Lake Tuscaloosa, created in by the impoundment of North River, is the primary water supply for the cities of Tuscaloosa and Northport, Alabama, and surrounding areas. In 1982, 17 cross-sections were established in the principal tributaries of the lake, which include North River, Dry Creek, Turkey Creek, Binion Creek, Tierce Creek, Carroll Creek, and Brush Creek. These cross-sections were resurveyed in 1986 to determine the amount of sedimentation or scour occurring in the lake at these areas. In May 2000, 14 of the 17 cross-sections were located for resurveying to determine the amount of sedimentation or scour since 1986. The maximum amount of sediment deposition determined from the 2000 survey occurred in the upper end of the Carroll Creek tributary at cross-section CCS (3.0 feet). The maximum amount of scour occurred in the Turkey Creek tributary at cross-section TRC2 (7.0 feet). Of the 14 cross-sections, 6 indicated increased amounts of sediment deposition, 5 indicated scouring of bottom sediments, and 3 indicated little or no change.

Lake Purdy was created in 1911 by the impoundment of the Little Cahaba River and is used primarily as a supplemental water supply for the city of Birmingham and surrounding communities. Changes in land use, such as residential development and disposal of industrial waste within the basin, have caused concern about possible changes in water quality of the lake and its tributaries. Ten sites in the Lake Purdy Basin chosen for this study included six inflow sites, three lake sites, and one site at the outflow of the lake. Data collected during the study indicate that the Little Cahaba River provides approximately 80 percent of the total annual mean inflow to the lake. The Little Cahaba River drains 24.4 square miles, which represents 57 percent of the drainage area at the lake outlet. During the 1988 water year, a severely dry year, the Little Cahaba River provided approximately 88 percent of the total mean inflow into Lake Purdy. During the 1988 water year, daily mean inflow to Lake Purdy was 21.9 cubic feet per second and the mean outflow from the lake was 31.1 cubic feet per second. All constituents analyzed throughout the study area were within drinking-water limits except for total recoverable iron, total recoverable and dissolved manganese, and pH. The maximum concentration of total recoverable iron occurred at Lee Branch (site 6) and the maximum concentration for total recoverable manganese occurred at Little Cahaba River below Lake Purdy (site 10). The maximum concentration of total recoverable iron and total recoverable manganese occurred at Lee Branch (site 6). The maximum pH was at Lake Purdy at Irondale Bridge (site 4) and Lake Purdy near Cahaba Heights (site 9) and the minimum pH was at Cox Creek (site 5).

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