PARENT SESSION
Special Session 2: Uplands to Lowlands: A holistic approach to sustainable water resources
Organized by: E Blood and M Holland
Monday, August 4. 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM, SITCC Oglethorpe Auditorium.
The value and role of sound science in the formulation of Georgians holistic approach to comprehensive water managment.
Rheis, Harold *,1, 2, 3, 1 Harold F. Reheis, Atlanta, GA, USA2 3
ABSTRACT- Water quantity resources regulation varies greatly from state to state, especially in the Southeast, since there is no federal mandate in this arena. The State of Georgia began water quantity regulation in 1972. Sound science has played a major role in this vital aspect of water resources management: recognition of problems to be solved; communicating the problems to water users and legislators; building an alliance to support solving the problems; getting funding to improve the science; and legislation to authorize needed regulatory changes; and finally the development and implementation of a water management plan to solve the problem, resulting in sustainable water use. The case of Georgia's Flint River Basin, with its significant municipal, industrial, and agricultural water use and a unique ecosystem to protect, will be described.
Key words: holistic comprehensive water , Georgia's holistic approach, value and role of sound science, comprehensive water management