WATERSHED AND WATER QUALITY MODELING AS PART OF A WATERSHED PROTECTION PLAN FOR CHEROKEE COUNTY, GEORGIA

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division (DNR/EPD) requires local communities to perform watershed assessments as a condition of receiving new water-related State permits. To fulfill the water quality modeling portion of the State-required watershed assessment and watershed protection plan, a linked watershed and water quality model was developed and applied to the 614 km2 Little River watershed, Georgia. The model selected was a modified version of the Generalized Watershed Loading Function (GWLF) model that was linked to a simplified transport model based on Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP). This model was calibrated to data collected at 17 monitoring stations and applied to the study area to forecast water quality under future development conditions. Flow, sediment, phosphorus, bacteria and metals were simulated. Results show that this model performed well when compared to measured data. Future scenario runs show that water quality standards will be violated in the future.