Surface-water information is needed for purposes of surveillance, planning, design, hazard warning, operation, and management in water-related fields such as water supply, hydroelectric power, flood control, irrigation, bridge and culvert design, wildlife management, pollution abatement, flood-plain management, and water-resources development. An appropriate data base is necessary to provide this information.Objectives: (1) To collect surface-water data sufficient to satisfy needs for current uses, such as assessment of water resources, operation of reservoirs or industries, forecasting, disposal of wastes and control of pollution, and research or special studies. (2) To collect data necessary for'analytical studies to define the statistical properties and trends in rainfall, streamflow, water levels, and water quality.Approach: Standard methods of data collection are used as described in the USGS publications series "Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations of the United States Geological Survey." Partial-record gaging is used instead of complete-record gaging where it serves the required purpose. The network includes continuous and intermittent discharge stations (fig. 3), stage-only and lake stage stations (fig. 4), and peak or crest stage stations (fig. 5).Progress: The surface-water network has grown to include operation and annual publishing of hydrologic data from 120 continuous-gaging stations, 22 stage only stream stations, and 13 lake-stage stations. Miscellaneous measurement data from 4 sites and data from 41 crest-stage partial-record stations are also published. Thirty-one raingages also are operated within the network.
Approximately 6,720 million gallons per day of freshwater were withdrawn in 1985 from South Carolina's streams, rivers, lakes, and aquifers for public supply, irrigation, industry, and thermoelectric power generation. Tnis compares to 5,790 million gallons per day withdrawn during 1980, or an increase of 16 percent. Surface water was the source for 98 percent of all freshwater withdrawals and ground water was the source for the remaining 2 percent. Thermoelectric power generation accounted for 77 percent of the total withdrawal; industry, 17 percent; public supply, 5 percent; and agricultural use, 1 percent. An additional withdrawal of 118 million gallons per day was estimated for miscellaneous uses such as domestic, commercial, livestock, and mining. Instream or nonwithdrawal use of water for hydroelectric power generation accounted for 42,100 million gallons per day, which is six times greater than the total of all withdrawal uses. SUMMARY Approximately 6,720 Mgal/d of freshwater were withdrawn in South Carolina during 1985. Surface-water sources provided 98 percent of this volume and ground-water sources the remaining 2 percent. Thermoelectric power generation accounted for 77 percent of the total withdrawal; industry, 17 percent; public supply, 5 percent; and agricultural use, 1 percent. Nonwithdrawal use of water for hydroelectric,power generation was six times greater than all withdrawal uses combined.
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