Groundwater Withdrawals Needed to Meet Irrigation Demands During Drought Years.
Author(s)
Hook, James E.
Advisor(s)
Editor(s)
Hatcher, Kathryn J.
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Abstract
Knowledge of water demands during periods of severe drought is needed to develop strategies for water management. Drought becomes hydrologically significant,
lowering groundwater levels, after six or more months of below average rainfall. However, shorter drought periods can result in sharply increased water demands if crops
begin to suffer on irrigated land. Agricultural development and water needs in south Georgia will grow as fruit and
vegetable production shifts from highly populated southern Florida and water deficient California. At present, Georgia
has little control of irrigation water withdrawals from wells installed before 1989. However, future growth and
development in the state, may make regional water management necessary.
Recent droughts in the Southeast have increased awareness of limited water supplies in a region commonly considered to have abundant rainfall and inexhaustible
groundwater reserves. For the first time, wells used for irrigation must be permitted in Georgia, and pumping records must be maintained. As water resource planners
struggle with methods to anticipate future water use patterns, they have little historical records upon which they
can draw. Yet, water withdrawals for irrigation make up the greatest total water use in the Coastal Plain region of
Georgia. An inexpensive method is needed for estimating irrigation water needs, particularly for drought periods
when competition and demands for water are greatest.
This study was undertaken to provide Georgia water use planners with realistic estimates of amount and timing of irrigation withdrawals which could be expected during those years when competition for water is the greatest.
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
1991
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Resource Type
Text
Resource Subtype
Proceedings