned, citizens and leaders alike, my awareness of how much water I use has certainly been heightened. I have to wonder though how serious this situation is to me since it really hasn't affected my daily life yet. I still have access to water when I want it and where I want it. I have seen some effects of the water shortage around, but nothing has specifically inconvenienced me yet. Is that what it will take for me to really realize the severity of the situation? Is that what it would take for others to realize that? Is there something else I can do personally to help? I feel pretty helpless really when I think about it. Sometimes I feel like the little things I can do to save water really won't make that big of a difference, but if everyone else always thinks like me, we might have a problem.

Lingering Water Problems

Last week I wrote about the water bans and the water shortage that we now have in Athens. For some reason this week though, it was even more in my face. I actually saw effects of the current water situation here rather than just reading about them. For example, Thursday night I was walking around on north campus and went over to Herty Field (where my favorite fountain is located). Much to my surprise, there was a large gate surrounding the fountain and it was bone dry. Signs on the fence said that fountains on campus were not currently functioning in order to conserve water. Even though I had written about the water ban and the drought situation, this is the first time that it had personally affected me. I know that not being able to enjoy a functioning fountain is much less important than having water in my home for instance, but it really hit home for me. Another article that I stumbled across seemed to convey the severity of the situation much more blatantly than ones I had previously read. Businesses, for example, who rely on outside water to function, such as car washes, will not be allowed to continue business unless they can prove that they are cutting their water use by 20%. Also, because of this emergency, water conservation will become more of an issue in the future here in Athens, even during non-drought periods.

As I thought about all of these changes that have occurred because of the water shortage here, even more questions arose in my mind. Water is so available to me. I'm accustomed to it being there all the time whenever I need it. The only reason I thought about this convenience was because it could possibly be gone soon. This made me wonder if everyone in Athens has this privilege like I do. My privileges are in danger because of a water shortage but if there was no water shortage, would everyone in Athens enjoy clean water whenever they need it? Where does the water come from? Does it all come from the same place? Are there poorer areas in Athens who have dirtier water? Is there anything the residents can do about it if that's true? Where does that water from industrial areas go?

Those are just some of the questions that this water shortage has me thinking about. Some answers as a result of investigation to come soon, I hope!

Water Issues

Our area of the country has been dealing with a serious lack of waterfall. Water bans are rampant and our water resources are running dangerously low. According to a story in the Athens Banner-Herald, the local reservoir only has enough water in it to last about 50 days and rivers are running too low to replenish it. This is one of the worst droughts we have faced in 100 years, and it looks like there is not much hope around the corner.

Citizens of Athens-Clarke County and surrounding counties are not permitted to use any outdoor water with no exceptions. A violation of the ban in Athens could cost you $1,000 or even loss of your water services. Businesses that rely on water supply for their livelihood such as car washes will be allowed to continue business as usual at this point.

This level 4 water ban might be an inconvenience, but the importance of the water supply that could be needed for public health and safety issues takes precedence.

For some tips on how you can conserve water, visit this page.

The stuff we breathe . . .

Athens is a rich center for environmental research and study. The University alone provides an environment that affects tens of thousands of people every day. Outside of that, there are over 60,000 Clarke County residents who create and live in a multitude of their own environments.

One of the most seemingly troublesome environmental issues in Athens is air quality. Air quality is affected by many things including car exhaust, particle pollution and even presence (or lack thereof) of trees, shrubs and other greenery. Organizations such as Clean Air Athens are working to improve the local air quality through both short and long term goals.

A recent article published in the Savannah Morning News discusses an EPA proposal to further lower the ozone limit levels nationwide. If this occurs, Georgia cities such as Atlanta, Augusta and our very own Athens could be faced with requirements much more difficult to meet than current standards. If our cities were unable to meet said requirements, other changes such as a switch to a less harmful (but more expensive) type of gasoline might take place. The implications of such a change are not set in stone but could pose some economic problems in the future.

What is this environmental health stuff?

Environmental health is simply the study of how environmental components, some naturally occurring, affect human health and in turn how human activities affect the environment.

The University of Georgia is conducting research in various areas related to environmental health. The Environmental Health Science department has an extensive website with links to research conducted by students and professors. If you would like to learn more about the department and the specific research topics, visit the website. Curious about current environmental issues? Visit the news tab.

The study of environmental health is relevant to all of us. It undoubtedly affects each one of us because we cannot escape it. Therefore, the study and understanding of the environment is crucial.

Here is one example. Most people are aware of the indoor smoking bans that have been created in Athens. All good right? According to research conducted by Luke Naeher, Ph.D., of the University of Georgia, the displacement of smokers to the outside environment could be causing just as much harm, both to the environment and to the people in it.

This blog will continue to follow relevant environmental health developments. Comments, thoughts, and opinions welcome!