Thurmond Project Briefing

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US Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District
9/25/98
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Comprehensive Water Resources Study for the
Savannah River
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Agenda

• Initiatives Towards Developing New Basin Study
• Authority
• Current Actions
• Basin Water Issues
• Future Direction
• Relationship with EPA Watershed Study
• Scoping of Study

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Civil Works Boundary Savannah District
Hartwell Dam Lake
Richard B. Russell Dam Lake
SC
J. Strom Thurmond Dam Lake
Savannah R.
Savannah River Below Augusta
GA
Savannah Harbor
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Comprehensive Water Resources Study for the
Savannah River Basin
Initiatives Towards Developing New Basin Study

• Early Coordination
• Drought Coordination Workshop - August 1992
• Meeting of GA Water Resources Agency Directors
• Annual South Carolina - Corps of Engineers
  Meeting
• SRB Drought Meetings
• New Study Authority
• WRDA 96 Sec 414
• Role of States
• Work with Congressionals
• Authority / Funding

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Section 414 of Water Resources Development Act of
1996
(a) General - The Secretary shall
conduct a comprehensive study to address the
current and future needs for flood damage
prevention and reduction, water supply, and other
related water resources needs in the Savannah
River Basin. (b) Scope - The scope of the study
shall be limited to an analysis of water
resources issues that fall within the traditional
civil works mission of the Corps of Engineers.
(c) Coordination - Notwithstanding subsection
(b), the Secretary shall ensure that the study is
coordinated with the Environmental Protection
Agency and the ongoing watershed study of the
Savannah River Basin by the Agency.
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Current Actions

• Initiated Recon Study - Feb 98
• Developing Management Structure
• Selection of Technical Model
• Identification / Revalidation of Water Resources
  Issues

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Basin Water Issues

• Upper Basin Needs vs. Downstream Needs
• Water Supply Allocations
• Lake Levels for Recreation / Commercial
  Activities
• In-Lake Reallocations
• Downstream In-River Allocations
• Groundwater Cap / Future Coastal Supply
• Future Demands
• Flood Control
• Flood Control Below JST
• Storage Reduction
• Flood Plain Mitigation

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Basin Water Issues (contd)

• Hydropower
• Maintain or Increase Current Levels
• Water Quality (Flows)
• Discharge Permits and Droughts
• Saltwaer Intrusion
• Impacts to Lake WQ from Development
• Habitat
• Estuarine Issues
• Instream Flow Requirements
• Lake Issues
• Wetland Impacts

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Basin Water Issues (contd)

• Aquatic Plant Control
• Instream
• Recreation
• Lake Levels for Recreation / Commercial
  Activities
• Regional Economic Value of Recreation

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Comprehensive Water Resources Study for the
Savannah River Basin

• Future Direction
• Study Sponsorship / Workgroups
• Participating Agencies
• Identify Tasks (PSP)
  
  

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Comprehensive Water Resources Study for the
Savannah River Basin
Relationship with EPA Watershed Study

• Corps Participating on all Committees
• View EPA Study to
• Define Issues
• Define Goals Objectives
• Management Plan
• View SRB Comprehensive as
• Implementation Tool
• Coordinate Study Results with Policy Committee

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Comprehensive Water Resources Study for the
Savannah River Basin
Scoping of Study

• Time
• Recon - 18 Months
• Feasibility - Four-to-Five Years
• Cost
• Recon - 600K
• Feasibility - 5-to-8M Ultimately
• Study Design
• Build on Partnerships
• Adapt Existing Tools

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Coordination / Communication
www.sas.usace.army.mil/ srbstudy.htm
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Coordination / Communication
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US Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District