As the drought continues, billions of gallons of precious fresh water is washing out to sea

[Demeter]

Source: Island Packet

Even with severe droughts in parts of South Carolina and Georgia, billions of gallons of unused freshwater flow down the Savannah River and into the Atlantic Ocean every day. Local water officials want to find out if there's a way to prevent so much of the river's water from washing out to sea. If so, more water would be available during droughts.

Beaufort and Jasper counties get about 75 percent of their potable water by pumping it from the river. The river's flow is controlled by a hydro-electric dam at the Lake Thurmond reservoir just north of Augusta, Ga., which is overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Savannah District.

The Corps is responsible for releasing the right amount of water from the reservoir -- enough to supply the cities of Augusta and Savannah, as well as Plant Vogtle, Georgia Power's nuclear power plant near Waynesboro, Ga. The flow also must be sufficient to maintain the river's ecosystem, including areas like the Savannah Wildlife Refuge.

But if the amount of water released from the reservoir were reduced, perhaps those needs could still be met -- and more water could be held in the reservoir for use during droughts


Read more: http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/123255.html

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

1. Maybe it's time

to reexamine state and federal policies against rainwater collection, grey water usage, and plain old conservation. With water, in the low country as elsewhere, humans as a species and as individuals have a powerful sense of entitlement which borders on greed and illogical excess to the point of destruction. My brother's house in the Abacos has no basement: instead, his rain gutters feed a gigantic cistern with all the water his family needs for their simple lifestyle.

We need a paradigm shift in our minds. And the low country needs less golf courses.

[Stuart G]

2. Greed is about right, worse..

Water wars were fought in the early 1900s in California..Hopefully humans can find a way to share. But some greed in this country goes beyond that simple idea. Let us hope a change has occurred in 100 years. But I doubt it.

[boricua79]

3. less golf courses...more windmill/solar fields!

MIght as well throw away cemeteries too...sorry grandma, we need the space.

Cremation is more sanitary and less space wasteful.

Just my 2 cents.

[SpiralHawk]

4. Staunch the flow of water to the sea

and you will in turn change the chemistry of the sea in that region.

It is all connected. Get a clue...

[Demeter]

5. Not to Staunch It, Merely Add a Little Loop

Instead of a straight run: divert, use, reclaim and return.

[SpiralHawk]

6. "Whew! That's better." - King Neptune & Allied Sea Life

[TalkingDog]

8. Teh Godz R Hawties! Whew. n/t

My Favorite Master Artist: Karen Parker GhostWoman Studios

[JVS]

12. Are those wrinkles or is he ripped?

[Donnachaidh]

11. umm, the way Georgia *treats* it's water is disgusting

Just dump a crapload of chemicals in, no matter how much waste is being dumped upstream.

We don't even use unfiltered water in our showers anymore, because of the toxic chemical *stew* that comes out of the faucets.

[TalkingDog]

7. Nicer than my initial reaction: It's a RIVER!!!! That's what it does!!!

Part of the devastation in N.O. was tinkering with the wetlands that protected the city in years past by taking some of the force out of storms like Katrina.

Automakers: Oh, let's just pump some CO into the atmosphere so we can drive our cars a little.

Agribiz: Let's just keep replanting the same crops in the same fields and put lots of chemicals on the soil to try and keep it productive.

Yep, that all worked out fine.




My Favorite Master Artist: Karen Parker GhostWoman Studios

[The2ndWheel]

9. "billions of gallons of unused freshwater"

Well, hopefully nobody will be shocked when we fuck things up even more after we use all the "unused" water.

[formercia]

10. And nothing flows down stream but treated sewage

and Industrial Waste.

The little fishies are going to love that.

[Felix Mala]

13. If we fix our problems what will there be for God to do?

[Xenotime]

14. They are looking to change the environment and that is wrong.

[CreekDog]

15. I don't think the fish consider it wasted as the water washes out to sea

The mind boggles!