Lake Seminole Hydrologic Analysis - USGS
Water management in the lower Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basin has long concerned Alabama, Florida, and Georgia due to competing freshwater demands. Numerous studies have explored the complex relationships among hydrologic components and natural and human-induced stresses. However, prior research lacked mechanisms to collect real-time data critical for developing a precise water budget for Lake Seminole and its associated stream-lake-aquifer system. These studies also did not examine the hydrologic and hydrogeologic effects of the Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam, which impounded Lake Seminole. To address these gaps, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, is developing a detailed water budget for the Lake Seminole area. This effort aims to estimate water flow into Florida before and after the dam's construction and assess the impacts of potential sinkhole collapses beneath the lake.
Objectives:
- Develop a water budget for Lake Seminole that will result in reasonable understanding of the effect of the lake on the overall flow system in the lower ACF River Basin;
- Compare current (2001) and pre-Lake Seminole ground-water and surface-water flow to determine whether the volume of water flowing out of Georgia has changed significantly after construction of Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam and filling of the lake;
- Evaluate the possibility of a substantial amount of water entering the ground-water system from Lake Seminole, flowing beneath Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam, and entering Florida downstream of the dam; and
- Assess the likelihood of failure of dissolution features in the karst limestone of the lake bottom, such as sinkhole collapse, and the likelihood of sudden partial or complete draining of the lake. If these events are likely, then propose a data-collection system to monitor conditions that might lead to sudden draining of Lake Seminole.
Water management in the lower Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basin has long concerned Alabama, Florida, and Georgia due to competing freshwater demands. Numerous studies have explored the complex relationships among hydrologic components and natural and human-induced stresses. However, prior research lacked mechanisms to collect real-time data critical for developing a precise water budget for Lake Seminole and its associated stream-lake-aquifer system. These studies also did not examine the hydrologic and hydrogeologic effects of the Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam, which impounded Lake Seminole. To address these gaps, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, is developing a detailed water budget for the Lake Seminole area. This effort aims to estimate water flow into Florida before and after the dam's construction and assess the impacts of potential sinkhole collapses beneath the lake.
Objectives:
- Develop a water budget for Lake Seminole that will result in reasonable understanding of the effect of the lake on the overall flow system in the lower ACF River Basin;
- Compare current (2001) and pre-Lake Seminole ground-water and surface-water flow to determine whether the volume of water flowing out of Georgia has changed significantly after construction of Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam and filling of the lake;
- Evaluate the possibility of a substantial amount of water entering the ground-water system from Lake Seminole, flowing beneath Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam, and entering Florida downstream of the dam; and
- Assess the likelihood of failure of dissolution features in the karst limestone of the lake bottom, such as sinkhole collapse, and the likelihood of sudden partial or complete draining of the lake. If these events are likely, then propose a data-collection system to monitor conditions that might lead to sudden draining of Lake Seminole.