Water Quality in the Headwaters of the Upper Oconee Watershed

Abstract

Development in the Southern Piedmont of the USA is increasing urban demand for clean water for recreation and municipal supplies. Agricultural production is perceived to be a non-point source of pollution in this region. To effectively target efforts to reduce agricultural pollution, we are working to estimate the impact of conservation practices and to develop water-sampling strategies for identifying key areas for conservation efforts. Nine sites were selected for sampling surface water quality in the headwaters area of the Upper Oconee Watershed of Georgia. Significant variation in water quality was observed among the 9 sites. In some cases, high levels of N and P may have been the result of holding ponds associated with agricultural processing or confined animal operations located adjacent to the water body and near the sample sites. Dilution of upstream impacts was apparent at downstream sites particularly with the samples representing the Middle Oconee River.