Factors Influencing the Quality of Urban Streams in Georgia and the Implications for Stream Management

A statewide assessment of nonpoint sources of water pollution (EPD, 1985a) revealed that the beneficial use of urban streams not influenced by wastewater discharges had been severely impaired in four of five cases and that the impacts were much greater than in streams influenced by agriculture and silviculture. A subsequent study of four streams in Augusta, Columbus, Dalton, and LaGrange confirmed that the beneficial use of urban streams, especially those draining concentrations of aged commercial and industrial development, could be severely impaired by nonpoint sources (EPD, 1986). Restoration of degraded urban streams and protection of urban recreational waters and water supplies will require the cooperative management efforts of State and local government and public support. This paper describes typical degraded urban stream conditions, contributing factors, and describes implications for future urban stream quality management.

Sponsor

Sponsored by U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Date

1989-05

Resource Type

Text

Resource Subtype

Proceedings

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