Coosa River Basin TMDLs

During 2005 and 2006 the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) worked with county and city governments and local water and sewer authorities in the Coosa River Basin to develop plans to reduce bacteria in area streams and Chlorophyll a in the Little River embayment of Lake Allatoona. ARC and its partner agencies have drafted the plans and obtained input from area businesses, property owners, watershed organizations and other stakeholders. These plans have been submitted to GA EPD.

Below is a link to a map and list showing which waterbodies ARC helped local governments develop TMDL Implementation Plans for in the Coosa Basin.

• List of Project Segments (PDF)
• Map of 12 Coosa Segments (PDF)

TMDL Implementation Plans

• Etowah River Watershed (PDF) Includes Implementation Plan for Etowah River (Settingdown Creek to Long Swamp Creek)
• Long Swamp Creek Watershed (PDF) Includes Implementation Plan for Long Swamp Creek (Hwy 53 to Etowah River, near Ball Ground)
• Sharp Mountain Creek Watershed (PDF) Includes Implementation Plan for Sharp Mountain Creek (Rock Creek to Etowah River)
• Lake Allatoona - Little River Embayment and Rubes Creek Watershed (PDF) Includes Implementation Plans for Lake Allatoona (Little River Embayment), Little Noonday Creek (Cobb County), Rubes Creek (Headwaters to Little River)
• Tanyard Creek, Butler Creek and Proctor Creek Watershed (PDF) Includes Implementation Plans for Acworth Creek (Tributary to Lake Acworth), Butler Creek (Headwaters to Lake Acworth), Proctor Creek (Headwaters to Lake Acworth, Cobb County), Tanyard Creek (White Lake to Lake Allatoona), Tributary to Allatoona Creek (Cobb County)
• Owl Creek Watershed (PDF) Includes Implementation Plan for Owl Creek (Lake Allatoona Tributary)

Visual Field Survey Reports:

• Etowah River (PDF) - March 1, 2006 Final
• Long Swamp Creek (PDF) - March 1, 2006 Final
• Sharp Mountain Creek (PDF) - March 1, 2006 Final
• Lake Allatoona (PDF) - March 1, 2006 Final
• Rubes Creek (PDF) - March 1, 2006 Final
• Acworth Creek (PDF) - March 1, 2006 Final 
• Owl Creek (PDF) - March 1, 2006 Final

Georgia's Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has identified streams that do not meet water quality standards in the Coosa River Basin and has studied the maximum amount of pollution these streams can accommodate before they become impaired. These limits, or pollution budgets, are called Total Maximum Daily Loads. Two pollutants are involved – bacteria and Chlorophyll a.

TMDLs for Fecal Coliform and Chlorophyll a:

• Chlorophyll a TMDL (PDF)
• Fecal Coliform TMDL (PDF)

Bacteria come primarily from animal wastes that wash into nearby creeks and lakes. Chlorophyll a is the green pigment found in living plants. In lakes and ponds, it is found primarily in algae. The amount of algae in a lake greatly affects the lake’s physical, chemical and biological makeup. Algae produce oxygen during daylight hours but use up oxygen during the night and again when they die and decay. Decomposition of algae also causes the release of nutrients to the lake, which may allow more algae to grow. The processes of photosynthesis and respiration cause changes in lake pH, and, of course, can cause aesthetic problems in a lake. Green “scum” and sometimes an unpleasant odor are common problems associated with high algae concentrations.

GA EPD has developed TMDLs for other pollutants and the plans to address those pollutants. Please contact Mary Gazaway (404.675.1745) with GA EPD's Water Protection Branch, if you have any questions regarding these other types of pollution.

View the implementation plans prepared by GA EPD:

• Coosa River Basin - Fecal Coliform Bacteria TMDL Implementation Plan (PDF)
• Coosa River Basin - Delisted Segments TMDL Implementation Plan (PDF)

For more information on the Cleaner Streams project, please contact us at 404.463.3100

Note: Prepared by the Atlanta Regional Commission with the support of the Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The preparation of this web site was funded in part through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the provisions of Section 106 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended.

Last modified Monday, July 07, 2008 9:11