Transcript Slide 1
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]