A recent article in the Athens Banner Herald discussed long-term changes in stream flow across northeast Georgia. In the past 50 years, the average stream flow in the Oconee River and other rivers in Georgia has declined about 20 percent. At the same time, more extreme rainfalls are causing localized flooding, with longer dry spells in between. Some of this change is due to changes in rainfall over time and some is due to changes in land use such as urbanization which paves over land and makes it impermeable to precipitation, increasing runoff. If you depend on stream flow from a nearby river to irrigate or fill a farm pond, or if you have low-lying areas that are prone to flooding, you will need to consider how these changes might impact your farm’s operations. You can read the article by clicking here.
