(1) If severe drought conditions are declared
on or before March 1 of the year, in accordance with
391-3-28-.04, the Division may
determine:
(a) the total number of acres of
irrigated agricultural land serviced by irrigation systems located within the
affected area,
(b) the maximum
amount of agricultural acreage which may be safely irrigated that year within
the affected area, and
(c) the
corresponding amount of ground-water-irrigated acreage and
surface-water-irrigated acreage which should not be irrigated that year in
order to maintain an acceptable Flint River stream flow. These acceptable
stream flow levels shall be determined by the Director.
(2) This acreage determination may be done by
the following process:
(a) Calculated level
of unreasonable impact.
The Division shall conduct computer modeling or other methods
of evaluating the surface water-groundwater interactions using cumulative
irrigation acreage, which is the total amount of acreage actually irrigated or
proposed to be irrigated (TA). The Division shall also determine the amount of
proposed irrigation acreage where the models or other methods first indicate
that unreasonable flow reductions below acceptable stream flow levels on the
Flint River or its tributaries may occur. This defines the maximum amount of
acreage which may be irrigated (MA) during that year.
(b) If the total amount of actual irrigation
acreage (TA) is found to be less than the calculated level of unreasonable
impact acreage (MA), then no reduction of agricultural irrigation usage by
limiting irrigation acreage is required during that declared severe drought
year.
(c) If the total amount of
actual irrigation acreage (TA) is found to be greater than the calculated level
of unreasonable impact acreage (MA), then a situation exists where reductions
in irrigation acreage should be implemented to avoid unreasonable impacts on
river flows. The total amount of acreage reduction (RA) shall be found by
subtracting the calculated amount of unreasonable impact acreage from total
irrigation acreage amount. The resulting acreage amount shall be the total
number of acres of irrigated land which should be taken out of irrigation
during that declared severe drought year.
Notes
Ga. Comp. R.
& Regs. R.
391-3-28-.06
O.C.G.A. ยง
12-5-540
et
seq.
Original Rule entitled
"Eligibility" adopted. F. Jan. 20, 2006;
eff. Feb. 9, 2006.
Repealed: New Rule entitled "Irrigated Acreage
Determination" adopted. F. June 23, 2006;
eff. July 13, 2006.
Amended: F. May 18,
2015; eff. April 3,
2015, as specified by the
Agency.
