Insight into State and Local Government Responsibilities for Effective Watershed Management in Georgia

Proceedings of the 1999 Georgia Water Resources Conference, March 30 and 31, Athens, Georgia.Since the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, federal efforts to control water quality have shifted away from solely relying on traditional end-of-pipe regulation to a more unified "watershed" management approach. This shift has been accompanied by the transference of water quality responsibilities from federal fo state and local governments (e.g. total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) and erosion and sedimentation control). There is considerable federal and state support for a watershed management approach, but very few details exist concerning the implications this shift will have on local governments. This paper highlights federal and state efforts in protecting water quality through watershed management; recognizes the disjoint between water quality authority and land use authority; and also provides insight for more efficient watershed management in Georgia.Sponsored and Organized by: U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of TechnologyThis book was published by the Institute of Ecology, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-2202 with partial funding provided by the U.S. Department of Interior, geological Survey, through the Georgia Water Research Insttitute as authorized by the Water Research Institutes Authorization Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-397). The views and statements advanced in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not represent official views or policies of the University of Georgia or the U.S. Geological Survey or the conference sponsors