Water-resources data for the 1996 water year for Georgia consists of records of stage, discharge, and quality of streams; stage and contents of lakes and reservoirs; ground-water levels; and precipitation quality. This report contains discharge records of 131 gaging stations; stage for 25 gaging stations; stage and contents for 18 lakes and reservoirs; water quality for 180 continuing-record stations; and peak stage and discharge only for 104 crest-stage partial-record stations; water levels of 24 observation wells, and water quality for 1 precipitation-quality site. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Georgia.