US Army Corps of Engineers

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Understanding Sedimentation and Land Use Cover Relationships in the Lake Sidney Lanier Watershed

Russell A. Lundstrum

Natural Resources Specialist, Park Ranger

Lake Sidney Lanier, Buford Dam

MGIS Program, Pennsylvania State University

Capstone Project

July 2009 - February 2010

Rev. 7

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Lake Sidney Lanier

Located 60 miles north of Atlanta, GA

Buford Dam built in 1952► Filled to full pool in 1957

Over 15,000 adjacent land owners

► 10,000 private docks

Source of drinking water for 3.5 million people

Over 7.5 million visitors to the lake annually

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Lake Level Action Zones

Above 1071’: Flood Water StorageZone 1: Normal OperationZone 2: Reduced Hydropower, Limited NavigationZone 3: Reduced Hydropower, Severely Limited NavigationZone 4: Hydropower at Minimum, Little/No NavigationBelow 1035’: Unable to Generate Power, “dead storage”

http://water.sam.usace.army.mil

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Vital Statistics

692 miles of shoreline 39,038 acres of water 17,726 acres of land 41 USACE parks 10 Marinas

► 10,000+ Boats

13 County and City Parks 6 State Parks

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Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin (ACF)

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Upper Chattahoochee Watershed

9 counties

1,034 square miles

60 square miles of that is the lake itself

2,240 miles of streams*

3,909 miles of roads**

*USGS NHD dataset**TeleAtlas 2009

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Research Questions

How has land use changed in the watershed?

How much sediment has accumulated in Lake Sidney Lanier?

Is there a correlation between sediment accumulation and land-cover change in the Lake Sidney Lanier watershed?

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Study Area Selection 44 Sub-watersheds Drain

to Lake Sidney Lanier 4 Selected, Based On:

► Sufficient Sedimentation Range data

• Max. Accumulation• Max. Erosion• No Change

► Visual Analysis of Land Cover Change

• New Neighborhoods• More Roads• Forested Areas

Longwood Cove, Lake Sidney Lanier130,000 cubic yards of silt removed

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Sediment Affects…

Recreation Wildlife Water Supply Water Quality

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Sub-watershed Study AreasSub-watershed Study Areas404

801

804

808

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Study Area SummaryUSGS HUC ID: 404 801 808 804

Size (acres) 14,795 15,806 13,356 16,642

LocationNorth end-Gainesville

North end-Gainesville

Southwest-Cumming

Southeast-Flowery Branch

Sedimentation Ranges

5 4 3 4

Docks 856 1,199 850 707

Limited Development* (acres)

517 (4.6%) 600 (3.8%) 535 (4.0%) 373 (2.2%)

Protected* (acres) 506 (3.4%) 668 (4.2%) 266 (2.0%) 507 (3.1%)

Recreation* (acres) 125 (0.8%) 849 (5.4%) 476 (3.6%) 516 (3.1%)

*USACE Allocation Zones

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Data Discussion

Land cover► Georgia Land Use Trends (GLUT, University of

Georgia, Athens, GA)► Collected 1974, 1991, 2005

Sedimentation Range► Cross section bathymetric surveys► Located in various creeks impounded by the reservoir► Three data sets: 1956, 1983, 1990

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Land Cover

Beaches, Dunes, Mud

Open Water

Low Intensity Urban

High Intensity Urban

Clear cut, Sparse

Quarries, Strip Mines

Deciduous Forest

Evergreen Forest

Mixed Forest

Row Crops and Pasture

Forested Wetland

Non-forested Wetland-Fresh Sub-watershed HUC 808

Cumming, GA, 1991

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Data Discussion

Land cover► Georgia Land Use Trends (GLUT, University of

Georgia► Collected 1974, 1991, 2005

Sedimentation Range► Cross section bathymetric surveys across lake► Located in various creeks impounded by the lake► Three data sets: 1956, 1983, 1990

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SR#33A Survey, 1990

SedimentationRanges

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BUFORD POOL SEDIMENTATIONRANGE 33A

960

980

1000

1020

1040

1060

1080

1100

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000

STATION, FEET

May-56 Dec-83 J un-89LEFT BANK RIGHT BANK

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Significant Dates for Project Data

1956 Sedimentation Range Survey, Baseline 1957 Lake Lanier filled to full pool

1974 Georgia Land Use Trends Cover 1983 Sedimentation Range Survey

1990 Sedimentation Range Survey 1991 Georgia Land Use Trends Cover

2005 Georgia Land Use Trends Cover

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Methods

Land cover change► Visual analysis► Raster analysis

• Impervious surfaces• Forested areas• Urban/suburban

areas

Sediment Range► Drastic increases or

decreases in sediment► Identify areas that have

certain characteristics• Strong increase• Strong decrease• No change

How do the land cover and sediment range data correlate?

BUFORD POOL SEDIMENTATIONRANGE 33A

960

980

1000

1020

1040

1060

1080

1100

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000

STATION, FEET

May-56 Dec-83 J un-89LEFT BANK RIGHT BANK

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Research Relevance Effect of silt on lake operations

► Reduces hydropower capacity• Minimal impact

► Effects recreation, wildlife• Shallow water in marinas• Turbid water in creeks and coves

► Can impact flood storage• Estimated $2 billion in real estate

between Buford Dam and Peachtree Creek

Effects municipal water supply► Reduces water storage capacity► Diffuser pipes become clogged► Additional water treatment for turbid water

(minimal on this lake)

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Research Relevance Effect of silt on lake operations

► Reduces hydropower capacity• Minimal impact

► Effects recreation, wildlife• Shallow water in marinas• Turbid water in creeks and

coves► Can impact flood storage

• Estimated $2 billion in real estate between Buford Dam and Peachtree Creek

Effects municipal water supply► Reduces water storage capacity► Diffuser pipes become clogged► Additional water treatment for turbid water

(minimal on this lake)

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Research Relevance Effect of silt on lake operations

► Reduces hydropower capacity• Minimal impact

► Effects recreation, wildlife• Shallow water in marinas• Turbid water in creeks and coves

► Can impact flood storage• Estimated $2 billion in real

estate between Buford Dam and Peachtree Creek

Effects municipal water supply► Reduces water storage capacity► Diffuser pipes become clogged► Additional water treatment for turbid

water (minimal on this lake)

Flooding in Mableton, GA, September 2009Map of home value below Buford Dam

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Research Relevance Effect of silt on lake operations

► Reduces hydropower capacity• Minimal impact

► Effects recreation, wildlife• Shallow water in marinas• Turbid water in creeks and coves

► Can impact flood storage• Estimated $2 billion in real estate

between Buford Dam and Peachtree Creek

Effects municipal water supply► Reduces water storage capacity► Diffuser pipes become clogged► Additional water treatment for turbid water

(minimal on this lake)

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Timeline2009

► July: Research Started► August: Proposal Rough Drafts► September: Online Proposal Presentation► October: Start Research Analysis► November: GIS Day Presentation► December: Continue Research Analysis

2010► January: Draft Analysis Findings► February 9-11: Final Presentation, USACE South Atlantic Division

Ranger Conference in Savannah, GA► March: Project Revisions► April: Final MGIS Wrap-up► May 15: Graduate► June: Present Documents and Research Findings to USACE

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Thank you for your time!Questions?