Water Center: Water Quality Regulations

EPA http://www.epa.gov/epahome/topics.html
Abstract: The above address is the homepage for the EPA. It is easiest to begin here when searching for water-related sites, since the EPA’s site is quite a maze, and it’s often true that “you can’t get there from here…” From the main homepage, click on “water.” That takes you to the Office of Water page from which you can access other areas including the Index of Watershed Indicators, Surf Your Watershed etc. These sites allow you to focus on the health of Georgia’s watersheds in terms of specific conditions and vulnerability. Information is presented in easy-to-read graphs. They also show how watershed health scores are calculated – very helpful. Other topical areas accessible from the main homepage include, drinking water, ground water, stormwater, surface water, wastewater, water pollution, water pollution control, effects, legal aspects of, and water quality monitoring. EPA’s pages provide the best overall picture of the various aspects of water quality, however you must spend considerable time searching the site for it to divulge its secrets!

United States Geological Service (USGS) http://www.usgs.gov/
Abstract: As for the EPA, it is best to begin with the USGS homepage. This site, while not quite as extensive as the EPA’s, still contains a bounty of water quality material that ranges from general to highly scientific information. The site allows users to focus on specific watersheds, rivers or counties in their home state. Streamflow conditions, annual average discharge of major Georgia streams, water use on a county-by-county basis, major land usage, phosphorus loads, data and trends are some of the specific areas covered. The site also has numerous publications (e.g., “Water Quality in the Georgia-Florida Coastal Plain…1992-1996”), color maps and 3-D graphics available on-line as downloads. You can also order anything they have as hard copy, much of which is free-of-charge. A “Water Science for Schools” section provides a template for educating students young and old about the precious nature of our water resources.

Permitting and Regulatory Information (US Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District) http://144.3144.48/permit.htm
We include this site because it has specific regulations and information regarding wetland identification, mitigation and the various permits required in order to develop coastal Georgia property. These permits are available on-line and the site provides instructions about how to fill them out properly. Readers learn how to recognize a wetland from the standpoint of soil and vegetation indicators and hydrology (as well as “the law”). Available publications are listed, many of which relate directly to wetlands.

US Legal Code site “Title 33 – Navigation and Navigable Waters Chapter 26: Water Pollution Prevention and Control”
http://www.4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/unframed/33/ch26.html
While the US code for water pollution prevention and control is not limited to coastal areas, it does nevertheless include specific coastal applications. It will take a fair amount of sifting before you isolate exactly what you may need, but when you find it, rest assured you have complete “chapter and verse…” Very complete and helpful if you are looking for answers to specific legal questions.

“Who’s Water Is It Anyway? A Survey of Georgia Law on Surface Water and Groundwater Withdrawal Rights”
http://wwwghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/forums/regional/msg/111.html
This material is excerpted from the Proceedings of the 1997 Georgia Water Resources Conference. We include it here because it provides an excellent overview of the various competing demands for water in Georgia and neighboring states and discusses in detail the legal issues presented by these demands. Groundwater and surface water removal rights are discussed along with applicable laws. The paper succinctly covers the legal complexities involved in multi-state water allocation, and it is an excellent resource for people interested in water rights and the law in Georgia.