This project was conducted by the UGA River Basin and American Rivers as part of a Georgia Regional Water Planning Seed Grant, funded by the Environmental Protection Division, to improve information for water planning in the Upper Flint. The Upper Flint River system provides drinking water for more than 400,000 residents of south Metro Atlanta and central Georgia. Due to the absence of impoundments along the river’s mainstem, it also supports healthy river shoal ecosystems that are enjoyed recreationally. We worked closely with members of the Upper Flint Regional Water Planning Council and Upper Flint River Working Group to assess the impacts of short- and long-term drought management actions on the river ecosystem and water resources, building on recommendations from the Upper Flint Regional Water Plan (2023) and actions proposed by the Upper Flint River Working Group (Emanuel 2019).
The project summary provides an overview of the project approach and results.
The final report provides details on the objectives, approach, methods, and results of the project.
Guidance for how to implement, evaluate, and interpret ecological metrics in the context of the regional water planning framework can be found here (link guidance document), with a specific example for the Upper Flint Regional Water Council.
For more information contact Laura Rack (laura.rack@uga.edu) or Seth Wenger (swenger@uga.edu)