Water Use in Alabama, by Watershed, 2005
Water is one of the most important of Alabama's natural resources. Water is not only a vital component of human existence, it is critical to the overall quality of life. In order to protect and preserve this resource for future generations, we must have a baseline of information to make decisions. Decision and policy makers must know the answers to three fundamental questions: where is the water used, how it is used, and how much is used. These Web pages detail the overall withdrawals of ground and surface waters that occurred in Alabama in 2005.
Water Use in Alabama, by Watershed, 2005
Water is one of the most important of Alabama's natural resources. Water is not only a vital component of human existence, it is critical to the overall quality of life. In order to protect and preserve this resource for future generations, we must have a baseline of information to make decisions. Decision and policy makers must know the answers to three fundamental questions: where is the water used, how it is used, and how much is used. These Web pages detail the overall withdrawals of ground and surface waters that occurred in Alabama in 2005.
Water Use in Alabama in 2005
Water use in Alabama was about 9.96 billion gallons per day (Bgal/d) during 2005. Estimates of withdrawals by source indicate that total surface-water withdrawals were about 9.47 Bgal/d (95 percent) of the total withdrawals and the remaining 491 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) (5 percent) were from ground water. More surface water than ground water was withdrawn for all categories except aquaculture, mining, and self-supplied residential. During 2005, estimated withdrawals by category were: thermoelectric power withdrawals, 8.27 Bgal/d; public supply, 802 Mgal/d; self-supplied industrial, 550 Mgal/d; irrigation, 161 Mgal/d; aquaculture, 75 Mgal/d; self-supplied residential, 39 Mgal/d, livestock, 28 Mgal/d; and mining, 28 Mgal/d. Figures may not sum to totals because of independent rounding.
Per capita use for all offstream uses was 2,185 gallons per person per day for the estimated 4.56 million Alabama residents in 2005. Public supply per capita water use was 199 gallons per day for the estimated 4.04 million residents served by a public supplier; public-supplied residential per capita use was 81 gallons per person per day for the estimated 4.04 million residents served by a public supplier. Self-supplied-residential per capita use was 75 gallons per person per day for the estimated 0.52 million self-supplied residential population.
Watersheds Using the Most Water in Alabama in 2005
Water use was estimated at the hydrologic subbasin level for all categories except aquaculture, mining, and self-supplied residential. The Middle Tennessee–Elk subregion accounted for about 53 percent (5,185 Mgal/d) of the estimated total withdrawals by subbasin of 9,816 Mgal/d. About 92 percent of the water use in the Middle Tennessee–Elk subregion was for thermoelectric power, and more than 99 percent of the water was from surface water.
Information Resources
Water use was estimated at the hydrologic subbasin level for all categories except aquaculture, mining, and self-supplied residential. The Middle Tennessee–Elk subregion accounted for about 53 percent (5,185 Mgal/d) of the estimated total withdrawals by subbasin of 9,816 Mgal/d.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Water use in Alabama, 1995
Water is one of the most important of Alabama's natural resources. Water is not only a vital component of human existence, it is critical to the overall quality of life. In order to protect and preserve this resource for future generations, we must have a baseline of information to make decisions. Decision and policy makers must know the answers to three fundamental questions: where is the water used, how it is used, and how much is used. These Web pages detail the overall withdrawals of ground and surface waters that occurred in Alabama in 2005.
Water Use in Alabama, by Watershed, 2005
Water is one of the most important of Alabama's natural resources. Water is not only a vital component of human existence, it is critical to the overall quality of life. In order to protect and preserve this resource for future generations, we must have a baseline of information to make decisions. Decision and policy makers must know the answers to three fundamental questions: where is the water used, how it is used, and how much is used. These Web pages detail the overall withdrawals of ground and surface waters that occurred in Alabama in 2005.
Water Use in Alabama in 2005
Water use in Alabama was about 9.96 billion gallons per day (Bgal/d) during 2005. Estimates of withdrawals by source indicate that total surface-water withdrawals were about 9.47 Bgal/d (95 percent) of the total withdrawals and the remaining 491 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) (5 percent) were from ground water. More surface water than ground water was withdrawn for all categories except aquaculture, mining, and self-supplied residential. During 2005, estimated withdrawals by category were: thermoelectric power withdrawals, 8.27 Bgal/d; public supply, 802 Mgal/d; self-supplied industrial, 550 Mgal/d; irrigation, 161 Mgal/d; aquaculture, 75 Mgal/d; self-supplied residential, 39 Mgal/d, livestock, 28 Mgal/d; and mining, 28 Mgal/d. Figures may not sum to totals because of independent rounding.
Per capita use for all offstream uses was 2,185 gallons per person per day for the estimated 4.56 million Alabama residents in 2005. Public supply per capita water use was 199 gallons per day for the estimated 4.04 million residents served by a public supplier; public-supplied residential per capita use was 81 gallons per person per day for the estimated 4.04 million residents served by a public supplier. Self-supplied-residential per capita use was 75 gallons per person per day for the estimated 0.52 million self-supplied residential population.
Watersheds Using the Most Water in Alabama in 2005
Water use was estimated at the hydrologic subbasin level for all categories except aquaculture, mining, and self-supplied residential. The Middle Tennessee–Elk subregion accounted for about 53 percent (5,185 Mgal/d) of the estimated total withdrawals by subbasin of 9,816 Mgal/d. About 92 percent of the water use in the Middle Tennessee–Elk subregion was for thermoelectric power, and more than 99 percent of the water was from surface water.
Information Resources
Water use was estimated at the hydrologic subbasin level for all categories except aquaculture, mining, and self-supplied residential. The Middle Tennessee–Elk subregion accounted for about 53 percent (5,185 Mgal/d) of the estimated total withdrawals by subbasin of 9,816 Mgal/d.
Below are publications associated with this project.