Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basin Drought & Water Dashboard
Explore timely and reliable information on past, present, and future drought conditions to increase drought early warning capacity and support decision making across the ACF Basin.
of USGS streamgages in the ACF Basin have below-normal 28-day average streamflow
counties in the ACF Basin are designated in drought by the USDA
driest December on record, over the past 128 years
driest year to date over the past 128 years (January-December 2022)
The U.S. Drought Monitor map is updated each Thursday to show the location and intensity of drought across the country. The map uses five classifications: abnormally dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought: moderate (D1), severe (D2), extreme (D3), and exceptional (D4).
This map is used by USDA to trigger disaster declarations and loan eligibility. Individual states and water supply planning may utilize additional information to inform their declarations and actions.
The U.S. Drought Monitor is a joint effort of the National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA, and NOAA.
This map shows the percent of normal precipitation for the past 15 days, compared to the usual conditions for the same time period averaged from 1991–2020.
This map uses the gridMET and NLDAS precipitation datasets, and precipitation data are updated daily, with a delay of 3 to 4 days. Learn more.
Want to view precipitation data for different timescales?
View Precipitation Maps on Climate Engine
The Lawn and Garden Moisture Index measures the capacity of current soil moisture to sustain healthy lawns and gardens.
The index is computed in two stages. The first involves how much recent precipitation (over the past 21 days) contributes to current soil moisture. The second involves finding how much the total effective rainfall for the current day differs from a “standard” amount of rainfall considered to be adequate for that time of year to sustain healthy lawns and gardens.
Positive values of the index indicate adequate precipitation or better, while negative values indicate a precipitation deficit.
- Short-term dryness slowing planting, growth of crops or pastures.
- Some lingering water deficits
- Pastures or crops not fully recovered
- Some damage to crops, pastures
- Streams, reservoirs, or wells low, some water shortages developing or imminent
- Voluntary water-use restrictions requested
- Crop or pasture loss likely
- Water shortages common
- Water restrictions imposed
- Major crop/pasture losses
- Widespread water shortages or restrictions
- Exceptional and widespread crop/pasture losses
- Shortages of water in reservoirs, streams, and wells creating water emergencies
| Range | Map Hex Color |
|---|---|
| 0% - 25% | #8c510a |
| 25% - 50% | #bf812d |
| 50% - 75% | #dfc27d |
| 75% - 100% | #f6e8c3 |
| Range | Map Hex Color |
|---|---|
| 100% - 150% | #c7eae5 |
| 150% - 200% | #80cdc1 |
| 200% - 300% | #35978f |
| 300% - | #01665e |
| Range | Map Hex Color |
|---|---|
| -2 - -1.5 | #cc0000 |
| -1.5 - -1.0 | #ff6600 |
| -1.0 - -0.5 | #ffa200 |
| -0.5 - 0 | #ebeb50 |
| Range | Map Hex Color |
|---|---|
| 0 - 0.5 | #8ce48c |
| 0.5 - 1.5 | #00c800 |
| 1.5 - 2.0 | #00af00 |
| 2.0 - | #009600 |
This graph shows the year-to-date composite conservation storage (in acre-feet) for the ACF River Basin—that is, the combined storage of Lake Sidney Lanier, West Point Lake, and Walter F. George Lake—as well as forecast storage for the next 4 weeks (orange line). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) categorizes conservation storage into 5 action zones, which trigger drought operations in the ACF River Basin:
- Zones 1 and 2: Not classified as drought conditions, normal operations are in place.
- Zone 3: Drought contingency operations are triggered, hydropower is supported at a reduced level.
- Zone 4: Severe drought conditions exist, navigation is not supported, hydropower is likely to be generated only during concurrent use.
- Drought Zone: Emergency drought operations are triggered, hydropower will only be met as a result of meeting other project purposes.
View this graph on the USACE website.
Current and forecasted lake levels for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) projects in and near the ACF River Basin. Where applicable, lakes are color-coded based on USACE lake action zones*, which provide guidance on meeting minimum hydropower needs at each project and determine the amount of storage available for navigation, water supply, and water quality. Click on any of the lakes to view the current lake level and the 1-week forecast (measured in ft MSL, feet above mean sea level).
View More Lake Level Forecasts
* For Lake Seminole (Jim Woodruff Dam), which has no action zones, green = below maximum operating level, and blue = above maximum operating level. Forecasts are not available for R.F. Henry and William Dannelly in the ACT Basin. Navigation restrictions in the action zones below do not apply to Allatoona and Carters, as navigation is only directly supported for reservoirs in the ACF Basin.
The map depicts real-time streamflow conditions compared to historical streamflow conditions for the day of the year, updated daily. U.S. Geological Survey stream gages are displayed alongside current drought conditions from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Click on a streamgage to view more data for that location. Learn more.
The map depicts 28-day average streamflow conditions as computed at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages. The colors represent 28-day average streamflow compared to percentiles of historical 28-day average streamflow for the day of the year. Click on a streamgage to view more data for that location. Learn more.
| Value | Map Hex Color |
|---|---|
| Flood Storage: Storage is above Zone 1 | #0000ff |
| Zone 1: Normal operations | #55ff00 |
| Zone 2: Limited navigation (ACF); reduced hydropower | #ffff00 |
| Zone 3: Significantly limited navigation (ACF); reduced hydropower | #ffaa00 |
| Zone 4: Navigation not supported (ACF); very limited hydropower | #ff0000 |
| Project Does Not Have Action Zones | #000000 |
| Value | Map Hex Color |
|---|---|
| Low | #ff0000 |
| Much Below Normal | #b12121 |
| Below Normal | #ffa400 |
| Normal | #00ff00 |
| Above Normal | #40dfd0 |
| Much Above Normal | #0000ff |
| High | #000000 |
| Not Ranked | #FFFFFF |
| Value | Map Hex Color |
|---|---|
| D0 | #ffff00 |
| D1 | #ffcc99 |
| D2 | #ff6600 |
| D3 | #ff0000 |
| D4 | #660000 |
| Value | Map Hex Color |
|---|---|
| Low | #ff0000 |
| Much Below Normal | #b12121 |
| Below Normal | #ffa400 |
| Normal | #00ff00 |
| Above Normal | #40dfd0 |
| Much Above Normal | #0000ff |
| High | #000000 |
| Not Ranked | #FFFFFF |
| Value | Map Hex Color |
|---|---|
| D0 | #ffff00 |
| D1 | #ffcc99 |
| D2 | #ff6600 |
| D3 | #ff0000 |
| D4 | #660000 |
U.S. Drought Outlooks
| Value | Map Hex Color |
|---|---|
| Drought persists | #9B634A |
| Drought remains but improves | #DED2BC |
| Drought removal likely | #B2AD69 |
| Drought development likely | #FFDE63 |
| No drought predicted | #FFFFFF |
The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center's Monthly Drought Outlook is issued at the end of each calendar month and is valid for the upcoming month.
The Outlook predicts whether drought will persist, develop, improve, or be removed over the next month. Learn more.
The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center's Seasonal Drought Outlook is issued on the third Thursday of each month.
The Outlook predicts whether drought will persist, develop, improve, or be removed over the next three months or so. Learn more.
Quantitative Precipitation Forecast
| Range | Map Hex Color |
|---|---|
| 0 - 0.01 | #ffffff |
| 0.01 - 0.1 | #7fff00 |
| 0.1 - 0.25 | #00cd00 |
| 0.25 - 0.5 | #008b00 |
| 0.5 - 0.75 | #104e8b |
| 0.75 - 1 | #1e90ff |
| 1 - 1.25 | #00b2ee |
| 1.25 - 1.5 | #00eeee |
| 1.5 - 1.75 | #8968cd |
| Range | Map Hex Color |
|---|---|
| 1.75 - 2 | #912cee |
| 2 - 2.5 | #8b008b |
| 2.5 - 3 | #8b0000 |
| 3 - 4 | #cd0000 |
| 4 - 5 | #ee4000 |
| 5 - 7 | #ff7f00 |
| 7 - 10 | #cd8500 |
| 10 - 15 | #ffd700 |
| 15 - 20 | #ffff00 |
| 20 - | #ffaeb9 |
| Range | Map Hex Color |
|---|---|
| 0 - 0.01 | #ffffff |
| 0.01 - 0.1 | #7fff00 |
| 0.1 - 0.25 | #00cd00 |
| 0.25 - 0.5 | #008b00 |
| 0.5 - 0.75 | #104e8b |
| 0.75 - 1 | #1e90ff |
| 1 - 1.25 | #00b2ee |
| 1.25 - 1.5 | #00eeee |
| 1.5 - 1.75 | #8968cd |
| Range | Map Hex Color |
|---|---|
| 1.75 - 2 | #912cee |
| 2 - 2.5 | #8b008b |
| 2.5 - 3 | #8b0000 |
| 3 - 4 | #cd0000 |
| 4 - 5 | #ee4000 |
| 5 - 7 | #ff7f00 |
| 7 - 10 | #cd8500 |
| 10 - 15 | #ffd700 |
| 15 - 20 | #ffff00 |
| 20 - | #ffaeb9 |
The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center produces Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts that depict the amount of liquid precipitation expected to fall in a defined period of time. These forecasts are defined as the expected “areal average” (on a 20 x 20 km grid) in inches. This map shows forecast precipitation over the next 24 hours. Learn more.
The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center produces Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts that depict the amount of liquid precipitation expected to fall in a defined period of time. These forecasts are defined as the expected “areal average” (on a 20 x 20 km grid) in inches. This map shows forecast precipitation over the next 7 days. Learn more.
Historical Drought Conditions and Impacts: ACF River Basin
The U.S. Drought Monitor map is updated each Thursday to show the location and intensity of drought across the country. The map uses five classifications: abnormally dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought: moderate (D1), severe (D2), extreme (D3), and exceptional (D4). This map is used by USDA to trigger disaster declarations and loan eligibility. Individual states and water supply planning may utilize additional information to inform their declarations and actions. The U.S. Drought Monitor is a joint effort of the National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA, and NOAA. Learn more.
The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is an index to characterize meteorological drought on a range of timescales, ranging from 1 to 72 months. The SPI is the number of standard deviations that observed cumulative precipitation deviates from the climatological average. NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information produce the 9-month SPI values below on a monthly basis, going back to 1895. In the legend below, D0–D4 represent dry conditions and W0–W4 represent wet conditions. Learn more.
Tree rings are used to extend the instrumental record of drought to over 2,000 years. The Living Blended Drought Product (LBDP) is a recalibrated data series of June-July-August Palmer Modified Drought Index (PMDI) values in the lower 48 U.S. states. This dataset blends tree ring reconstructions and instrumental data to estimate the average summer PMDI values, which extend over 2,000 years in some parts of the U.S. In the legend below, D0–D4 represent dry conditions and W0–W4 represent wet conditions. Learn more.
Story Map: Drought in the ACF River Basin
The waters of the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and Flint Rivers provide valuable resources to the States of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia and people who live in these river basins.
During droughts, the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, Flint (ACF) River Basin experiences complex water management challenges due to competing water needs between states and various sectors. Water supplies and instream flows become stressed during periods of drought, further intensifying the conflict over water. Targeted improvements for accessing and using drought information in the ACF can increase the broader understanding of how drought affects the basin, while also providing essential early warning and support for decision makers before, during, and after a drought.
The Drought in the ACF River Basin story map explores the historical context and impacts of drought on the basin, focusing on five key areas:
- Historical Drought
- Major Rivers in the ACF
- Water Management in the ACF Basin
- Impacts of Drought in the ACF
- Looking Ahead
