For Immediate Release
May 18, 2001

Preempting a "Creeping Disaster": Drought prompting Georgia to develop a proactive management plan.

Anne Steinemann, an associate professor in the City and Regional Planning Program of the Georgia Tech College of Architecture, is leading a team of experts who are assisting Georgia government officials in creating a drought management plan for the state. Photo by Gary Meek (300-dpi JPEG version)

Periods of drought have naturally come and gone throughout history. In recent years, however, some regions of the United States have become more vulnerable to the effects of drought as pressures increase on natural resources.

Rain deficits are rising. Crops are dying on the vine, and lake levels are plummeting. Meanwhile, concern is growing among water managers and others. Already, 31 states have implemented drought management plans, five of which attack the situation proactively, rather than emphasizing emergency response. Georgia will soon be among the proactive because of planning by state officials and a team of scientists led by a Georgia Institute of Technology professor.

"Drought is a 'creeping disaster,'" says Anne Steinemann, an associate professor in the City and Regional Planning Program of the Georgia Tech College of Architecture. "It's easy to ignore until it's too late. But the current drought has highlighted the need for planning to reduce drought impacts."

Meeting for more than a year now, volunteers representing various stakeholders, officials from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and a research team led by Steinemann have discussed both the indicators and impacts of drought. They are also formulating strategic and tactical responses to drought. This information is the basis for a drought plan, which outlines actions to take before, during and after a drought.

"The plan links indicators, which characterize stages of drought severity, with responses," Steinemann explains. "For instance, when an indicator shows that a drought is developing, a response could be to curtail non-essential water uses. Then during a drought, the plan also provides guidance, such as when and how to make water use restrictions more stringent, or when and how to implement water use surcharges to manage demand. The idea is that it's more effective -- and less painful -- to prepare for drought, and take timely actions, than to wait until a full-blown crisis has developed."

The expansive shoreline of Lake Lanier northeast of Atlanta greets a group of rowers as they get ready for an afternoon of practice at Clarks Bridge Park. The level of Lake Lanier, which provides much of Atlanta's water supply, was about 12 feet below full pool when this photo was taken. Photo by Alan Hope (300-dpi JPEG version)

Georgia's drought plan will first address drought at the state level, then at the regional or local level, such as river basins, water agencies of Georgia (for example, the North Georgia Regional Water Authority created by the General Assembly earlier this year), counties and municipalities. The plans would be linked to make drought management more consistent, yet each plan would still reflect unique local conditions, Steinemann explains. For instance, "odd-even" water use restrictions effectively reduce water use in some counties, but may actually increase water use in other counties.

"Our experience with drought has shown the need for a coordinated and comprehensive approach," Steinemann says. "How can we develop mechanisms to more efficiently share water, for example?"

Already, the DNR's Environmental Protection Division (EPD) requires water purveyors to develop drought management plans, but Steinemann found in her research that few of these are actually implemented or effective. Officials hope the new statewide plan will provide guidance for local and regional entities to tailor their plans to the type of drought, the users affected and the effects of various mitigation strategies on local users, as well as those elsewhere in the state.

Georgia's plan is incorporating expertise gained from drought experiences in the state and elsewhere to identify three main types of drought and their indicators. They are meteorological, agricultural and hydrological. All droughts begin with a deficiency of precipitation, explains research team member Don Wilhite of the National Drought Mitigation Center.

Meteorological drought occurs when there's a precipitation deficiency compared to normal levels over time. Agricultural drought is defined by available soil moisture -- the principal factor affecting plant growth and yield. Hydrological drought is based upon surface and subsurface water supplies (i.e., reservoir levels, stream flow and groundwater).

The boat ramp at Clark's Bridge Park on Lake Lanier was closed because of the lake's low water level. A continuing drought in Georgia caused the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages Lanier, to close virtually all such facilities late last year. But recent rains have led to the reopening of nearly half of the lake's 57 ramps. Photo by Alan Hope (300-dpi JPEG version)

"The drought plan we are developing in Georgia uses indicators of all of these types of drought to identify potential impacts and mitigation and response actions," Wilhite says.

To evaluate whether these actions would work in reality, the planners are conducting a "virtual drought" exercise, a simulation engineered by research team member Richard Palmer of the University of Washington. The other test for Georgia's drought plan is implementation, which the EPD could begin later this year.

"The plan should be implemented as a working document that is continually refined and updated with new information," Steinemann says. "I view the plan as a process, not just a product."

Beyond all the planning, many people agree that mindset changes must occur to ensure the success of a drought management plan.

At the individual level, Steinemann wants people to understand the consequences of their decisions on water use. She conveys this message to students in environmental education presentations she makes as part of her research funded by the National Science Foundation.

"For example, one of the major sources of non-point pollution, and even public health risks, is chemical applications to lawns," Steinemann says. "I introduce students to an alternative called xeriscaping, which uses more native vegetation to reduce the need for water, pesticides and fertilizers. Plus, xeriscaped lawns cost less to maintain.. It's a change of ethic. We have to begin to think about the impacts of our individual decisions."

Meanwhile, businesses and industries can make a difference by lessening their dependence on water, says Bob Kerr, who is leading DNR's drought planning. He also heads DNR's Pollution Prevention Assistance Division that communicates this message to industry groups and offers them technical assistance.

At the local government level, Steinemann hopes officials will understand the need for drought planning, particularly as population growth occurs. "Drought occurs when demands exceed supplies," she explains. "Demand for water has skyrocketed in Georgia, but new supplies are limited."

At the state level, officials are beginning to take a risk-management approach to drought management. "This is a slow process to change the historic way of doing things," Wilhite says. However, identifying the likely impacts of drought, and the factors behind that vulnerability, allows the state to address the risks associated with drought in advance. In time, these actions will lessen risks and therefore, impact the level of government intervention required in the form of emergency assistance."

The state is also determining what policy changes it needs to make regarding water allocation in the Southeast, says Kerr, who is Georgia's chief negotiator in the long-running "water wars" between Georgia, Alabama and Florida.

"When we look 30 to 50 years into the future, we see growth, and knowing the stress on the water supply today, we have to implement policies to protect water quality, wildlife management and other concerns," Kerr says. "We also have to be prepared to react when there is a drought. We want to avoid reacting in a crisis mode."

Steinemann is hopeful about the outlook for Georgia. "Now, we will be much better prepared for the future," she says. "Our drought experiences have accentuated the need for this plan."

RESEARCH NEWS & PUBLICATIONS OFFICE
Georgia Institute of Technology
75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100
Atlanta, Georgia 30308 USA

MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACTS:
Georgia Tech -- John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: john.toon@edi.gatech.edu;
FAX: (404-894-4545) or Jane Sanders (404-894-2214); E-mail: jane.sanders@edi.gatech.edu

TECHNICAL CONTACTS:

Anne Steinemann,
City and Regional Planning Program, College of Architecture,
Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA 30332-0155.
(Telephone: 404-894-6491)
(E-mail: anne.steinemann@arch.gatech.edu)

WRITER: Jane Sanders