Skip to main content
Georgia State Flag

An official website of the State of Georgia. How you know

Translate website English Organizations A-Z
The .gov means it’s official.

Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. State of Georgia government websites and email systems use “georgia.gov” or “ga.gov” at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you’re on an official state website.

Still not sure?

Call 1-800-GEORGIA to verify that a website is an official website of the State of Georgia.

Dismiss alert
emergency
:
Environmental Protection Division Environmental Protection
Division
Environmental
Protection
Division

Search this site

Popular searches

  • Mission Statement
  • Organization of the office
  • History
  • Meeting Requests
  • Key Staff
  • Duties of the Office
  • Event Requests
  • Contact
  • X About EPD
    • Contact Us
    • Air Protection
    • Land Protection
    • Watershed Protection
    • District Offices
    • EPD Laboratory Operations
  • X Forms & Permits
    • eServices
    • Air Forms & Permits
    • Land Forms & Permits
    • Watershed Forms & Permits
  • X Rules, Laws & Enforcement
    • Existing Rules & Laws
    • Enforcement
    • Complaint Tracking System
  • X Public Announcements
    • News Releases
    • Proposed Rules
    • Air Announcements
    • Land Announcements
    • Watershed Announcements
    • Coal Ash Information
  • X Outreach
    • Community Involvement
    • Grants
    • Outreach & Educational Programs
    • Publications
  • Emergency Response
Header Utility Narrow

Breadcrumb

  • Home
  • About EPD
  • Watershed Protection Branch

Watershed Protection Branch

In support of Georgia EPD’s Mission, Vision, and Guiding Principles, the Watershed Protection Branch protects and restores Georgia’s water resources. We take the lead in ensuring clean and safe water, and with our partners, we pursue a sustainable environment that provides a foundation for a vibrant economy and healthy communities. The Branch manages water resources in Georgia through regulatory and protection programs, monitoring, assessment and planning. The Branch issues permits to local governments and industry to discharge treated wastewater and stormwater and to local governments, industry, farmers and subdivisions for surface water and groundwater withdrawals.  The Branch ensures that Georgia's public water systems are operating properly to supply safe drinking water to citizens, and controls nonpoint sources of pollution through grants and volunteer programs such as Rivers Alive and Adopt-a-Stream.  The Branch also conducts monitoring and modeling of Georgia's waters.

Get started

Find and submit your watershed forms and permits. 

Forms and Permits

Regulatory and Protection Programs

The Branch administers various permitting programs, including the following:

  • Wastewater (direct discharges, land application, pretreatment and underground injection control)
  • Drinking Water
  • Water Withdrawals (surface and groundwater for municipal, industrial or agricultural use)
  • Stormwater
  • Erosion and Sedimentation (including buffers)

The Branch also has regulatory authority over:

  • Dam Safety
  • Water Well Standards
  • Drought Management
  • Water Efficiency and Water Loss Audits
  • Fats, Oils and Grease

Watershed Branch Information

Contact information for associates within the Branch may be found within the Watershed Protection Branch organization chart and phone list.

 

If you would like to submit a Georgia Open Records Act request to the Watershed Protection Branch, please email [email protected].

Standards, Monitoring and Assessment of Georgia’s Waters

The Branch’s Watershed Planning and Monitoring Program establishes water quality standards for Georgia’s waterbodies, conducts monitoring throughout the state, and conducts an assessment of monitored waterbodies’ compliance with water quality standards.  For waters that are assessed and do not support the water quality standards, a total maximum daily load (TMDL) is developed.  TMDLs and wasteload allocations for wastewater dischargers are informed by the program’s water quality modeling efforts.

Guidance documents on how to conduct a Watershed Monitoring Plan, prepare a Watershed Assessment, develop a Watershed Protection Plan, and submit data for the Watershed Protection Plan Annual Report can be found in the Watershed Assessment and Protection Plan Guidance Documents. 

Groundwater monitoring data and Georgia geological maps and information can be found in the Georgia Geologic Survey Publications.

  • Watershed Planning and Monitoring Program    
    • Water Quality Standards
    • Monitoring
    • Assessment
      • 305(b)/303(d) Assessment
      • Fish Consumption Guidelines
    • Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
    • Water Quality Modeling
    • Watershed Assessment and Protection Plan Guidance Documents
    • Georgia Geologic Survey Publications

Planning

The Branch engages with Regional Water Planning Councils throughout the state in sustainably managing Georgia’s water resources into the future.  For more information on the Regional Water Planning process and to access Regional Water Plans, please visit https://waterplanning.georgia.gov/.  The Metro Water District’s Water Resource Management Plan was prepared in accordance with EPD guidance.  The Branch enforces the Plan’s provisions through our permitting processes, including reviews of local jurisdictions’ good faith efforts to comply with the Plan before issuing new or expanded permits for water withdrawal, wastewater discharges, or MS4 permits.  If you are a local jurisdiction and have been contacted to complete EPD’s audit, please Download this xls file. click here to download the checklist. 

The Branch works with our partners to address nonpoint source management through the implementation of Georgia’s Statewide Nonpoint Source Management Plan.  Our efforts include administering nonpoint source implementation grants and outreach and educational programs.

The Branch’s Floodplain Management program coordinates with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the development of Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for Georgia and provides community outreach and assistance.

Other Items of Interest

  • PFOA and PFOS Information
  • Water Conservation
  • Sewage Spills Report
  • Environmentally Sensitive Property
  • Coastal Water Study
  • Permits with Public Comments
  • Water Quality Trading
Information on PFOA and PFOS
PFOA and PFOS Interactive Story Map
PFOA and PFOS Interactive Data Map
Water Quality in Georgia Story Map
Water Quality in Georgia Story Map
Harmful Algal Blooms Story Map
About EPD
  • Contact Us
    • State Climatologist
    • Air Branch
    • Careers
  • Air Protection
    • Air Branch Programs
      • Ambient Monitoring
      • Mobile and Area Sources
        • Inspection and Maintenance
      • Planning Program
        • Planning and Regulatory Development
        • Air Quality Standards
        • General Conformity
        • Transportation Conformity
        • Control Techniques Guidelines
        • Greenhouse Gases
        • SIP Revisions
      • Radiation Protection
      • Compliance Program
        • Industrial Source Monitoring
      • Permitting Program
        • FAQ
      • GaDER
    • Clean Air
    • Open Burning
      • Burn Notification Changes
      • Summer Burning
        • Burn Map
      • Non-Summer Burning
      • Burn Types
        • Prescribed Fires
        • Acquired Structures
      • Alternatives to Burning
    • Radiation
    • Technical Guidance
      • Air Toxics
      • Air Quality Modeling
        • Georgia AERMET Meteorological Data
        • Georgia ISC Meteorological Data
      • Air Quality Permits
        • SIP
        • Title V
        • PSD
        • Greenhouse Gas
        • Permit Fees
      • Gas Stations and Bulk Terminals
        • Standards for Hazardous Pollutants
      • Risk Management
      • Test and Monitor Your Facility
  • Land Protection
    • Hazardous Waste
      • Brownfield
      • Hazardous Site Response Release Notifications
      • Hazardous Site Inventory
      • Uniform Environmental Covenants
      • Voluntary Remediation
      • Household Hazardous Waste
    • Recovered Materials and Abatement
      • Asbestos
        • Contractors and Training Providers
      • Lead-Based Paint
        • Contractors and Training Providers
      • Recovered Materials
        • Recycling, Waste Reduction, and Diversion Grant
        • Local Government Scrap Tire Abatement Reimbursement Program
        • Solid Waste Trust Fund
        • Composting
        • Anaerobic Digestion
        • Municipal Measurement Program for Waste Diversion and Recycling
        • Mulch
      • Tire Management
    • Solid Waste
      • Permitted Solid Waste Facilities
    • Surface Mining
    • Underground Storage Tanks
      • Operator Training - Classroom
      • Operator Training - Online
    • Technical Guidance
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous Waste
      • Lead-Based Paint
      • Scrap and Used Tires
      • Solid Waste
      • Surface Mining
      • Underground Storage Tanks
        • Corrective Action
        • Regulatory Compliance
        • Tank Operator Training Requirements
        • Approved Training Courses
  • Watershed Protection
    • Wastewater
      • Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund
      • Technical Review Process
    • Drinking Water
    • Water Withdrawal Permitting
    • Stormwater
      • Georgia EPD - Coastal Stormwater Supplement to the Stormwater Management Manual
      • Municipal Stormwater
    • Erosion and Sedimentation
    • Safe Dams Program
      • Glossary
      • FAQs
    • Water Well Standards
    • Indirect Potable Reuse
    • Drought Management
    • Water Efficiency and Water Loss Audits
    • Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG)
    • Floodplain Management
    • Water Conservation
      • Car Wash Certifications
    • Watershed Planning and Monitoring Program
      • Water Quality Standards
      • Monitoring
      • Assessment
        • Water Quality in Georgia
        • Fish Consumption Guidelines
      • Total Maximum Daily Loadings
      • Water Quality Modeling
    • Nonpoint Source
      • Nonpoint Source Resources
    • Sewage Spills
  • District Offices
  • EPD Laboratory Operations
    • Analytical Excellence Supporting Environmental Compliance
Environmental Protection
Division
Environmental
Protection
Division

How can we help?

  • Call Us
    Air Branch: (404) 363-7000
    Land Branch: (404) 362-2537
    Watershed Branch: (404) 463-1511
  • Email Us
    [email protected]
  • Visit
    2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE
    Suite 1456, East Tower
    ATLANTA, GA 30334
Calendar icon
  • Monday to Friday,   08:00 a.m. - 04:30 p.m.
All in Eastern Time Zone

Related Links

  • Careers
  • Georgia Department of Natural Resources

Your Government

  • State Organizations
  • Elected Officials
  • State Jobs
© Georgia.gov
  • Site Map
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy/Security
  • Human Trafficking Notice