Catawba Wateree Water Management Group 2015 Annual Report

Research and Technical

CWWMG supports projects that define ways to ecologically preserve, extend, and enhance the capabilities of the Catawba and Wateree Rivers and address these goals: 

  • Improve the region's ability to monitor and respond to droughts
  • Improve its understanding of landscape irrigation, one of the region's largest seasonal uses of water
  • Initiate systems to better coordinate and improve member communications with customers, state regulators, and other stakeholders
  • Develop and disseminate information to help the region better understand the importance of water and wastewater today and in the future
  • Further explore feasible approaches to extend the availability of water from the Catawba-Wateree River

Some projects are completed within one year while others, like the basin-wide Water Supply Master Plan span multiple years.

Project Name Description Status
Water Audit & Water Loss Management Establish an on-going water audit process for CWWMG member water utilities and support work to reduce identified potable water losses. In Progress
Quantifying the Potential Benefits of Land Conservation on Water Supply to Optimize Return on Investments Assess the relative impacts of climate and land use change on water supply resiliency across the Basin and determine the extent to which future impacts on water supply can be mitigated through land conservation efforts focusing on geographic hot spots within a watershed. Tailored collaboration research project with the Water Research Foundation. Completed
Conservation Prioritization Tool for Source Water Protection Update and enhance the Catawba Basin Conservation Assessment Tool based on the findings and outcomes from the previously completed, basinwide project funded by The Water Research Foundation (WRF), feedback on the original study and assessment tool, and newly available data. Funded in collaboration with the Catawba Wateree Initiative. Completed
Water Quality Regional Needs Assessment Identify and survey water quality data users in the Catawba-Wateree Basin to assess current and future use of the Water Quality Platform developed under the Water Supply Master Plan Phase III project. Completed
Water Supply Master Plan Phase III - Water Quality Insights Research how trends and forecasts reqarding the quality of the water in the Catawba-Wateree system are likely to impact its usability and treatability for drinking water and cooling thermal power plants. Completed
USGS Groundwater Well Project Support an expanded USGS groundwater monitoring well network within the Catawba-Wateree River Basin to collect data for drought management and further the understanding of the surface water – groundwater relationship. On-going
Raw Water Intake Contingency Plan Evaluate and report on water supply intake contingency opportunities for the 18 CWWMG members. Completed
LIP Response Evaluation Project Develop a consistent method to compare actual drought response to water savings goals established by the Low Inflow Protocol. Completed
Sediment Monitoring Project Measure sedimentation over a five-year period at several strategic locations in the 11-lake system to verify long-term water storage loss assumptions in the water quantity model. Completed
Water Use Efficiency Plan Develop appropriate, measureable goals to drive water use efficiency improvements and develop a prioritized action plan to meet the established goals. Completed
Safe Yield Research Project Define and enhance the safe yield of the Catawba-Wateree River Basin. Tailored collaboration research project with the Water Research Foundation. Completed
Rhodhiss Trailrace Nutrient Study Review and analyze historical nutrient levels in Lake Rhodhiss. Completed
Lakefront Smart Irrigation Study Quantify the amount of water withdrawn for irrigation by the lakeside properties and identify ways to conserve the water supply. Completed