Title:
The water resources component of the ecological footprint of a federal research laboratory in Athens, Georgia
The water resources component of the ecological footprint of a federal research laboratory in Athens, Georgia
Author(s)
Kraemer, Stephen R.
Advisor(s)
Editor(s)
Hatcher, Kathryn J.
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Abstract
The water resources component of the ecological footprint (WEF) was calculated for a federal research laboratory in Athens, Georgia for fiscal years 2002, 2003, 2004. The WEF is the land area required to supply the water resources that the laboratory consumes and the land needed to assimilate the wastewater that the laboratory produces in a given year and given prevailing technology. The laboratory WEF was calculated assuming water balance for two conceptualizations: direct capture of rainfall, and source watershed capture of streamflow. The resulting water footprints were highly sensitive to rainfall, and less sensitive to consumption. The WEF for FY2002 significantly exceeded the size of the laboratory property due to the extended drought conditions in Georgia. The EF tool is a useful visual graphic for tracking the effectiveness of the laboratory Environmental Management System (EMS) and documenting progress toward sustainable use of water resources.
Sponsor
Sponsored by:
Georgia Environmental Protection Division
U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Water Science Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service
Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Water Resources Institute
The University of Georgia, Water Resources Faculty
Date Issued
2005-04
Extent
Resource Type
Text
Resource Subtype
Proceedings