Every year cities are required to submit a watershed protection plan with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to comply with their NPDES municipal separate storm sewer system discharge permits.  A watershed assessment involves identification of pollutant sources and best management practices, as well as data from water quality sampling and biological assessments.  This research focuses on biological and habitat assessments for several cities across the state of Georgia.  An example of findings from the city of Georgetown follows: 
Biological and habitat assessments were conducted on three stream segments within the city of Georgetown between February 3, 2006 and July 11, 2006.  Biological assessments, in conjunction with habitat surveys, provide a time-integrated sample of water quality conditions. Macroinvertebrates, fish, physical habitat, and water chemistry data were collected based on guidance from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Rapid Bioassessment Protocols.  Specific protocols were provided by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division and Wildlife Resources Division –Fisheries Section.  These data provide baseline biological data from which to evaluate future changes in water quality in the Georgetown area.  In general, biological and habitat assessments indicate streams in the Georgetown area are impaired by geomorphic factors causing sedimentation and habitat simplification, as well as lack of diverse flow regimes (i.e. minimal pool and riffle habitat, insufficient combination of fast and slow flowing water).  Poor bank stability was also a key issue and may be contributing to the increased sedimentation.   Overall, these sites do not support diverse or abundant macroinvertebrate and fish communities.