Biological surveys on the Savannah River in the vicinity of the Savannah River Plant (1951-1976) Page: 31 of 242
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Tugaloo and Chattooga Rivers. The region is characterized by a
relatively steep gradient, ranging from about 5,500 to 1,000 ft
(1676 to 305 m), and includes 2,022 sq mi (5235 km2) of the
total drainage basin. The Mountain Province lies in the Blue
Ridge, and has a bedrock composed of gneisses, granites, schists
and quartzites; the subsoil is composed of brown and red sandy
clays. In this region the Savannah River and its tributaries have
the character of mountain streams, with shallow riffles, clear
creeks, and a fairly steep gradient. The stream bed is mainly
sand and rubble, and the banks are sloping and grass-covered.
The Piedmont Region has an intermediate gradient, with
elevations ranging from 1,000 to 200 ft .(305 to 61 m). This
region includes 5,233 sq mi (13,548 km2) of the total drainage
basin. Soils in the Piedmont are primarily red, sandy or silty
clays, with weathered bedrock consisting of ancient sediments
containing granitic intrusions. The Piedmont is bordered by the
Fall-Line, an area where the sandy soils of the Coastal Plain meet
the.rocky terrain of the Piedmont foothills. The city of Augusta,
Georgia, is located near this line.
The Savannah River becomes more turbid in the Piedmont
Region, picking up the majority of its silt load. The river often
meanders, and, despite the stabilizing effect of Clarks Hill Dam,
the outer banks on curves are relatively unstable. Sand bars are
deposited downstream from many inside banks along the curves.
The Coastal Plain has a negligible gradient ranging from an
elevation of 200 ft (61 m) to sea level. The soils of this region
are primarily stratified silts, clays, and sands. The Coastal
Plain contains 3,334 sq mi (8631 km2) of the total Savannah
River drainage area, and includes the city of Savannah, Georgia
(Figure 2). In the Coastal Plain, the Savannah River is quite
slow moving. Tidal effects may be observed near the mouth of the
river, and a salt water tongue extends upstream along the bottom
of the river bed. The river bed is often muddy, and the river
proper merges with the surrounding swamps.
. Flow data for the Savannah River at Augusta (measured at
Butler Creek) are given in Table 1. Typically, low flow occurs
during the fall while high water occurs in late winter or early
spring. The average discharge at -Augusta calculated from 72 years
of data, is 10,300 cfs (292 m3/sec). More detailed flow and
temperature data are given in Appendix C.
The water quality of the Savannah River and its tributaries
varies considerably, ranging from clean to heavily contaminated
with industrial and domestic effluents. The 1974 stream use- 20 -
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Matthews, R. A. Biological surveys on the Savannah River in the vicinity of the Savannah River Plant (1951-1976), report, April 1, 1982; Aiken, South Carolina. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1053316/m1/31/: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.