Savannah-Upper Ogeechee Regional Highlights

The Savannah-Upper Ogeechee Regional Water Planning Council meets regularly between plan updates to discuss ongoing implementation of the plan, outreach to interested stakeholders, and hear the latest on water issues affecting the Region. Below is a summary of ongoing activities.

The region covers portions of the Savannah, Ogeechee, Oconee and Tennessee River basins. The lower portions of the Savannah, Ogeechee and Oconee basins lie within other regions, and the Savannah basin is shared with South Carolina.

The Savannah River Basin includes three major lakes owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Lake Hartwell, Lake Richard B. Russell, and Lake Thurmond.

In addition to water supply, power generation, flood prevention, and drought management, the streams and lakes in the region support significant recreational uses and important biological resources.

Regional Water Plan Seed Grants

Regional Water Plan Seed Grants provide competitive funding annually to support and incentivize local governments and other water users as they undertake implementation of the Regional Water Plan. The Grants require cash and in-kind match, and have a maximum project amount. Additional information about Seed Grants may be found at EPD’s website: SEED GRANTS

Savannah-Upper Ogeechee Seed Grant Projects
Cycle Year Project Description Lead Partner Projected Completion
FY2020 High Frequency Monitoring and the Effects of Agricultural Water Withdrawal in the Savannah Upper Ogeechee Watersheds City of Augusta 12/30/2023
FY2021 Upgrading Publicly Accessible Water Monitoring for the Savannah-Upper Ogeechee RWP City of Savannah 12/30/2023
FY2022 Effect of Water Quantity on the Instream Function of the Savannah River University of Georgia 9/30/2024
FY2022 Pilot Study to Preserve In-Stream Water Quality and Instream Flows Below an urban pond complex using a real-time control system City of Augusta 10/31/2024

 

Outreach Activities

Members of the Regional Council participate in outreach activities to increase knowledge and understanding of the Regional Plan. An example outreach presentation providing an overview of the Regional Plan and process is available for download below.

Regional Newsletter

EPD collaborated with the planning contractors and Council Chairs to create a newsletter to keep Council Members updated on the work that was underway during the 2020-2023 Regional Water Plan Update. Topics covered include updates from EPD, planning process and resource assessment overviews, forecasting results, and funding updates. Newsletter editions may be released on a quarterly basis or after Council Meetings, as appropriate. The 2023 Fact Sheet was developed to capture the highlights of the 2023 Regional Water Plan Update. The released newsletters and fact sheet can be found below.