By Julia L. Fanning, U.S. Geological Survey
Georgia Geologic Survey Information Circular 104, 37 pages

Water-use data for 1997 for the 24-county area of coastal Georgia were compiled by the Georgia Water-Use Program, a cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Georgia Geologic Survey. The data were compiled by county and the categories of water use—public supply domestic and commercial, industrial and mining, irrigation, livestock, and thermoelectric power generation.

In coastal Georgia during 1997, an estimated 1,225 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of water was withdrawn for offstream uses. Although surface water provided 72 percent of the total withdrawal in the coastal area (879 Mgal/d), this quantity includes thermoelectric power generation. Excluding thermoelectric use, ground water was the main source of water in the coastal area during 1997, providing about 347 Mgal/d of the total withdrawal.

Water withdrawal in the coastal area increased from 1,153 Mgal/d in 1980 to 1,225 Mgal/d in 1997, a 6-percent increase. During this period, withdrawal from surface-water sources increased by about 111 Mgal/d, and withdrawal from ground-water sources decreased by about 38 Mgal/d. Throughout the period 1980-97, the relative amount of withdrawal was largest in Chatham County and smallest in Long County.