By Jennifer Cannon
University of
Georgia

Water levels are up and state officials say the long-term drought
is all but over. But, they add, Georgians can’t afford to abandon
water conservation.

“I’m removing EPD imposed restrictions because we’re no longer
confronted with a drought emergency situation,” said Harold
Reheis, director of the Environmental Protection Division of the
Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

However, he said, “it’s important for all of us to recognize the
environmental and economic benefits that derive from wise and
conservative use of our shared waters.”

Above-normal rains that started in September are improving all
five of the indicators used to define water conditions: rainfall,
soil moisture, stream flows, lake levels and groundwater
level.

Groundwater levels

Of the five, state climatologist David Stooksbury said
groundwater levels are recovering at the slowest rate. But
they’re improving, he said, according to U.S. Geological Survey
monitoring wells.

Stooksbury, a biological and agricultural engineering professor
with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences, said most of Georgia got little rainfall,
though, in the first two weeks of 2003.

And the old adage that Georgia is only two weeks away from a
drought, he said, is true. Depending on when in the growing
season it happens, a lack of rain over two weeks can cause
significant yield or quality loss in Georgia farm crops.

Landscapes can be much hardier.

Turf tougher than you think

“Garden vegetables and flowers need water frequently,” said Jim
Hook, a University of Georgia soil and water management
scientist. “But most lawn grasses and established shrubbery don’t
need nearly as much as some homeowners put out.”

Hook’s research shows that some grasses — centipede,
particularly — can survive without water as long as six weeks
without suffering and then green up quickly after just one
rainfall.

“Healthy lawns help cool excess heat from paving and rooftops and
visually soothe us,” Hook said. “But rainfall can provide most of
the water lawns need to survive.”

He adds that as other states have learned, Georgians will have to
decide how much water will be used to keep lawns perpetually
green and how much will be used to support future economic
growth.

Making sense

Hook said using water-saving measures makes both conservation and
economic sense.

“Paying to pump water from reservoirs, through the system and
onto areas that don’t need it is just wasting money as well as
water,” he said. “In addition, using excess water increases the
infrastructure needed to supply that water — larger reservoirs,
larger water treatment plants and more powerful pumping
systems.”

Using water carefully can not only lower your water bill, but can
cut the taxes that go toward the water infrastructure.

Water decisions

Georgians make water-conservation and economics decisions every
day. Will it be worth it to turn the water on? For the homeowner,
that may depend on whether you’re willing to pay a higher water
bill to keep your lawn green. For farmers, the question may be
more like whether the cost to run the irrigation system will be
worth the potential increase the crop’s yield or quality?

Hook said all Georgia water users need to keep the limited
resource and other users in mind.

“While it appears that production agriculture uses a lot of
water,” he said, “you have to keep in mind that it’s only a small
fraction of the annual rainfall that runs out of the state each
year. But farmers bear the responsibility of sharing that water
with other users and with those downstream.”

You can find more information about using water wisely at
http://www.georgiadrought.org.